Birding the Toledo Area and Beyond

Crossbills and Avocets

2009-10-25T18:27:00.002-04:00

-Phone Transcript-

Sunday, October 25th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Red Crossbill and American Avocet.

On Wednesday, October 21st, Rick Nirschl had a pair of Red Crossbills in the Oak Openings. Specifically, the birds were in the pine plantation along Girdham Road just west of Sager. They did fly to the northwest and out of sight, but this sighting clearly illustrates once again that crossbills can be found in the Oak Openings just about at any time and anywhere. Both crossbills should be on your radar anytime you are in the Oak Openings, regardless of season or invasion.

Yesterday, 7 American Avocets were out on the exposed mudflat off of Little Cedar Point. This is an off-limits area, but surely these birds could put down just about anywhere along the lakeshore so keep your eyes peeled. Also at Little Cedar Point yesterday were a Blackpoll and Nashville Warbler, both getting on the tardy side.

A Black-throated Blue Warbler found by Dan Barda at Eppstein Park in Toledo on Thursday was also getting tardy.

On the flat-out late side of things were a couple of Northern Rough-winged Swallows this week, one at the foot of Jerome Road along the Maumee River Rapids and another over east Toledo.

An Eastern Wood-pewee near the west end of the Magee Marsh bird trail was very late yesterday.

A Bay-breasted Warbler was at Sheldon's Marsh near Sandusky today. Rusty Blackbirds and Fox Sparrows are now widespread and common throughout the area.

Richard Johnson had a Golden Eagle over his home last week in Springfield Township. The next 10-14 days are peak Golden Eagle passage through our area so be sure to stay tuned to the skies overhead.

Slightly farther afield up at the Haehnle Sanctuary near Jackson, MI, Sandhill Crane numbers are still relatively low, though hundreds are now being seen in and around the area. About 600 were there the other day, and you should also be aware there is a single Whooping Crane in the area as well. It is one of the monitored birds from Wisconsin and has been utilizing private land near Haehnle. It won't be long before cranes from Northern Michigan join the party and numbers will swell. If you haven't taken an evening visit to Mud Lake Marsh at Haehnle, then you should definitely mark your calendars for some weekend night in November. It is a wonderful experience and is less than 90 minutes from Toledo.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, October 28th.

Thank you for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Mid October Update: Gulls, late departures

2009-10-18T13:37:00.002-04:00

-October 18, 2009 RBA Phone Transcript-

Sunday, October 18th, you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Sabine's Gull, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle and an update on fall migration.

I have been feeling pretty far under the weather lately and just haven't had the notion to provide a timely update, so I apologize for that regression. The good news is, there are a few things worth mentioning and hopefully I am on the upswing.

At Huron Pier an hour east of Toledo yesterday, a juvenile Sabine's Gull loafed around for a couple of hours during the morning. Photos were taken, though as is typical with this species, it didn't stay for long.

Steve Stockford and others had a great raptor flight over our area on Thursday of last week which was October the 15th. 3,100 Turkey Vultures set a new high mark for one-day total in our area I do believe. In addition, and adult Northern Goshawk was tallied as were 2 Golden Eagles. One of the eagles was found perched for a short while which is a very rare treat indeed. The flight was noted over Whitehouse, as well as south Toledo. This is pretty interesting in and of itself, but if you recall, there was light rain and heavy cloud cover for most of the afternoon which seems a bit counter intuitive. Great stuff, regardless of weather.

There was a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Luna Pier in Monroe County MI yesterday, and I am quite sure they are now regular along Lotus Road, also in Monroe County.

A Common Loon flying over Pearson Metropark on October 13th was the season's first reported migrant. Much better, however was the record-late Whip-poor-will that Gerry Klug flushed at Pearson also on the 13th. The bird was along the Blue Trail and represents a record-late date. Late dates aside, a fall whip is always worth a mention here. Also on the 13th was a late Eastern Wood-pewee at Pearson.

Today, along the Maumee River, Jeff and Becky Cullen had 2 late Common Nighthawks.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday, October 22nd unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Thursday or hopefully sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

September 25th Phone Transcript

2009-09-25T17:26:00.002-04:00

Interestingly, Rick Nirchl sent me a note indicating he happened to look at the radar image from the night/early morning last week when I had all the thrushes flying over. He said the radar indicated a very large movement of birds east of Toledo and also in Michigan. It's always nice to get independent confirmation of sorts.

Things have been pretty slow this week, at least from a rarity standpoint. There are tons of birds around, you just need to go out looking. I was in downtown Chicago this week and found 6 species of warblers flitting amidst the skyscrapers.

Phone Transcript-

Friday, September 25th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is an update on fall migration.

Bird of the week honors probably goes to the single Baird's Sandpiper that Brian Zwiebel had at the Lake Erie beach today at Maumee Bay State Park. Other birds dropping in for a visit at Maumee Bay State Park over the last few days include American Golden Plover and Sanderling.

There are still a lot of warblers around, though we will soon see significant dropoff, at least in diversity. It won't be long at all that you'll have to work through many Yellow-rumps to find a Black-throated Green, Nashville or something else. Temperate migrants are certainly increasing. Creepers are now widespread, as are Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

A couple of miscellaneous notes: Sandhill Cranes up at the Haehnle Sanctuary near Jackson, MI are still basically missing in action. Only a dozen or so came into roost the other night. I have heard through the grapevine that the marsh may be too high for the cranes, so we'll have to keep our eye on things up there. This is one of the great, little known gems in our area and watching the great cranes coming into roost on chilly November evenings with a thermos of hot cider, rum or both is a tradition not to be missed. I'll let you know how that shakes out as we get closer to peak time.

The Detroit River Hawkwatch has been basically uneventful since the passing of the Mississippi Kite last weekend.

Saturday and Sunday don't look too bad weather wise and it may be the last of the mid-upper 70s we see for a long time. I would encourage you to go out birding.

Please note that the mushroom field trip for this weekend with Rick Nirschl has been cancelled.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday night, September 27th unless something turns up sooner in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Kirtland's Warbler, Huge Thrush Flight

2009-09-18T19:02:00.003-04:00

Temperate migrants have made a push into the area. Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, White-throated Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco are all here now. We won't get too depressed that winter is right around the corner, because winter is a great season to be out in the field. Christmas counts, the prospect of irruptives and the beautiful blanket of snow all are worth looking forward to! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here is a transcript.

Phone Transcript

Friday, September 18th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is Kirtland's Warbler and an update on fall migration.

News came across the wire this afternoon that a Kirtland's Warbler was found at East Harbor State Park, about an hour east of Toledo. It was being seen along the meadow trail, and since the Midwest Birding Symposium is being held in nearby Lakeside, you should be able to simply follow the crowd.

Shorebirds are still happening at Ottawa Refuge. Kenn Kaufman had a good variety in pool 2b the other day including White-rumped, Baird's, Western and Long-billed Dowitcher.

The local hawk watches are rolling. Broad-winged Hawks are coming into their peak, though no massive flights have yet been reported. 10,000 went over Lake Erie Metropark on Wednesday and 7,000 went over yesterday. I do not have today's report. In Ohio, good groups have been seen in Perrysburg and Springfield Township. Osprey, Merlin and Peregrine Falcons are all occasionally being seen here and there.

Songbirds are interesting right now. I was surprised this morning in the pre-dawn hours at the magnitude of a thrush flight. The skies were absolutely full of thrush call-notes, dominated by Swainson's. Untold hundreds of Swainsons were going over, and scores of Gray-cheeked Thrushes as well. As a bonus, a calling Upland Sandpiper flew over my yard at 6:15 this morning. Not surprisingly, Mark Plessner reported large numbers of thrushes at Wildwood Metropark today.

A Loggerhead Shrike was reported today from southern Michigan along Campau Road heading into the headquarters building at Point Mouilee State Game Area. Within that complex itself, good shorebirding remains, as do about a dozen White Pelicans.

A number of new arrivals have hit the south shore of Lake Erie the last couple of days including Dark-eyed Junco, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren and White-throated Sparrow.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Tuesday, September 22nd unless something turns up over the weekend in which case I will update the tape right away. With all those birders over in Lakeside, I will be keeping an eye on things.

-End Transcript

Labor Day Phone Transcript

2009-09-07T14:34:00.002-04:00

-Transcript

Monday, September 7th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is Ruff and an update on fall migration.

A Ruff was at Point Mouillee State Game Area in Monroe County MI over the weekend. The bird was seen yesterday in the Vermet Unit and also Cell 4. Other good birds at Mouillee yesterday included 11 White Pelicans, Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret, 10 Red Knots, a couple of Marbled Godwits, Baird's Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope and Long-billed Dowitcher.

Goose season is now in full effect so places like Pickerel Creek and Willow Point have been flooded. There is also hunting at Mouillee, but it is big enough that it is still apparently birdable. But, do keep in mind that there will be shotgun blasts all around.

The juvenile Red Knot at Maumee Bay State Park was lingering through at least Saturday this weekend.

Warblers are peaking right now. Nothing unusual was reported from the weekend. Last Friday, Elliot Tramer had an Olive-sided Flycatcher in the Oak Openings.

Gerry Klug had another Osprey over his home in east Toledo yesterday.

Raptors are moving over in good numbers now at the local area hawk sites. Merlins and Peregrines are the best species regularly going past at this point, but we are only a week to 10 days from the big Broad-winged flight, which often can yield a Swainson's Hawk.

There will be a field trip next Saturday, September 12th to look for shorebirds with John Szanto. Anywhere from 10 to 20 species of shorebirds could be tallied during this trip along the lakeshore. The destination will depend on available habitat. Meet at Tony Packo’s, on the corner of Front and Consaul Street in east Toledo at 8:00 a.m.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday September 10th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

I'm Back!

2009-08-29T10:11:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the poor updating of the blog. Call it "Summer Break". Now that fall migration is REALLY into full swing, look for more regular updates and expanded coverage just like the spring.

Warblers....who doesn't love them? Oh sure, it's not exactly like May out there, but it isn't too bad. Lots of warblers and other neotropicals are rolling through now and all you have to do is go and find them! Finding fall warblers is a bit different than in the spring. In a way they are easier because they are more widespread and you are likely to find a good variety in your neighborhood woodlot. But, they generally don't sing, and also they travel in mixed feeding flocks so you have to have patience. Once you find the flocks though, the fun begins. I would strongly recommend liberal doses of a screech-owl imitation (either whistled "organically" or played back from your bird-pod), because fall warblers cannot resist closer inspection of this noise.

Let's do a phone transcript.

-Phone Transcript

Saturday, August 29th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast MI rare bird alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is an update on fall migration.

Shorebirds are still in the news, though since they are almost exclusively what you have heard about here for over the last month, I won't focus on them today. Suffice it to say there is good habitat at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area near Fremont, north of the woodlot and there are plenty of birds to pick through there. Wilson's and Red-necked Phalarope, Red Knot, Baird's Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and both Godwits have all been there recently. Turnover is high, so if you can spend some time just watching the comings and goings you will surely be rewarded. Not surprisingly, at least one Peregrine Falcon has been hanging around there.

Let's talk warblers. Rick Nirchl had a good selection of fall warblers at Wildwood Metropark in west Toledo on Thursday August 27th. Golden-winged and Brewster's highlighted the parade, but he also had Blackburnian, Black and White, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Tennessee, Nashville and Magnolia. Gerry Klug had a very early Pine Warbler at Pearson Metropark this week, as well as Veery and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. These 2 species are earlier migrants and I get the sense they may be peaking right now. I had a Bay-breasted warbler in the yard this week and Dan Barda had a Wilson's Warbler at Walbridge Park. Swainson's Thrushes are around as well.

Out at Magee Marsh yesterday, Kenn Kaufman had Prothonotary and Black-throated Blue among others, as well as Philadelphia Vireos.

Yesterday, I had an Osprey fishing over a tiny pond in the middle of woods in Bedford Township, MI and also a Merlin near the old North Town Mall in north Toledo.

