The Biggest Week in American Birding from May 5 through May 15 the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) is hosting day trips, guided walks, guided auto tours and a slew of workshops. This past weekend, with the miracle of good weather, I was blessed to observe hundreds of migrating birds there. BSBO and the surrounding protected areas of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Crane Creek are nestled in Northwest Ohio along the Lake Erie shoreline. The BSBO specifically is one of the most significant bird conservation areas, and has been officially designated a globally important bird area. These monikers are resultant of the mass bird migrations that route through this area, where hundreds of bird species use it as a stop point and nesting site.
The highlight of the trip was the BSBO-guided walk aptly named Warbler Workout. From the moment of setting foot on the west end of the Magee Marsh Boardwalk at the observatory, the flurry of flitting, singing, calling and flying activity made my head spin. Our strategy of arriving early paid off this day, as the birder numbers were low, and the bird count was very high. Picking one spot to focus on took concerted effort. It was a virtual warbler wonderland.
The Blackburnian warbler, the first of the day, I thought was my favorite. As the day progressed and flowed into the next, I concluded that each one is my favorite, as they all elicited great excitement and joy just to see and hear them. Here is the first beauty. More to follow in the coming days.
The highlight of the trip was the BSBO-guided walk aptly named Warbler Workout. From the moment of setting foot on the west end of the Magee Marsh Boardwalk at the observatory, the flurry of flitting, singing, calling and flying activity made my head spin. Our strategy of arriving early paid off this day, as the birder numbers were low, and the bird count was very high. Picking one spot to focus on took concerted effort. It was a virtual warbler wonderland.
The Blackburnian warbler, the first of the day, I thought was my favorite. As the day progressed and flowed into the next, I concluded that each one is my favorite, as they all elicited great excitement and joy just to see and hear them. Here is the first beauty. More to follow in the coming days.
