The Biggest Week in American Birding is here, and the Journal offers a preview each week of the types of birds residents and visitors will encounter at area parks.
The 10-day festival in northwest Ohio–the Warbler Capital of the World–runs May 5 to 14, and attracts visitors from throughout the country to the shores of Lake Erie.
Stand back! The pace of bird migration is quicky picking up with lots of changes yet to come. The first wave of the undisputed stars of spring migration–the colorful array of warblers–is here. At this time of year birdwatchers are likely to see both migrating birds and returning summer residents anywhere–in the backyard, a woodlot, ravines, along the river and at other locations.
“Any Toledo Metroparks or Wood County Parks are great areas to find the birds, as is the Magee Marsh Bird Trail, which is nationally known as a birding destination and home to the Biggest Week in American Birding,” said Art Weber, nature photographer, who snapped these photos of a palm warbler,left, and a female black and white warbler, below.
According to the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, right now visitors can expect to see increasing numbers of blackand- white, palm, Nashville, and black-throated green warblers. “Don’t forget to look for some of the less celebrated but also wonderful birds such as ruby-crowned kinglets, blue-gray gnatcatchers, as well as swamp and whitethroated sparrows, and look for our smallest favorite, rubythroated hummingbirds.” Other popular destinations to visit during spring migration are Howard Marsh Metropark, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