I can almost guarantee today and tomorrow will be good to excellent for fall birding. The weather is more like late September and the bird diversity in our area is extremely high right now. As I mentioned earlier, you can find fall migrants anywhere, but some tried and true spots include the Oak Openings, especially between White Oak and Girdham and Reed. Also check the Swan Creek crossing at Reed road just west of Girdham and also Swan Creek along Monclova Road. Secor Metropark, Irwin Prairie and Magee Marsh are also almost always very productive for me this time of year.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next update will be tomorrow night, August 30th. Until then, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Large Shorebirds are GOOD Shorebirds!

2009-08-09T17:10:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript-

Sunday, August 9th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are American Avocet, Marbled Godwit and other good shorebirds.

Ottawa Refuge continues to produce excellent shorebirding. In Pool 2A in the northwestern corner of the public area of the refuge, hundreds of shorebirds are being seen. Yesterday, the highlight was a single American Avocet. Stilt Sandpipers and a Little Blue Heron were also at this location yesterday. It would be interesting just to set up shop with a lawn chair and a scope and watch to see what the turnover was like over the course of the day. I suspect it is quite high.

Other birds at Ottawa Refuge include Sedge Wren and Sandhill Crane today in the heat near Krause and Stange Roads.

Up at Point Mouillee, a couple of Red-necked Phalaropes and 4 Marbled Godwits lead the shorebird parade. The Vermet Unit has been the most productive. Also in the Vermet Unit have been American White Pelicans and Least Bitterns.

Passerine migrants have been very quiet and really none were reported over the weekend. The next cool front from the north should produce some significant numbers of songbird arrivals.

There will be a TNA program this Saturday, August 15th. Casey Tucker will deliver a presentation on Alaska. Meet at the Anderson's Activities Center at 1833 South Holland-Sylvania Road in south Toledo at 7:30pm.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday August 13th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update th etape right away. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End transcript

Canada Warbler and Shorebirds

2009-07-26T10:04:00.002-04:00

Sunday, July 26th you've reached the NW Ohio and SE Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Canada Warbler and an update on fall migration.

Gerry Klug checked in and had the most interesting report of the week, which of course comes from his home turf at Pearson Metropark in east Toledo. A Canada Warbler has spent the summer at that location. It had been since June that Gerry had encountered this singing male, but found it again near the same area late last week. It seems unlikely that this bird successfully mated, but not impossible. I'm not sure of the habitat in that spot, Gerry - the fact this male remained faithful to that one particular area and did not wander much is pretty compelling.

Shorebirds are the main fare right now. There is good shorebird habitat at Ottawa NWR as a result of shorebird management and not by accident. Kudos to Doug Brewer and his staff for keeping a light on for this great family of birds that come through in our area in huge numbers and diversity. Specifically, Pool 2A is the place to be. This impoundment is in the far NW portion of the publicly open area of the refuge. A Whimbrel has been there for a few days now and was seen again yesterday. Also at this location is an adult Little Blue Heron. Long-billed Dowitcher was identified the other day here, but I am not sure who identified them or how. Voice was not indicated in the report. Nevertheless, sounds like a "hike the dikes" day at Ottawa should be on tap. Also at Ottawa Refuge, Dickcissels and Bobolinks are being seen off the platform on Stange Road.

Up at Point Mouillee State Game Area in Monroe County, MI, shorebirds and waders are turning heads as usual. Wilson's Phalarope, Whimbrel and Western Sandpiper have all been at Mouillee recently as have Cattle and Snowy Egrets.

Staying in Monroe County, MI, I had an adult male Summer Tanager in my yard yesterday. Very odd that this bird showed up in the middle of summer. I have had a few records, all of which had been from May. I guess it's a wanderer, as Summer Tanagers aren't among the earlier of fall migrants.

You should have Magee Marsh in your bag of tricks now. Late July and early August can produce some early passerine migrants. A couple of warblers that almost never get reported in fall migration are likely to be encountered now with substantial luck. Kentucky and Cerulean Warblers are sneaking by us, as is Louisiana Waterthrush and Yellow-breasted Chat. Northern Waterthrush and Black-and-White Warbler are certainly already southbound in small numbers and Yellow Warblers, both Orioles and Eastern Kingbirds are moving in numbers now.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday, July 30th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

The Dog Days...

2009-07-21T18:07:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

-Tuesday, July 21st you've reached the NW Ohio and SE Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. The sounds of silence emanating from this hotline are a direct reflection of the silence from the field.

I had a couple of interesting observations on Saturday. While wading the 10 Mile Creek in Sylvania, I found a Louisiana Waterthrush and a Pileated Woodpecker, both no more than a mile from downtown Sylvania.

Northern Parula has probably nested within city limits this year. A male has spent the summer at the Anderson property in south Toledo. Yellow-throated Warbler has also been at this location this summer.

Shorebirds are coming through in good numbers now, and mostly are available at Point Mouillee State Game Area in Monroe County, MI. No rare shorebirds have turned up over the last week to my knowledge. A few American White Pelicans remain at that location through today. Check the Vermet Unit, especially.

Farther afield at Goose Pond Wildlife Area in southern Indiana, a whole host of southern strays have turned up, highlighted by Black-bellied Whistling-ducks, Roseate Spoonbill and a dozen White Ibis. The White Ibis in Guernsey County, Ohio has turned unchasable as the property owners have decided birders are not welcome. Incidentally, that Goose Pond area in Indiana must be a 7 hour drive from Toledo. I haven't really researched it as I have no intention of visiting but thought it was regionally interesting.

Let's look ahead to a couple of upcoming TNA field trips. The first will be this Saturday, July 25th. - Monclova Sand Pits Wildflowers and Insects - This seldom visited area of Oak Openings Metropark has plenty to offer in the way of flora as well as fauna. Blooming sundews, yellow-eyed grass, colic root, club mosses, milkwort, and false foxglove are some of the plants we should find. Dragonflies and butterflies abound, as well as many other interesting insects. We may try to do some netting of critters, land and aquatic, for closer inspection. Meet trip leader Elliot Tramer at the Buehner Nature Center, Oak Openings Metropark at 9:00 a.m.

On Sunday, July 26th there will be a field trip to look for dragonflies with local guru Rick Nirschl. Meet Rick at Girdham and Reed roads in Oak Openings Metropark at 10am.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. Anymore, I almost hate to say when the next scheduled update will be, because it is almost always optimistic that I will actually get reports. That said, I will shoot for Saturday evening and hope something turns up in the meantime. Until Saturday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Point Mouillee Heating Up

2009-07-11T19:50:00.002-04:00

Phone Hotline Transcript -

Saturday, July 11th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan rare bird alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are White-faced Ibis, White-crowned Sparrow and an update on fall migration.

The Point Mouillee State Game Area in Monroe County, MI is heating up with extensive mudflats and lots of birds. It has been a long time since I have been there, and it was good to go back today. Even though I was drained afterward, I was certainly not disappointed in the birds. The Vermet Unit was where the action was. I had 8 American White Pelicans as well as 2 Yellow-headed Blackbirds. I dipped on the White-faced Ibis that was present in the Vermet Unit yesterday. There were hundreds of shorebirds coming and going, mostly Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Also present were Short-billed Dowitchers and a single Whimbrel. Terns were pretty conspicuous today with good numbers of Black Terns. Black Tern is a typical nester at Mouillee. A couple of Least Bitterns were a nice addition to the day list as well. Point Mouillee is a vast marsh complex, and you should come prepared to spend considerable time, especially if you are walking. Riding your bike is more efficient if at all possible. A scope is absolutely required at this location. While not the easiest place to go birding in the world, it almost never disappoints.

Perhaps the most interesting bird of the season found its way to the area on Thursday, July 9th. A White-crowned Sparrow was photographed on a Bowling Green backyard. Mid-summer records for White-crowned Sparrow in Ohio are extremely scarce and it should be considered accidental at best this time of year.

Shorebird Habitat in Northwest Ohio right now is basically limited to Willow Point, which is just east of Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area. It is accessed by going north on road 290 from State Route 6. Nothing rare has turned up yet this summer but it is worth watching. Reasonable numbers of the expected species are being seen.

I also read a report that Unit B at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area in Sandusky could be good within a couple of weeks, but there is nothing very good there at this moment. I will keep you posted on this situation.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, July 15th unless reports warrant something sooner. If Mouillee starts getting just a fraction of the coverage it deserves, then more frequent updates are almost a certainty. Until Wednesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Southbound Shorebirds and More

2009-07-07T17:11:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posts. The tape has been updated a few times since the 27th, but I have been too busy and/or lazy to write a script. I know the quality of the tape suffers when I do that, but sometimes it just has to be that way.

Usually by about the 10th of July, there should be a handful of southbound shorebird species in the area. The trick is always to find the habitat, but checking area beaches is always a good fall-back plan, at least early in the morning. Not all of the species would necessarily land on a beach, but some do, including some of the larger shorebirds which generally means "good" birds as well.

Songbirds are really pretty quiet already. Getting out very early is key to detecting them by song now. Birds really wander this time of year, so finding something out of the ordinary is really possible. Many young birds have now fledged as well, so overall bird numbers are up.

Time for a transcript.

-Phone Transcript

Tuesday, July 7th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Blue Grosbeak and an update on fall migration.

Matt Anderson checked in on Sunday this weekend with a report from the Oak Openings. He found 3 different Blue Grosbeaks, including one at Girdham and Sager roads. Another was near Girdham and Reed, and the third along Jeffers road south of Reed across from the horse farm. Maybe the grosbeaks are done nesting now and will become a bit more easy to find. These are all good places to check, as well as the end of Ostrich Lane off of State Route 64 at the south end of the park.

Summer Tanagers are still around of course, as are most of the Oak Openings specialties. Once we hit Labor Day, many of the summering specialties either disappear entirely or wander widely, so if you haven't gotten your fill of the great Oak Openings birding this summer, the clock is starting run a bit short. Frankly, its a bit depressing to me that I actually though about the Christmas Counts the other day. Where DOES the time go? Enjoy today.

There are a few shorebirds around. Elliot Tramer had a Ruddy Turnstone on the east beach at Magee Marsh on Sunday. Out in Erie County, less than an hour from Toledo, there are some shorebirds at Willow Point. Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers were all present on Sunday. Willow Point is east of Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area and is accessed by driving County Road 290 north from State Route 6.

A Caspian Tern at Pickerel Creek today was a fall migrant.

In the passerine category, a few early neotropicals should be on the move soon and we should be looking for their movements. Yellow Warblers, and both oriole species will be getting awfully itchy soon, and Black-and-white Warbler will often turn up in July sometime as a fall migrant. I would be putting the boardwalk at Magee Marsh back on my radar beginning around July 20th.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Saturday, July 11th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Saturday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Pelican-a-looza

2009-06-27T10:12:00.003-04:00

Very interesting this week was a rather significant influx of American White Pelicans into Ohio. Here in the Northwest, 2 were found last Sunday at Magee Marsh. Always a good find in Ohio, White Pelicans are unmistakable (I think!). A large group of 28 were down at Clay's Park Resort at Canal Fulton in Stark County this week and may still be there. http://www.clayspark.com/ will score you directions. A Brown Pelican was reported from Berlin Reservoir earlier in the week, though follow-up reports failed to relocate it. Of note was a basic-plumaged Common Loon, which I suppose could be interpreted as a "pelican" by non birding types.

June 27th, 2009 Phone Hotline Transcript

-Saturday, June 27th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are American White Pelican and Yellow-headed Blackbird.

There has been a big influx of American White Pelicans into Ohio over the last few days. A huge group of 28 were found down in Stark County the other day at Clay's Park Resort near Canal Fulton, Ohio. Here locally, 2 White Pelicans were off the beach at Magee on Sunday, though I just caught word of them. Sometimes these summertime pelicans hang around, so keep them in mind while visiting along the lakeshore, especially at Magee, Ottawa NWR and Metzger Marsh.

Metzger Marsh has some good birds. Most notably are nesting Yellow-headed Blackbirds, which are a real trick to see unless you have a canoe or some other craft to get you into the marsh itself. Without one, scope the tops of the cattails from the causeway and have patience. American Bitterns are also at Metzger, and are at least as tricky as the blackbirds. You may get lucky and hear one, but they do occasionally fly from point A to point B, especially in the waning daylight. Common Moorhen and Black Tern can be found at Metzger, and they are a bit easier to find. Cliff Swallows are nesting out at the east end of the dike at Metzger.

Here in town, Cliff Swallows are once again nesting under the bridge at Woodlawn Cemetery in central Toledo. Their numbers are down this year, but you can still see them reliably there.

Out at Providence Metropark along the Maumee, nesting Prothonotaries have returned to that favored locale.

On the east side at Pearson Metropark, a Blue-winged Warbler was a good local find.

Belated, but worth mentioning is a very convincing report of an adult Brown Pelican back on May 17th. It was seen off the Marblehead Peninsula near the lighthouse by visiting birders from Virginia. This report reminds me of how seldom birded the Marblehead is, as well as its huge potential for rare birds. This is a place we should all have more prominent on our birding radars.

As a follow-up to my report of earlier this week on nesting issues on the high Arctic, I did a little further digging. Our friends from the Ontario Field Ornithologists' are among the most skilled and knowledgeable naturalists around. In addition, they have terrific insights to the goings on in the far north, as evidenced by their annual winter finch predictions. Jean Iron and Ron Pittaway reached out to their folks in the field across the high Arctic from Alaska to Greenland, and the short of it seems to be this. Nesting conditions have been very poor in some areas and normal in others. We'll still keep an eye on things of course, but it's a relief to know we can all step back from the ledge.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, July 1st unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Wednesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

June 23rd Phone Transcript

2009-06-23T20:53:00.002-04:00

-Phone Transcript

Tuesday, June 23rd you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Prairie Warbler and Cattle Egret.

The Prairie Warbler down in Bowling Green continues to be seen through today. It is being seen in the southeast corner of the meadow there at Wintergarden Park.

A Cattle Egret was seen Sunday along Park Colony road just west of Metzger Marsh in eastern Lucas County.

At Metzger Marsh itself, several Yellow-headed Blackbirds have set up shop. Patience would be required, as well as a scope. Other interesting birds at Metzger on Sunday were 3 American Bitterns and a couple of pairs of Black Terns.

Farther afield, we may be seeing a disastrous breeding season on the high arctic. This week, according to an article published at the Winnipeg Free Press, the cold, snowy spring may result in a complete breeding failure. Think of all of the shorebirds, waterfowl and even some songbirds that could be affected. One species that comes to mind that we could potentially monitor at our latitude is the Short-billed Dowitcher. Adults normally appear by the 4th of July or a little sooner and large numbers of young birds appear in August. If what they are saying is true, I think a couple of things could happen. One, we could start seeing adult dowitchers substantially earlier. If we start getting reports of adult Short-billed Dowitchers here in the next week, that could be an ominous sign. Additionally, if true, we will likely not encounter any juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers later in August and September which would be not only strange, but depressing. I have linked to the article at toledobirding.blogspot.com if you want to read it for yourself.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/big-chill-in-churchill-47992231.html

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Saturday, June 27th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Saturday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

June 19th Phone Transcript

2009-06-19T12:34:00.000-04:00

Phone Transcript –

Friday, June 19th you’ve reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists’ Association. Highlights are Prairie Warbler and some interesting results of this month’s Kelley’s Island bird census.

On Tuesday, June 16th a Prairie Warbler was discovered at Wintergarden Park down in Bowling Green. Obviously this is a great find anywhere here locally but especially away from the Oak Openings. It was still present on the 17th, and is likely still there. It is being seen in the southeast corner of the meadow there.

Tom Bartlett conducts a monthly field census of the birds on Kelley’s Island in western Lake Erie. He often finds interesting birds but because of the logistics of getting there, chasing those birds is often very difficult. The breeding season is a bit different though, in that birds that are summering there, should theoretically be relatively re-locatable. There are some neat natural areas there on the island, including a state park to explore. Birds of note on June 17th included a couple of Least Flycatchers, a Northern Parula, a Magnolia Warbler, and a Yellow-breasted Chat. 10 Chestnut-sided Warblers was a pretty significant number and 272 Yellow Warblers seemed high even for that abundant species. 11 Orchard Orioles does not surprise me. In fact, my experience this year with Orchard Orioles has been pretty remarkable. They seem to be everywhere. Have others experienced more Orchard Orioles than usual this summer?

At the opposite end of that spectrum are Carolina Wrens which are clearly down after last winter’s harsh weather. I have had multiple people comment on the lack of Carolina Wrens and aside from urban areas, where they seemed to have fared better, this has been my observation as well.

Farther afield, there are a couple of Mississippi Kites in the news. At least one has returned to the Brass Ring Golf Course area in Hocking County and one has also been seen on the north side of Columbus the last few days. This bird has been seen in Worthington, especially around Worthington High School. Wishful thinkers want to think they could be breeding in both areas, and while it certainly is possible, still seems unlikely to the skeptic in me.

Many think of the Brewer’s Blackbird as a western species and this is true. We will regularly see small numbers of Brewer’s Blackbirds pass through Northwest Ohio each year, especially in March. Not many people realize there is a viable breeding population in the lower peninsula of Michigan. One needs only to travel about three hours to find summering Brewer’s Blackbirds. The Minden State Game area in Sanilac County, MI is in the thumb area and is a traditional location to find this specialty in the summertime. The best opportunity to see them is to hike into the interior of the bog area itself, which can be accessed from the west end of Palms Road. You’ll have to check your mapping software or Gazeteer for best directions. If you do not have access to specific directions to Minden and would like to make a road trip to see Brewer’s Blackbirds, leave a message at the end of the tape with your name and phone number and I will call you back with full details. Other interesting birds that can be found in the Thumb area of Michigan by driving back roads include Sedge Wren, Upland Sandpiper and Golden-winged Warbler. It’s a pretty neat area and not too far away.

That’s all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Monday, June 22nd unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Monday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Williams County Birds, Late Migrants

2009-06-15T19:26:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript-

Monday, June 15th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan rare bird alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are some very late migrants and highlights from a Williams County run.

Gerry Klug checked in with some very late migrants at Pearson. On Saturday, June 13th he had a number of interesting warblers. Chestnut-sided, Magnolia and Connecticut all put in appearances. The Connecticut was northeast of the near gazebo along the black swamp trail (orange) near where the shortcut meets the long loop. Gerry, I know you will, but please keep tabs on these as much as possible. If any of them are still there the next time you visit please let me know. The Chestnut-sided and Magnolia both were observed on a "safe date" according to the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. If the Connecticut sticks for awhile longer, it would be regionally significant news.

Rick Nirschl took a productive trip over to Williams County yesterday. Of note were a pair of Summer Tanagers, Cerulean Warbler, Henslow's Sparrow, Dickcissel and Least Flycatcher.

Today, there was a Ruddy Turnstone on the beach at Magee Marsh. Prothonotary Warbler was along the bird trail today and there were no obvious spring migrants present.

Dickcissels are turning up here and there and can potentially be found in any fallow field. Dennis and Martha Johns had them yesterday at Cricket Frog Cove County Park in Wood County.

The University of Toledo Peregrine Falcons have fledged as of today which is pretty neat and we all wish those youngsters the very best. Thanks to Sherry Plessner for that report.

The next TNA field trip will be Saturday, July 25, at 9:00 a.m. - Monclova Sand Pits Wildflowers and Insects. This seldom visited area of Oak Openings Metropark has plenty to offer in the way of flora as well as fauna. Blooming sundews, yellow-eyed grass, colic root, club mosses, milkwort, and false foxglove are some of the plants we should find. Dragonflies and butterflies abound, as well as many other interesting insects. We may try to do some netting of critters, land and aquatic, for closer inspection. Meet trip leader Elliot Tramer at the Buehner Nature Center, Oak Openings Metropark at 9:00 a.m.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Friday, June 19th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Friday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

June 12th Phone Hotline

2009-06-12T13:09:00.003-04:00

Phone Transcript-

Friday, June 12th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Canada Warbler and Red Crossbill.

The field trip to Oak Openings Metropark this week on Tuesday June 9th was a grand success. Nearly 40 people turned out to see what the evening would bring and the evening did not disappoint. The most unusual bird found was a single female Red Crossbill along Girdham Road not far from the bike trail. This is very near where the flock of 13 Red Crossbills were seen earlier in May. It seems quite possible that this species is nesting in one of the plantations there and I would focus my efforts on the pines that are on the west side of Girdham, south of the bike trail. This general location is also very reliable for Summer Tanager though they are spread thinly throughout the park.

An Olive-sided Flycatcher on Tuesday was undoubtedly a late migrant but noteworthy nevertheless. Less clear as to whether it is a late migrant or a non-breeding wanderer is the Canada Warbler discovered yesterday by Elliot Tramer at mallard Lake in the Oak Openings. Matt Anderson had a Canada Warbler in his yard this morning which is a couple miles south of there. I don't think this is a coincidence and I suspect this bird is hanging around looking for love as opposed to heading north anytime soon.

Blue Grosbeaks are being found in the Oak Openings, per the usual summertime routine there. Places to check are Girdham and Reed, along Jeffers road south of Reed across from the horse stable, at the end of Ostrich Lane off of State Route 64 at the south end of the park and also at the south edge of Evergreen Lake.

Scott Hites has had a Lark Sparrow spending the season on private property in Ottawa County which is a pretty neat record away from the Oak Openings.

I have had no reports recently of Western Meadowlark in Wood County. I suspect there is still at least one present at the corner of Rangeline and Cygnet roads. Also, I have had no reports from Williams County this summer, though I have little doubt the usual good birding is available over there.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Monday, June 15th unless something good turns up tomorrow or Sunday in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Monday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Putzing Around Petersburg

2009-06-12T12:56:00.002-04:00

My uncle recently purchased some property just north of Bedford Township, MI and it is quite nice. Oak Openings remnant, his 15 or so acres has a wooded area dominated by different types of oaks in sandy soil. I am no botanist but I have little doubt there are some oak openings natives living there. It's reasonably wild and it's a great place to putz around for an hour or so, since it is close to my house.

This week, I visited the property before work one morning to try and get a handle on some of the breeders that may or may not be present. It never ceases to amaze me that if you just get out and look, you are bound to find something interesting. I arrived on the scene a little later than I would have liked, but it was still pretty early. The expected woodland species were singing - Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-pewee, Red-eyed Vireos and a Scarlet Tanager were all immediately audible. The mosquitoes were pretty tough. Since it was before work, I did not put any bug spray on, I just threw on the rubber boots, rolled my sleeves down and went for it. It is a wet woods, mostly young but there are plenty of mature trees. The property reminds me some of the small, wet woods at Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve west of Toledo. A singing Veery was a nice surprise, and several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were present. There is a power line cut toward the back of the property, and here is where I found Eastern Towhee, Common Yellowthroat and plenty of Indigo Buntings. As I wandered the trail along the west side of the woods, a Broad-winged Hawk called but I could not find a nest. I had to keep moving because of the feast my body was providing for the skeeters. I ended the hike by flushing a Green Heron which a pair have been present pondside since May.

I was a bit surprised that I did not hear Ovenbird or Yellow-throated Vireo, or Blue-winged Warbler along the power cut. I plan on going back this weekend, with bug spray and head net so I can get a clearer understanding of what is living there.

Nature...SO much more interesting than TV!!!

June 8th Transcript - MIA

2009-06-08T15:25:00.000-04:00

I accidentally deleted my transcript that I read on today’s rare bird alert. No worries, there was not anything particularly enticing though a few notable birds were found at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge monthly census yesterday. Late migrants included Swainson’s Thrush, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Waterthrush and American Redstart. Birds presumably seen on the back side of the refuge were Little Blue Heron, Henslow’s Sparrow and Yellow-headed Blackbird.

Not making the tape this time around but probably worth a mention were Black Terns apparently nesting at Metzger Marsh. Yellow-headed Blackbird has also been reported from Metzger over the last couple of weeks, but very intermittent.

More later!

This and That

2009-06-06T18:31:00.003-04:00

The end of migration is always depressing of course, but it DOES mean the official start of snaking and fishing season. Here is Landon doing his thing with a smallish Northern Water Snake last weekend. This one gave him a bit of a whack on the arm which of course was viewed as a badge of honor and he was proud to show off his "injury" to everyone. His mother wasn't all that pleased (with me). There's no stopping us (him) though.

Fishing has been pretty slow so far this summer but we have caught some big crappie. We haven't hit the streams yet with the seine but that's coming soon.

On the birding front, things have been painfully slow here in the Northwest. Today, Rick Nirschl and I ventured out to cover a block for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. We chose a priority block in North Toledo, mostly because it fit well with our schedule today and we live pretty close to the area. We didn't kill ourselves with an early wake up - I picked up Rick at his house around 6:30 and we were birding by 7 or so. We covered the polluted streams, junk woodlots and barren industrial parks of north Toledo, but we did manage to find some habitat. I'm not exactly sure where we were at all times and hopefully we didn't trespass too much. No one shot us, and we did not find any bodies so that was a plus. In all, we scrounged up 58 species with a few birds of interest. Best was a female Blue Grosbeak just north of downtown Toledo. We also found Virginia Rail, White-eyed Vireo and several Willow Flycatchers. Obviously nothing really rare here, but enough to keep our interest between the stench of rotting carp and sounds of heavy bass driving by.

Shifting Gears

2009-05-31T21:06:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

Sunday, May 31st you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are White-faced Ibis, specialties of the Oak Openings and one of the last updates on the 2009 spring migration.

Point Mouillee State Game Area in Monroe County Michigan was very productive over the weekend. The best bird was a single White-faced Ibis. It was seen feeding with egrets in the middle of the Long Pond Unit. Other interesting birds at Mouillee on Saturday included 3 Red Knots, a family of Sandhill Cranes and at least 5 Canvasbacks. Point Mouillee is without question one of the premiere birding locations in the entire Great Lakes and even though the habitat there is greatly degraded from years past, there are still very good opportunities there. Mouillee is vast and covering it well is nearly impossible in a day by foot. But you can pick your spots there and still come out with a good list of interesting birds.

Another such location here in Ohio is the Oak Openings. This year, like virtually every year past is hosting a wide range of interesting summering species. Blue Grosbeak can be found along Jeffers road south of Reed, across from the horse stable and also at Girdham and Reed. Another place to check for Blue Grosbeak is the end of Ostrich Lane at the south end of the metropark. Black-throated Green and Cerulean Warblers are being encountered near Mallard Lake, and a creeper is also nesting just southwest of Mallard Lake along the silver trail. There are at least 2 Yellow-breasted Chats along Sager road and you should certainly spend some time at the big field at Sager and Wilkins as anything can show up at any time. If the Oak Openings hasn't been your bag over the years, then mark your calendar for June 9th which is a week from Tuesday. Matt Anderson will lead an evening field trip to seek out some of these very specialties. Meet at the Lodge at the end of Wilkins Road at 6:30pm. Be sure to wear long pants at least and bring bug spray.

I received no reports from the Magee Marsh boardwalk over the weekend. I have little doubt there were a handful of migrants still hanging around. I had a couple of Blackpoll Warblers and a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in my Temperance, MI yard tonight. Migration will be essentially over inside a week, but I always find the first week of June especially interesting because I like to see who the last one out the door is. It's usually a Yellow-bellied or Alder Flycatcher but last year I do believe a Magnolia Warbler at Pearson Metropark earned the honors of last migrant to leave.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday, June 4th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

End of May, Not End of Days

2009-05-28T19:43:00.002-04:00

Each and every year I am amazed at the drop off in bird reports after Mother's Day, and then again after the North Coast Open. I would say over 90% of the birders simply stop birding - either for awhile or for the entire year. I admit to feeling a bit blue toward the waning moments of spring migration but there is so much to look forward to! Summer birding in Northwest Ohio can be simply fantastic if you can fight through the mosquitoes and ticks, both of which seem to be especially abundant this year. Oak Openings, Maumee State Forest and vast swaths of Williams County are particularly interesting. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II is in year 4 - only 2 seasons remain and there is plenty of work to do yet. I have a bunch of data I still have to input, but right now that is taking a back seat to getting out and finding some good stuff in the next few weeks. Paul Chad is coordinating some type of Atlassing event on June 6th here in the Northwest. I will be joining him and I hope others will too. You can reach Paul at paulchad4@yahoo.com if you are interested. Details are still sketchy but it is sure to be fun, so try and join us!

Let's do a phone hotline.

-Transcript

Thursday, May 28th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is an update on spring migration.

Birds keep coming through. The Magee Marsh boardwalk has been pretty good the last day or 2 with about 13 or 14 species of warblers present, virtually all of which are the expected late May crowd. Mourning, Canada, Wilson's, Redstart, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Blackpoll, etc are all still showing. There were a handful of Connecticuts around yesterday but apparently not today. The most surprising find was a single Hermit Thrush today by Rick Nirschl - obviously a very late migrant. Thrushes of the expected species are still around and fairly widespread as evidenced by the singing Swainson's still in my Temperance, MI yard. Veery and Gray-cheeked are also along the bird trail at Magee. Vireos, especially Red-eyed but the odd Philadelphia are still being seen. Flycatchers are peaking with good numbers of Willow, Alder and Yellow-bellied all congregating at lakeshore migrant traps.

Shorebirds are being seen in the usual locations. Most significant were White-rumped Sandpipers at Pearson Metropark North, but they have also been seen at Veler road and elsewhere. This species is often viewed as difficult to identify but they really have a much different feel to them from the other peeps and in late May and early June, they really aren't unexpected at any decent shorebird location.

In the Oak Openings, the only new item of interest is that a Kentucky Warbler has been singing off and on along Jeffers road south of Reed.

Pine Siskins remain here in my yard - at least 2 pairs and I would expect fledglings at the feeders any day. I presume they are still in other areas as well.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday May 31st unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End of Transcript

Memorial Day Hotline

2009-05-25T19:43:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. The weather in these parts was just about perfect - for birding, herping, fishing, grilling, whatever it is you did - as long as you were outside! I managed to do a little of each and it left me wanting ALL 3 day weekends!! Generally, reports were scarce but I can probably whip together a phone script. Here goes.

-Phone Transcript

Monday, May 25th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is an update on spring migration.

Spring migration still has a week of life in it at least, so don't exhale just yet. About 13 or 14 species of warblers are currently present along the bird trail at Magee Marsh. Prothonotary, Yellow, Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Canada, Wilson's, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Mourning, Black-throated Blue, Northern Waterthrush, and Magnolia are still around at least and Connecticut is still a good bet as well. Lots of flycatcher can be found including good numbers of Yellow-bellied and also Alder as long as they are vocalizing. Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrushes, Red-eyed and Philadelphia Vireos and lots of Cedar Waxwings are moving through right now.

Don't forget to check the beaches at Magee Marsh. Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstone are likely and you never know when you could get a Red Knot or Whimbrel. Both of these species are possible right now.

I had some White-rumped Sandpipers this weekend near Blissfield, MI. I have little doubt that White-rumpeds are also at Ottawa NWR at the end of Veler road and also east of Magee Marsh along Benton Carroll road. I have had no recent report of the Ruff that had been at Ottawa Refuge last Friday.

Out in the Oak Openings, some of the usual specialties have set up shop. Blue Grosbeaks can be found along Jeffers road south of Reed, Summer Tanagers all over but especially at Girdham and the bike trail, and a Prairie Warbler is hanging around the dunes area along Girdham near the bike trail.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday May 28th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. This week on the website I expect to comment more on the North Coast Open, the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas and maybe, just maybe some fishing and herping thoughts. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Late Stage Migrants

2009-05-21T19:38:00.004-04:00

Phone Transcript

-Thursday, May 21st you've reached the NW OH and SE MI Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Kirtland's Warbler, Chuck-will's-Widow and an update on spring migration.

The 3rd Kirtland's Warbler of the season was found this morning at Magee Marsh. The birds was there singing early for Rick Nirchl, then flew out north toward the beach. It could not be relocated after that. Summer Tanager on the boardwalk today was late as a migrant at that location.

There are still plenty of warblers to see, and this will be the case for another week at least. Connecticut and Mourning Warblers are reaching their peak over the next 4 or 5 days. In addition to the warblers, flycatchers are peaking and in good numbers and people don't really realize how common the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is unless they get out at the end of May. Vireos and thrushes will also remain abundant for a short while and some shorebird species are coming up to their peak. In fact, if you are to see a spring Whimbrel, then this coming weekend is your time. While it's far from a sure thing, being at one of the beaches like at Magee, Metzger or Maumee Bay State Park right at dawn is your best bet. But don't forget to look overhead because they are occasionally seen as flyovers as well.

Little Blue Heron continues rather sporadically along the causeway at Magee Marsh, and has been unreliable. But it was seen today.

Scott Hites has had a Lark Sparrow, perhaps territorial, on private property over the last couple of weeks in Ottawa County. While this species has been expanding its range throughout Ohio, it is still very rare in the Northwest away from Oak Openings.

The banding outfit netted and ringed their second Chuck-will's-Widow of the season out at Black Swamp Bird Observatory today.

Yellow-headed Blackbird has been seen out at Metzger Marsh a couple of times over the last several days, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled when out that way.

I have not had any reports of Red Crossbills in the Oak Openings since May 18th but it's worth keeping them in mind out there. They had been hanging around the pines along Girdham just south of the bike trail.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more information visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be Sunday, May 24th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Big Day Buzzkill

2009-05-17T16:50:00.002-04:00

Shwew. The Bird Dog Millionaires ran their Lucas County big day as a part of the North Coast Open yesterday and overall, we were pretty happy with the performance. I have been dogged by work obligations, family stuff and also a bout with illness, so my exhaustion has been high and I have not been motivated to log on to write much. Hopefully, the posts will pick up again next week - I will get back on track with the transcripts, but also offer more thoughts on our big day, and look ahead to the summer breeding season.

Normally, the day after the North Coast Open is a huge letdown. It won't be another YEAR before we can do another one, and mistakes and "shoulda' beens" bother me all day. This year is different. I am tired, but busy getting a party together for my 5 year old so I haven't had much time to consider yesterday's efforts. Additionally, the yard has been good today. Birds I have seen in the yard today include Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Pine Siskin, Baltimore Oriole, Indigo Bunting, Swainson's Thrush, White-crowned Sparrow, and the following warblers: Yellow-rumped, Yellow, Nashville, Tennessee, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian and Blackpoll. My best day of the spring in the yard for sure.

You may remember my post on "big day assassins". The Belted Kingfisher has done it again. Once again, this master of invisibility defeated a big day team of mine. At some point, I may have to just come to the conclusion they are on strike whenever I plan a big day.

Unsettled Weather = Good Birding

2009-05-13T18:23:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

Wednesday, May 13th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is an update on spring migration.

For the next 10 days, migrants will be at their peak diversity for the entire year. Places like Magee Marsh, Metzger Marsh, Maumee Bay State Park, Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, Sheldon's Marsh and East Harbor State Park will all be excellent choices to take in the migration. We are now seeing more of the later arriving migrants and fewer of the earlier migrants, but at this time of overlap you are likely to get your longest list of birds for the year. Mourning Warblers have now turned up in numbers, and Willow Flycatcher was a new arrival at Magee Marsh today. Cuckoos are a bit more widespread and hummingbirds are now common across the area. Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets are still around in numbers, but much lower and female Yellow-rumps are now starting to outnumber the males.

A group of Red Knots zipping over State Route 19 the other morning is probably the best bird report of the last several days, though the apparent wave of Clay-colored Sparrows over the weekend was also significant. As far as I know, none of the Clay-coloreds are still being seen.

The next 3 days look pretty interesting from a weather perspective. Very unsettled weather tonight including thunderstorms and strong south winds could potentially be an explosive combination for superlative birding on the lakeshore tomorrow. But, I think the storms will be here too early in the night, and we may not get a heavy influx of birds. Almost irrespective of weather conditions, you are likely to find good birding now anywhere across the area. For example, John Sawvel had a Golden-winged Warbler in his west Toledo yard yesterday.

Snowy Egrets, as many as 7 now, are finding the causeway at Magee Marsh to their liking.

Shorebird habitat seems pretty limited right now - birders should continue to check Benton Carroll Road at State Route 2 and at the end of Veler Road at the west end of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

The North Coast Open will be held this Saturday, May 16th. It's not too late to join the fray and enter a team in either the Open of Freestyle Division. Just leave a message at the end of the tape with your name and number and I will call you back. All are welcome to join the countdown festivities afterward. Meet at Blackberry Corners restaurant along State Route 579 south of Metzger Marsh. Teams will meet there at 9pm for pizza, drinks, a countdown and trophy presentation.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Friday evening, May 15th unless tomorrow turns out to be a knockout day along the lake, in which case I will update the tape as soon as I find out. Until Friday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Lakeshore and Urban Delights

2009-05-11T18:18:00.003-04:00

Phone Transcript

Monday, May 11th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Laughing Gull, Clay-colored Sparrow, Wilson's Phalarope and an update on spring migration.

I just got word today of a Laughing Gull that was seen fling over the beach at Magee Marsh on Saturday, May 9th. This bird just may have been a passer-by but be sure to keep it in mind at any of the lakeshore locations.

It was a big weekend for Clay-colored Sparrows. Apparently 4 were found over the weekend, including along Benton-Carroll Road, Metzger Marsh, the east beach at Magee and also between the Sportsmen's Center and the Hawk Tower also at Magee. Another was found today on private Property in Northwood.

Wilson's Phalaropes continue at the end of Veler Road on the west side of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. 2 males and 2 females are present here, which gives us hope that they may stick around.

Warblers are holding serve right now at the migrant traps along the lake. About 25 or 26 species of warblers seem to be present, most people are getting about 20 of them with normal effort. Orange-crowned, Golden-winged and Prothonotary remain at Magee.

Black Terns were over at Metzger yesterday.

In Toledo city limits, Matt Anderson had a Yellow-throated warbler on private property over the weekend and Greg Lovalenti had a Prothonotary Warbler at Greenwood City Park in west Toledo/north Toledo today.

Gerry Klug checked in with Common Nighthawks over east Toledo yesterday, and also had a great day at Pearson Park with over 90 species being seen. My comments about Swainson's thrushes having moved through already were trumped by reports from many which I appreciate. And, no sooner did I record that message did a Swainson's Thrush commit suicide against my front picture window. Weird.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, May 13th unless a rarity warrants an immediate update. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Wednesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Wilson's Phalaropes Top Bill on IMBD

2009-05-10T08:12:00.003-04:00

Phone Transcript

Sunday, May 10th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Wilson's phalarope, Little Blue Heron and an update on spring migration.

International Migratory Bird Day was yesterday many hundreds of birders showed up at the various lakeshore venues. Magee marsh still has Little Blue Heron along the causeway there, and I have little doubt that southern wader was a real crowd pleaser yesterday. Warblers were good in the morning yesterday at Magee, highlighted by Worm-eating and Golden-winged. Other good warblers seen included Prothonotary and Kentucky. A few more later-arriving species were seen as well, like Bay-breasted, Blackpoll and American Redstart. All of the vireos were reported and we have seen an uptick in Orchard Oriole numbers.

Acadian Flycatcher was a new arrival in the Oak Openings today, and also in the Oak Openings were Yellow-breasted Chat and good numbers of Summer Tanagers. Speaking of Summer Tanagers, I was having an exchange with Matt Anderson last night and would you believe that between the two of us, we have encountered exactly twice as many Summer Tanagers as Scarlet Tanagers this spring. Granted, neither of us get to the lakeshore regularly and we may have had some overlap with our Oak Openings Summer Tanagers, but I still found this to be extraordinary. Obviously, Scarlets will eventually catch up and overtake our Summer sightings but we are fairly deep into the spring. Without question, the management practices in the Oak Openings have contributed to the Summer Tanagers' increase in our area. But, they are more frequently encountered along the lakeshore as well.

Interesting to me are my own observations of Swainson's Thrushes. Back in late April when we had the hot weather and strong southerly winds, Swainson's Thrushes were everywhere. I am now seeing very few and am wondering if the majority of Swainson's Thrushes are now north of us. Could be a trickier than usual bird for the North Coast Open next Saturday.

4 Wilson's Phalaropes continue to be seen along Veler road on the west side of Ottawa NWR. This road is accessed rom State Route 2 just south of Metzger Marsh.

Well, I hope the reports will continue to filter in. One of the negative things about the North Coast Open is that teams go into Big Day mode and suppress their findings. Hopefully that will not be the case.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be later tonight.

-End Transcript

The BirdDog Millionaires Gear Up

One of the fun parts of big days is coming up with a team name. We finally settled on the BirdDog Millionaires, a self-indulgent play on the academy-award winning film "Slumdog Millionaire". At this point, the Millionaires are still planning to do an all Lucas County big day next Saturday as part of the North Coast Open. The idea behind the single county attempt is pretty simple: drive less, bird more.

Scouting will be very limited for us this year, as work obligations are getting in the way of our previous plans. With limited scouting, visiting as many locations as possible becomes a key strategy. Of course, Lucas is an awfully "birdy" county - Oak Openings, Maumee Bay State Park, and parts of Magee Marsh (including the bird trail) and Ottawa NWR are all in Lucas. Logic would dictate that a single county big day would be easier to plan than a five county or full state day. But every time I put pencil to paper, figuring out times and places feels more like chinese arithmetic!

I tallied up the list of ALL birds I figure are present in Lucas County on May 16 of most years and came up with 201 species. Of course, many of those are uncommon and/or with limited distribution and are hard to find. Of the 201, I listed only 141 as "likely" on any given day. Another 34 were considered "possible" and 26 as "bonus". For example, I have Cattle Egret listed as a "bonus" bird. In other words, I have little doubt there are a few Cattle Egrets walking around Lucas County, but to list them on that particular day would certainly be a bonus. No team will get 100% of their "likely" birds, either. Consider the Belted Kingfisher and Green Heron again, which I wrote about the other day. Significant scouting efforts can really help upgrade birds' status, but the Bird Dog Millionaires will not have that luxury.

Ducks will be the biggest challenge for us. While there are some marshes and impoundments in Lucas that could potentially hold interesting ducks, they are weak relative to the Sandusky Bay area. I only have 5 ducks listed as likely, and another 11 listed as "possible" or "bonus". Quite simply, we will have to get lucky.

If any of you out there have a line on interesting species in Lucas County, please give me a shout!

Nice Wave, But NOT the Tsunami

2009-05-08T19:04:00.003-04:00

Phone Transcript

Friday, May 8th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. highlight is an update on spring migration.

I apologize for not updating the tape earlier today, but I was up to my neck at the office and just couldn't get it done earlier. Things were very good along the lakeshore, but despite what you hear or read, it did not qualify as a "fallout". Incidentally, I feel this is one of the most over-used terms in birding. I think Kent Glauser's description of today was both accurate and not laden with the hyperbole that can sometimes come with the territory. Kent described it as reminiscent of the old days. In all, 30 species of warblers were reported from Magee and Metzger Marsh today. I won't bore you with the entire list, but Golden-winged, Worm-eating and Cerulean all qualified as day-makers. The season's first Mourning Warbler was reported today. Pretty good numbers, at least increased numbers of the expected species in the main wave were found today - Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian and Northern Waterthrush come to mind. Kentucky Warbler was a good bird on the boardwalk today.

Astute observers noted a good diurnal migration overhead as well, including good numbers of Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings and Bobolinks. A few Red-headed Woodpeckers were also migrating overhead.

Both Least and American Bitterns were along the causeway today. Least is a new arrival and American just a good bird.

At the west side of Ottawa NWR, 4 Wilson's Phalaropes were found at the end of Veler Road today. A few Black-bellied Plovers were also seen at this location.

At the hawk tower today at Magee, a single Sandhill Crane went over.

Up at Lake Erie Metropark, a White-faced Ibis remains at Cove Point Picnic Area. Over at Point Mouillee, a single American Avocet was found today. There is extensive shorebird habitat at Mouillee, so keep that in mind.

Weather conditions are telling me that things should remain very good tomorrow at Magee, at least in the morning. It may even get better. Winds are supposed to kick in around the noon hour and certainly the high winds are likely to hamper afternoon birding efforts, but you should definitely try to get out there in the morning.

In the Oak Openings, there was an uptick in migrants today. Elliot Tramer had a dozen species of warblers there, including a Cerulean, which is likely a resident as opposed to a migrant.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. If you find a rarity tomorrow, please call me directly at 419-367-1094 so I can update the tape from the field. The next scheduled update will be tomorrow night. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until tomorrow sometime, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

White-faced Ibis, International Migratory Bird Day

2009-05-07T20:33:00.003-04:00

Phone Transcript

Thursday, May 7th, you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are White-faced Ibis, Little Blue Heron and an update on spring migration.

Lake Erie Metropark in southern Wayne County, MI is hosting a rather reliable White-faced Ibis. Check Cove Point around the second picnic area. It was seen as recently as this afternoon.

Little Blue Herons, and adult and an immature continue to be seen along the causeway at Magee Marsh. There are also numbers of Snowy Egrets along the causeway. It's interesting to me how over the years, this species used to be an Ottawa specialty but now the Magee causeway is the place to get them.

I have not had specific reports of Western Meadowlark lately, but I would be willing to bet they are hanging around. In Wood County, check outside the Bowling Green Fitness Center at 64 and Newton Road. Also, you can check Cygnet and Rangeline Roads in Wood County. If out at the lakeshore, try state route 19 a mile or two south of route 2.

Warblers and other neotropicals have been slow, slow, slow. Between Magee and Metzger Marsh today, Tim Haney had 16 or 17 species of warblers, which was the best I heard of today. No rarities, but Prothonotary remains at Magee.

Common Moorhen was along the causeway at Metzger today.

So, looking at the weather report, I think things are going to change here in the next day or two. We are going to get south and southwest winds tonight and into tomorrow, along with some scattered rain. The winds are supposed to move around to the southeast on Saturday night into Sunday. I don't know that it will be a massive wave, but I expect significant improvement in both diversity and numbers tomorrow and Saturday along the lakeshore. We should see much better numbers of many species and Magnolia Warblers, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, etc will be among the more common warblers. This is good news, considering Saturday is International Migratory Bird Day. There will be plenty of action and activities at Maumee Bay State Park, Ottawa NWR and also Magee. Banding demonstrations at Magee throughout the day, guided walks along the boardwalk and the auto tour drive over at Ottawa all highlight the activities planned.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Saturday May 9th unless tomorrow arrives and is a knockout in which case I will get word out so you can bail on your obligations and get to the lake. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Saturday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

International Migratory Bird Day is Saturday. This day has become a love-hate affair for me. The concept of it is wonderful - bringing people of like minds together to share in their passion for birds. The hordes of people that will descend on Magee will surely turn up a rarity or two, and there are some great advantages to going where the hottest action is. There is a reason, after all, that Magee is the most popular spring birding destination in the state. You can go on guided walks sponsored by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, get good deals on great optics, socialize with old friends and new acquaintances and see lots of birds.

But not everyone loves the crowd. While it is true you will see many birds on the boardwalk, it is also true you will find yourself shoulder-to-shoulder with others which isn't the best thing for some. So, if you do not like the crowds, where should you go?

There are some really solid alternative choices along the lakeshore. These are all places that offer superb birding, the opportunity to find a rarity and also a chance to escape the crowds.

1) Pipe Creek Wildlife Area: A true migrant trap, this area is located at the base of the Cedar Point Causeway. The woodlot at the parking lot, along with the thickets that line the walk out to the impoundments can be dripping with migrants. The impoundments themselves are always interesting, usually hosting late ducks and/or a bonus bird or two. On April 26th, I spent 3 hours at Pipe Creek and found 99 species.

2) Sheldon's Marsh: Also near Cedar Point, along State Route 6, Sheldon's is a fine place to take in the migration. A woodlot north of the parking area always has an interesting mix of neotropical migrants but is especially good for warblers and thrushes.

3) East Harbor State Park: Up on the Marblehead Peninsula, my personal opinion is that this is one of the more underbirded locations in the state. Lingering or rare waterbirds are a real possibility here.

4) Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area: Known for its vast wetlands and great duck viewing, Pickerel also has a number of woodlots that will harbor migrants of all shapes and sizes. Ponds and fields on the side roads around Pickerel are often ignored by birders, who usually focus on the viewing platform on State Route 6. This is a mistake, as you just never know what will turn up at Pickerel. If Pickerel were located closer to a larger population of birders, it would undoubtedly be recognized as one of the top birding locations in the state - maybe THE top.

Well, I hope this gives you a few ideas. Of course, there are always areas west of town, like the Oak Openings, but the migrant action will be better at the above sites.

Good luck and have fun!

Big Day Heartburn

2009-05-07T20:18:00.002-04:00

On every big day, there are common birds that have a knack for taunting even the most skilled observers by staying hidden. I like to call them big day assassins - species that are highly specialized and lethal big day killers. These birds are quite simply, "must gets" - but can be notoriously evasive. Here are my top three assassins, and each one are currently giving me big day heartburn.

1) Belted Kingfisher. The ultimate killing machine. This species is widespread across our area in low numbers and are not noteworthy on any given day. Two years ago, they were species #164 on our list for the North Coast Open, our last for the day. They are virtually unscoutable and you have to count on bumping into one somewhere along your route. I consider the Belted Kingfisher the most likely of the "likely" birds to miss.

2) Green Heron. Also widespread in low numbers, they at least are a bit secretive. Missing one on a bog day is always painful, but more understandable than the above species.

3) Cedar Waxwing. Probably not a concern on a May big day, but more so on monthly big days. Common, roaming in flocks, generally easy to see. Unless you HAVE to find one - then what?

Piping Plover!

2009-05-07T19:23:00.002-04:00

Yesterday morning, a Piping Plover showed up at the inland beach at Maumee Bay State Park. We are lucky to have just one visit NW Ohio each year, so this is a great sighting. I heard no word as to whether it stuck around today, but typically our Piping Plovers quickly move on.

Warblers have been VERY low-key the last 5 or 6 days. In my yard, it has been as quiet as it has ever been for the first week of May. That's not to say there is nothing, of course. But it has been the same makeup - Yellow-rumped, Tennessee and Nashville daily with a few others once in a while. Yesterday, a Cape May was a welcome addition.

More later tonight.

Reprise

2009-05-05T19:46:00.003-04:00

Phone Transcript

Tuesday, May 5th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Western Meadowlark and Little Blue Heron.

Much like Sunday's tape, things have been quiet. We are in a bit of a lull here, relatively speaking, at least as things relate to warblers. Warbler City, AKA the Magee Marsh boardwalk has been quietly hanging around 15 species of warblers, virtually all in small numbers still. Trust me when I say this folks, the vast majority of both diversity and total numbers are still on their way. Prothonotary Warbler has been pretty consistent on the boardwalk. This species certainly could be a nester here, so we'll have to keep our eyes open for that possibility.

There are 3 Western Meadowlarks being found in our area currently. Two are in Wood County. The first, along Rangeline and Cygnet roads and the other outside the Bowling Green Fitness Center at Newton Road and State Route 64. Another Western Meadowlark has been singing along State Route 19, a mile or two south of Route 2 west of the railroad tracks.

At least one Little Blue Heron, an immature, remains along the causeway at Magee Marsh.

A Summer Tanager spent the weekend in a Temperance, MI yard coming to a feeder. While Summer tans have expanded greatly over the years in the Toledo area, they remain a rarity for the state of Michigan.

Speaking of Michigan, a late Ross's Goose was discovered yesterday in Lenawee County, MI. Specifically, it was found along Morey Highway across from Lake Hudson State Park.

A Clay-colored Sparrow was discovered over the weekend in an off-limits area of Ottawa National Refuge.

A couple of administrative announcements for you: This Saturday, May 9th is International Migratory Bird Day. This is a big event at the area's local hotspots. If you are along the lakeshore, you will want to visit Magee and Ottawa. At Magee, Nature's Nursery will have a display set up and Eagle Optics will also be present with some good deals on binoculars and scopes. Also, the Black Swamp Bird Observatory will hold banding demonstrations, which is especially appealing to younger birders. Over at Ottawa Refuge, the Auto Tour will allow access into normally off-limits area. This is always a treat, but the month of May is probably the most interesting all year, at least from a diversity standpoint.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Friday, May 8th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Visit toledobirding.blogspot.com for more information. Until Friday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

End Transcript

Southeast Michigan Goodies

A White-faced Ibis has been seen fairly reliably the last couple of days at Lake Erie Metropark. Focus your search efforts on Fisherman's Cove and Cove Point Picnic Area. Point Mouillee looks like it could start really heating up for shorebirds as there is very good habitat presently. Cell 3 has huge mudflats and today there was a Piping Plover there as well as 3 Willets, among others. The Walpatch Unit also has habitat and thousands of shorebirds are present, though no rarities there. A Semipalmated Sandpiper was a new arrival there today. It's probably just a matter of days before a big time rarity turns up at Mouillee.

Inside the Big Day War Room

2009-05-03T19:05:00.002-04:00

Maps, checklists, highlighter pens and coffee. Well, for me it's Diet Mountain Dew instead of coffee, but you get the idea. This is crunch time for big day'ers all over, but in these parts, the North Coast Open is what motivates normally sane people to burn the midnight oil poring over materials deep into the night. If you are reading this, I'll make the assumption you know what a big day is. The North Coast Open is our local twist on this frivolous pastime; teams of birders try to list as many species as possible in the counties of Lucas, Ottawa, Wood, Sandusky and Erie. We've had some pretty darned good birders participate over the years: local luminaries like Tom Kemp, Matt Anderson and Elliot Tramer have all consumed the NCO kool-aid at one time or another (or more!), Karl Overman (lister extraordinaire based in the Detroit Area), John Pogacnik, and some central Ohio top guns have also joined the party. The last couple of years, Kenn and Kim Kaufman joined me for the lunacy. Oh, not everyone does it every year, but the Toledo Naturalists' Association has managed to put together a fine event that has turned into one of their traditions.

Big day strategy is different for each team. However, certain themes are indeed universally important. Ducks and shorebirds are almost always difficult to come by, for different reasons. Most of the ducks have moved on by mid-May, but a handful of specialty breeders remain in the marshes. Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck and American Black Duck are all big day gems here. Lingerers like Bufflehead or Canvasback could make the difference between a good day and a record-breaking day. Shorebirds are scarce because of such limited habitat. The good folks at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge are managing for shorebirds this spring and there are some flooded fields around, so shorebirding may not be awful this year.

Route management is perhaps the most critical piece to any big day. Determining where you should be and when, and for how long is a science that must be executed more like an art form on the day itself. You can only be in one place for the dawn chorus, and where should that be? Should you start in the woodlands or at a migrant trap where you could potentially get a bonus bird or two in the early morning hours? What about starting in the marshes for ducks? Being the first one in the marshes is a real advantage to finding some of the more difficult ducks. The one year my team started with ducks in the marshes, we set a North Coast Open record of 169 species. I think we had 16 ducks (a ridiculous total for Northwest Ohio in mid-May), and this was entirely attributable to starting in the marshes. We did not do as well on west-side specialties that year, because we did not arrive on the west side until after 4pm.

Does starting at midnight offer any REAL advantage? Most years, even though my team generally starts at midnight, we have found that we don't find anything between the hours of 12 and 4:30 that we don't encounter later in the day. But we can't sleep anyway so we may as well be birding. I always fantasize of a nighttime flyover Upland Sandpiper or something like that, but it never happens.

As I sit here in my war room, I go through the checklist and categorize every possible bird as either "likely", "possible" or "bonus". I learned this from one of the all-time Big Day greats, Tom Kemp. The more "possibles" your team can move into "likely" and the more "bonus" birds you can move into "possible" status during your scouting will go a long way to determining your success. Of course, getting all of your "likely" species is a key too, though it never happens. Invariably, 1 or 2 (or many more) "likely" birds fail to be found at all. Belted Kingfisher and Green Heron are notorious big day assassins.

I will write much more from inside the war room over the next couple of weeks. For now, I must get back to my Diet Dew and figure out just how many "fringe" locations we can add by staying in Lucas County only.

Western Meadowlarks, Little Blue Herons and More

2009-05-03T17:57:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

Sunday, May 3rd, you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Western Meadowlark, Little Blue Heron and an update on spring migration.

Well, action on the Magee Marsh causeway may have stolen some of the boardwalk's thunder today. A couple of Little Blue Herons, both an adult and an immature were along the Magee causeway today. Also along the drive in were 4 Snowy Egrets. These egrets have been present for awhile now and it looks like they could be easy pickins for the upcoming North Coast Open.

The boardwalk today was not special by Magee standards, but still probably better than any other single location in Ohio to view migrating warblers and other neotropical migrants. About 16 or 17 warbler species were present, including Prothonotary.

Farther east along Benton-Carroll road, a good candidate for Baird's Sandpiper was seen today. This species is a good find anytime, but is particularly scarce in the spring migration. No stilt has been seen along Benton Carroll for some time now, and that bird may have moved on.

In west Toledo, a late Fox Sparrow was at Wildwood Metropark yesterday as was a Yellow-throated Warbler. Even farther west and south, Orchard Orioles and Lark Sparrows have returned in numbers to Kitty Todd Preserve. In the Oak Openings proper, Henslow's Sparrow is in the big field west of the Toledo Express Airport.

Up in Luna Pier, Michigan, on Friday, a group of 24 Cattle Egrets were reported. This is a huge number for our area. I have not heard word of this flock since then.

Farther afield, a Piping Plover was found yesterday at Funk Bottoms in Wayne County along Wilderness Road. This bird was still present today.

Pine Siskins are still widespread throughout the area, and it seems as though it will stay that way for the foreseeable future. I wonder if any White-winged Crossbills stayed to nest in the Oak Openings or Maumee State Forest.

Western Meadowlarks remain in a couple of Wood County locations. The first is at the corner of Rangeline and Cygnet roads and the other is outside the BG Fitness Center at the corner of route 64 and Newton.

Down at Killdeer Plains yesterday, a flock of 43 Willets must have been a sight a to behold for Dan Sanders. I am a bit surprised we haven't had more Willet reports up here this spring, but that's likely to change soon.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Tuesday, May 5th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Tuesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

End Transcript

Yard birds

2009-05-03T09:49:00.004-04:00

Nothing terribly exciting to report - I did add an Eastern Phoebe to yesterday's yard list, which is pretty ho-hum in most parts, but this is my 11th spring here and I have only had phoebe a handful of times, probably less than 10.

It was a late night for me last night, so I didn't get my first sweep in the yard until a little while ago. It's a bit warmer today, and bird activity was better, at least with warblers.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3 or 4)
Baltimore Oriole 1 (eating grape jelly again)
Siskin (not sure, but fewer than yesterday. Maybe only the nesters are here today)
Purple Finch 1
White-throated Sparrow 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Tennessee 5 or 6
Nashville 3
Black-throated Green 2
Northern Parula 2

Northern Parulas sure seem to have gotten more common over the last 7 or 8 years. I remember when these birds were really tough to come by. That's just not the case anymore.

10:40am update: Add Cape May (first of season for me), Blackburnian, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Swainson's Thrush. Plus another Baltimore Oriole.

Full tape update later tonight!

The Seedeaters Continue

2009-05-02T10:16:00.002-04:00

Okay, so we're not in the tropics. But the seed eaters remain at my feeders. I do not have as many Rose-breasted Grosbeaks today as yesterday, but it looks like 4 are here anyway. My siskin total was 8 this morning, mostly chowing down the sunflower hearts. And finally, a pair of Purple Finches remain at the feeder as well.

Warblers were very scarce this morning, with only a couple Yellow-rumps and singletons of Nashville and Tennessee. A Baltimore Oriole came to the orange halves.

It's pretty chilly out there this morning. Birds may have moved out last night, or things may pick up this afternoon when insect activity increases.

The Most Wonderful Month of the Year...

2009-05-01T09:52:00.002-04:00

May is here! I would be willing to bet the lakeshore is jumping today. Good south winds last night, and I had some action in just a short time in the yard this morning.

My feeders were overrun by at least 8 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and there were quite a few more siskins in the yard today than there have been. I think I have 2 pairs of nesting siskins, but they were definitely joined by some migrants today. Other migrants and numbers included:

Baltimore Oriole (1) - eating the grape jelly off of my oriole feeder
Yellow Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped - 7 or 8
Nashville - several
Tennessee - several
Black-throated Green 3
Blackburnian 2

Hopefully I will have more to add later today.

Poor Weather + Workweek = Few Reports

2009-04-30T21:46:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

Thursday April 30th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is an update on spring migration.

I have received just a few reports the last couple of days. Mark and Sherry Plessner had a Summer Tanager at Wildwood Metropark in west Toledo the other day. Always a good find, this bird could have been a returning resident as a pair did summer there last year.

I don't know what happened on the bird trail today, but yesterday was pretty interesting. Best birds were Golden-winged and Yellow-throated Warblers among 15 species of warblers or so. Rick Nirschl described an interesting scenario there, that when the front came through and the winds shifted to the north, birding actually picked up and was quite lively. This was likely due to birds coming back south that had already set off over the lake. After a while, things quieted down again, and as the winds were sustained for awhile, it pushed the birds off the shore more. This is an interesting and predictable phenomenon. When the wind is out of the north, often it is better to visit areas farther south of the lakeshore. The birds may not be concentrated like they are along the bird trail, but clearly they are still there. I just came in form outside, and the wind was whipping pretty good out of the southwest. This tells me there should be a new set of birds tomorrow and if the winds stay that way, the lakeshore is the place to be. I would say the weekend looks pretty good too, but that's a little bit like predicting it will be cold in January.

If you are looking for shorebirds, then visiting some flooded fields is the thing to do. Veler Road and Clyde Road are both located at the western edge of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and are accessible from State Route 2 between Krause Road and Metzger Marsh. Good birds along these two roads over the last 7-10 days include Marbled Godwit, Hudsonian Godwit, American Avocet and Little Blue Heron. Farther east, Benton Carroll road just east of Magee Marsh also accessible from state route 2 has hosted a Black-necked Stilt, though I have not had a report of it in several days. There is a lot of churn, as they say, in these locations so frequent checking is recommended. Up in Monroe County, MI, I ran into a pretty extensively flooded field along Erie Road at Bay Creek road this afternoon. I found nothing unusual here, but it is worth a look.

Buried in the reports of past days was the return of Grasshopper Sparrows in the Oak Openings at the field west of the Toledo Express Airport.

Since the last couple of days have been slow, I should take this opportunity to mention the North Coast Open, because I may not have another chance to when the reports start pouring in again. This year's event will be held Saturday May 16th, which is a bit on the early side though this is a good thing for this year. Full details are in your TNA Newsletter, but if you have any questions or want to register a team, go ahead and leave a message at the end of the tape with your phone number and I will call you back as soon as possible.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Saturday, May 2nd unless something good turns up tomorrow in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Saturday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

End Transcript

Good Day in the Yard

2009-04-30T21:42:00.002-04:00

Just a quick yard update from this morning:

Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
Pine Siskin 4
Purple Finch 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 15
Tennessee Warbler 4
Nashville Warbler 3
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Northern Parula 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1

There is a southerly blow out there right now. There may be a different cast of characters in the morning!

Rare Shorebirds, Lots of Warblers and More Early Arrivals

2009-04-28T18:32:00.003-04:00

Phone Transcript

Tuesday, April 28th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Black-necked Stilt, Marbled Godwit and an update on spring migration.

First, I would like to thank each and every one for your reports. Receiving reports is critical to keeping the tape up-to-date. With the way the dam has burst over the last week, it has been literally impossible for me to mention every sighting, even new arrivals. Just so everyone knows, my criteria for inclusion is a bit subjective every time of course, but generally I prioritize by mentioning rarities first, then in no particular order new arrivals, notable concentrations or trends and also upcoming TNA events. I try to give a more extensive report on toledobirding.blogspot.com since I have such limited time on the hotline here. During the next 6 weeks more than any other time of the year, tuning into that website may be beneficial. Sure, you may find some self-indulgence there like yard lists and adventures with my son, but there should also be at least a few nuggets that are of interest to the general public. Back to the birds.

Black-necked Stilt continues to be seen off and on at the Benton Carroll road wetlands east of Magee Marsh, just south of State Route 2. The flooded field there is extensive and it looks like it goes behind a woodlot, so if the stilt is out of sight, you may have to be patient. A Marbled Godwit was at this location today as well. Other shorebird habitat can be found at the end of Veler road off of State Route 2 on the west side of Ottawa Refuge. Today along Veler Road, a Wilson's Phalarope was found as was a Little Blue Heron. Yesterday along Veler, there was a Hudsonian Godwit.

I haven't received a report from the boardwalk today, but I suspect with the north winds, many birds backed away from the lakeshore a bit and probably spread out. Yesterday however, the blow from the south continued, and plenty of new arrivals and some on the very early side were in evidence. Most surprising to me yesterday on the boardwalk were both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos. Neither one is quite record-early, but they are still significant. Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler,Blackpoll and Bay-breasted were all of interest. 4 different Orange-crowned Warblers on the boardwalk was a very good one-day total anywhere in these parts.

Other birds of interest at Magee Marsh yesterday included a single Merlin and at least 4 Snowy Egrets, which have been very accommodating along the causeway.

In the egret category, a very observant and careful caller perfectly described and correctly identified a group of 15 Cattle Egrets in Arrowhead Park today. Thanks for that call. Very good bird away from the lake, especially.

Pine Siskins continue to be found in large numbers across the area. The most significant numbers are being seen where they were most abundant last winter. The Oak Openings, Woodlawn and other cemeteries and also a few pairs still coming to feeders in the area. I have confirmed nesting in my Bedford Township neighborhood with one pair, and am working on confirming the other pair I have still here.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday, April 30th unless something great turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Some other new arrivals - frankly, it's been hard for me to keep them straight this spring! So, if any of the following are repeats, please forgive me. Virginia Rail, Solitary Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Whip-poor-will, Common Nighthawk, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Least Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, all the swallows except Cliff, Golden-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Grasshopper Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow and Bobolink.

Self Indulgence

2009-04-28T18:26:00.002-04:00

I hope you'll pardon my running list of birds in the yard this spring. This blog is a good way for me to keep a daily journal of the comings and goings of different birds in my favorite birding location of all: my yard!

Adding to today's mix that I mentioned below:

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3), Purple Finch (2), Indigo Bunting, Swainson's Thrush, Yellow Warbler, White-throated Sparrow.

I also have 2 pairs of Pine Siskins coming to the feeders and wonder if I can confirm nesting with the second pair.

Some Perspective

2009-04-28T12:03:00.002-04:00

Well readers, I have had many questions in the last few days about ALL of the early arrivals in the area. A tremendous number of species have already been seen in our area that normally would not appear for another week or more. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this were the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Black-billed Cuckoo seen at Magee Marsh yesterday. Cuckoos in April don't signal Armageddon, but they do illuminate the magnitude of the weather conditions we have had the last 4 days. STRONG southwest winds have been sustained since late last week. Other early arrivals have included Eastern Wood-pewee, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo, Common Nighthawk, and Orchard Oriole.

Worry not, fellow birders, there will be plenty of birds here throughout the month of May. If you take a closer look at the species composition and numbers from the Magee Marsh boardwalk, Metzger Marsh and elsewhere, there is still an "early spring" overtone, but with some exceptions. Warbler diversity is high for example, with two dozen or so species present. 90% of the warbler biomass, however, is made up of Yellow-rumped and Palms. This is typical late April stuff. Singletons of things like Blackburnian, Cape May, Blue-winged, Magnolia and Chesnut-sided are also on the normal side. There are small numbers of Nashville, Pine, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula and Northern Waterthrushes. Southern overshoots - Prairie, Yellow-throated, Kentucky, etc., are also very normal in late April. There are plenty of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and numbers of Hermit Thrushes as well. The exceptions have been the NUMBERS of Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrushes, cuckoos, Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers and some others.

The weather pattern has shifted and things should either stay status quo now for awhile, or "fall back" some with the north winds. The good news is that the diversity will be here to stay for awhile!

--

Shifting gears, I LOVE birding in my yard in the spring. There is nothing special about my yard. It has just a small lawn in the front and back - no "habitat" to speak of. But what my yard has, as well as my entire neighborhood are mature oaks. Lots of mature oak trees. The blooms on the oaks attract insects and as a result, are absolute magnets for neotropical migrants. One day in 2006, I tallied 18 warbler species in my yard. I also have a small water garden in the back yard that brings many of the birds down to ground level. Like elsewhere, I have had a bit of a head start this year due to the weather conditions. Sunday, April 26th was maybe my best April day ever in the yard. Things have cooled off a bit both literally and figuratively since the weekend, but here is what I had in the yard this morning in the steady rain:

Yellow-rumped: 10
Nashville: 3
Tennessee: 1
Palm: 1
Black-throated Green: 1

Summer Temps, May Birding in April

2009-04-26T19:06:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

Sunday, April 26th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Black-necked Stilt and an update on spring migration.

The Black-necked Stilt was relocated this afternoon in the large flooded area at Benton-Carroll Road south of Route 2, east of Magee Marsh. This bird had been missing in action and then reappeared this afternoon. Flooded fields in the area are extremely fluid and the situation is constantly changing. The avocets were not relocated today along Veler Road, but there were a few Sandhill Cranes there for some folks in the morning.

I really thought today was going to be superb, but the weather report of a front holding over the area never materialized. Many of the birds that were present yesterday took off over night. Nevertheless, things were still good at Magee and elsewhere. This morning at Magee, there were about 15 species of warblers on the boardwalk. The vast majority were Yellow-rumpeds, but there were good numbers of Palms as well. Much smaller numbers of things like Pine, Black-throated Green, Tennessee and Nashvilles were present. Kentucky, Orange-crowned and Prothonotary were the highlights. Over at Metzger Marsh this afternoon, a very nice Yellow-throated Warbler was found. Back at Magee, there were at least 3 and probably 4 different Summer Tanagers. Gerry Klug had a Summer Tanager at Pearson Park the other day, which is a more unusual location.

At Pipe Creek in Sandusky this morning, there was a Clay-colored Sparrow out on the dikes there, and about 14 species of warblers in the woodlot off the parking lot. Again, mostly Yellow-rumps and Palms but singletons of Orange-crowned and Worm-eating were nice. I had 4 White-eyed Vireos there which is about as many as I have had at a single lakeshore location.

Out in the Oak Openings, Matt Anderson had 1 or 2 Henslow's Sparrows in the big field west of the Toledo Express Airport.

In the getting late category, there was a single Tree Sparrow still at Pipe Creek today. There are plenty of birds that qualify as early to very early over the last 2 days. From Magee, a Wilson's Warbler was reported though admittedly I do not know the observer on this and The Fonz did not see it. I had a single Blackpoll Warbler in my Bedford Township yard this evening. Tennessee Warblers are already widespread across the area and in numbers. It's not all that unusual to have a Tennessee or 2 show up in April, but it sounded more like May 15th out there today with all the Tennessees singing. 4 Bobolinks flying over Pipe Creek today was a bit early, and no fewer than 15 Lincoln's Sparrows at Pipe Creek seemed like a ridiculous number for April. Swainson's Thrushes are quite simply abundant at migrant traps already, and Gray-cheeked Thrushes are also in numbers at the migrant traps.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Tuesday April 28th unless a doozy shows up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Tuesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Pipe Creek Wildlife Area Field Trip

I arrived at the Pipe Creek parking area at the foot of the Cedar Point causeway well before first light. Why, you ask? I had it in this crazy head of mine that the winds the last 3 days MUST have provided a fast track for a Chuck-will's-Widow and surely there would be one at Pipe Creek belting out its great call. Right?!? Wrong. As the sun rose, it was quickly evident there were many birds present. White-throated sparrows by the score, and thrushes...LOTS of thrushes. It was still too dark to identify them though. Soon enough, I was sifting through many Swainson's Thrushes and found a couple each of Gray-cheeked and Hermit.

Aside from White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers, the next most abundant species may have been Blue-gray Gnatcatchers if not Swainson's Thrush. Clearly the gnatcatcher is peaking right now.

The woods at Pipe Creek are always alive with migrants. I saw single Worm-eating and Orange-crowned Warblers in addition to a dozen other warbler species. Numbers, 5 or 6, Northern Waterthrushes sang vociferously. I enjoyed many "first of seasons" for myself (at least here in Ohio). Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Bobolink, Least Flycatchers and Eastern Kingbird all were among those.

The best bird of the day for me was a single Clay-colored Sparrow seen out on the dikes, loosely associating with some Savannah Sparrows.

Pipe Creek can often be excellent for springtime shorebirding. Not today, and likely not this year. Water levels were high, and aside from some flyover yellowlegs and Spotted Sandpipers, shorebirds were not around.

In all, I counted 99 species on my list today from Pipe Creek. I left at around 9am for points west.

--

I visited some places around Sandusky Bay, Pickerel Creek (platform only), Toussaint, Benton-Carroll wetlands, Magee and some of the roads west of Ottawa Refuge. I added about 30 more species in all. Pretty good diversity considering the date, I would say.

---

Yard Action

Based on the activity in my yard this afternoon, I am guessing the lakeshore may have been REALLY good this afternoon. Here is a list of some of the birds seen from my yard this afternoon:

Eastern Bluebird (I live in a residential neighborhood with mature open oak woods), Purple Finch, Pine Siskin (I have a pair nesting nearby), Chimney Swift, Baltimore Oriole, Indigo Bunting, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Nashville, Tennessee and an amazingly early Blackpoll Warbler. Blue-headed and Warbling Vireos were also present. I do think this was the most interesting April day I have had in the yard in 11 springs here.

Feeling a Lot Like May

2009-04-26T18:06:00.003-04:00

Shwewee. My little yard here in Bedford Township, MI has been JUMPING this afternoon. Undoubtedly, the lakeshore was better this afternoon than this morning, though this morning was still pretty doggone good. The weather they predicted for last night into this morning seemed to finally happen this afternoon and birds were dropping from the sky and quickly moving on.

When I arrived home from birding the lakeshore this afternoon, the first bird in my yard was a singing male Eastern Bluebird. I only very infrequently get them here, mostly as flyovers though they will sometimes stop. This one not only stopped, but has been coming to my grape jelly feeder all afternoon and was joined by a female. Awesome. Over at the hopper feeder, 3 Purple Finches, including 2 adult males wowed me as well. The nesting pair of Pine Siskins hung around the goldfinch hordes on the thistle.

Up in the oak tops, the blossoms have BARELY started to bloom, but clearly there are insects up there. I have had about 40 Yellow-rumped Warblers, plus Nashville, Tennessee, Palm, Blackburnian and Black-throated Green. Warbling and Blue-headed Vireos stopped by and a Baltimore Oriole sang from the treetops but did not visit my oriole feeder or orange halves.

Check back later tonight for a full update on the goings-on in the yard, a new phone transcript and a report from my visit to Pipe Creek Wildlife Area in Sandusky this morning.

Back to the birds!

Magee Marsh Warblers and More

2009-04-24T20:36:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

Friday, April 25th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan rare bird alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Smith's Longspur and a major wave of neotropical migrants.

First, lest we get jaded again, the Smith's Longspurs are still being seen in western Mercer County along the Indiana-Ohio line. Today, at least 6 birds were seen along Manley Road a half-mile east of Hill. These birds could potentially hang out another week or so, but with the strong south winds, they very well could bolt for the north.

As expected, the dam burst today out at Magee Marsh and elsewhere, and lots of migrants were reported. We'll start with the headliner, and that would be warblers. Magee Marsh, specifically the boardwalk held no fewer than 16 species of warblers today. Best of the bunch were Worm-eating and Kentucky. Hooded was also a southern overshoot and certainly qualifies as a decent bird along the lakeshore. For whatever reason, Hooded Warblers have become more common out at Magee over the last 5 years, but still worth a mention and not just as a first arrival. Other warblers on the boardwalk today included Yellow-rumped, Pine, Palm, Nashville, Black-throated Green, Cape May, Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee, Yellow, Black-and-White, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush and Prothonotary. Vireos included Blue-headed, White-eyed, Red-eyed and Warbling. Thrushes included many Hermits, Wood Thrush, Swainson's, Veery and at least 3 early Gray-cheeked thrushes. A thrush flush, if you will.

Some other miscellaneous new arrivals reported along the boardwalk today included Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Least Flycatcher and a very early Eastern wood-pewee. Lots of Winter Wrens were around and numbers of House Wrens have arrived now as well.

Chimney Swifts appeared at Magee today, but were not the first to the party as they were reported yesterday from east Toledo.

Gray Catbird was a new arrival today, and good numbers of Field Sparrows were also reported from Magee. A Savannah Sparrow in the middle of the woods dropped down before it got light obviously, and Lincoln's Sparrows were also in evidence.

Away from the boardwalk but staying at Magee Marsh, 4 American White Pelicans flew over the hawk tower this afternoon. Sometimes these birds hang around awhile so be sure to watch for them when you are out there.

Black-necked Stilt was looked for an not found today, and the same goes for Ruff.

Over at Metzger Marsh, things were good as well. Lots of ducks are still present in the marsh there as well as offshore. Common Moorhen was a new arrival at Metzger. I did not hear of any different songbirds at Metzger today, though a number of warblers plus Baltimore Oriole and some thrushes were present in the woodlot there today.

All very exciting stuff, and I simply do not have time to get to all of it. There were some other new arrivals but I will have to mention them on the blog due to time. Overall, birding was excellent for late April. Numbers of most warblers were modest to low, save for Yellow-rumped of course. Weather pattern looks the same for the next 48 hours. In other words, time to get out and do some birding! I don't know if I will be able to update the tomorrow if I only get new arrival reports. If any true vagrant shows up of course, I will be sure to report out immediately. I will definitely update the tape again Sunday evening but you'll likely want to do a quick check-back tomorrow night in case something great turned up. That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more information and more reports, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Thanks for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Some other new arrivals in the Toledo area today included Blue-winged Warbler at Swan Creek Metropark in south Toledo and an early Black-throated Blue Warbler at Cullen Park in Point Place. Whip-poor-will was heard calling in the wee hours of this morning at Maumee Bay State Park. Boat loads of Ruby-crowned Kinglets have invaded the entire area and next to White-throated Sparrows, may be the most abundant migrant right now in the area.

Purple Finches are spread in low numbers across the area and many people with bird feeders are seeing Purple Finches in their yards. You may want to try offering Safflower seed as Purple Finches really enjoy it. Speaking of Safflower seed, the other bird that absolutely prefers safflower to any other is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. They often turn up at backyard feeders this time of year, especially in cool and rainy weather. May want to make a quick run to my friend Bernie Place's outfit over on Monroe Street (Wild Birds Unlimited) to stock up.

Pine Siskins are still being seen in many places as well and are nesting now so be sure to watch for nesting activities.

Broad-winged Hawks are flying over in very good numbers so don't forget to watch the skies for raptors.

I will be "stuck" in the yard tomorrow, but I have little doubt my time will be rewarded with something interesting. Sunday I am hitting the lakeshore, starting pre-dawn and probably going most of the day. I'll keep away from the Magee crowds, though. I figure Magee is pretty well covered. I have my eyes on the Sandusky Bay area, including some of the marshes and migrant traps out that way. Getting off the beaten path just a bit is often an excellent strategy for finding good birds.

Golden-crowned Sparrow: Access Granted

2009-04-21T18:57:00.008-04:00

Phone Transcript

Tuesday, April 21st you've reached a special update to the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is Golden-crowned Sparrow.

The Golden-crowned Sparrow discovered over a week ago down near Findlay is still being seen, and limited access has now been granted. For tomorrow and Thursday only, the homeowners have decided to let people come look for the bird.

The address is 18229, Biglick Township Road 292, Hancock County, which is a little over 3 miles east of Findlay about a mile northwest of Red Hawk Run Golf Course. Turn north from US 224 onto TR 248 or south from SR 12. TR 292 is an eastbound only road about 1 mile north of US 224, or 1.6 miles south of SR 12. The house is the only occupied property on the Township road. After you have arrived, walk up the driveway, and there is a blind located between the house and garage. The blind is apparently by far the best place to view the bird.

-Visiting Hours are between 7am and 4pm. The bird has most often been seen early in the morning and then again in early to mid-afternoon.

-Please park either well off the road or further down the road by the abandoned barn. In either case, please make sure cars can drive through on this narrow county road. Also be sure not to block the driveway.

-Restrooms are unavailable at the site, but the Wal-Mart on the east end of Findlay on US 224 is less than 10 minutes away.

Good luck, and please be respectful of the homeowners' wishes.

The Ruff found yesterday along Stange Road just south of State Route 2 has not been re-found. My guess it is still hanging around though, so be sure to check all flooded fields in the area and really work the large flocks of Pectoral Sandpipers.

The only other things I should mention with the limited time are a Surf Scoter was off the east beach at Magee Marsh yesterday and a Louisiana Waterthrush was on the bird trail today.

I have had no reports of the Smith's Longspurs since Sunday.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be tomorrow, April 22nd. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com.

-End Transcript

Smith's Longspurs, and WARBLERS!!!

2009-04-19T19:58:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript

Sunday, April 19th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan rare bird alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Smith's Longspur, Yellow-headed Blackbird and an update on spring migration.

First, a quick apology for missing an update on Friday. I have now arrived back at home base and staying connected will be much more convenient.

Second, it looks like Mountain Bluebird has departed for points unknown. It has not been seen now for a couple of days.

Smith's Longspurs however, are still being seen through today in Mercer County west of Lima. Specifically, they are being seen along Manley Road a half-mile east of Hill. About 20 were seen today.

If down that way, you may want to check out the grain elevator at the corner of Market and Mill streets in Celina where a Eurasian Collared-dove is nesting on a platform at the top of the elevator.

Magee Marsh was very good this weekend. As expected, large numbers of temperate migrants were present including outstanding numbers of gnatcatchers, Hermit Thrushes and and both kinglets. Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers are around, and singles of Pine Warbler and Northern Parula were present. A single Northern Waterthrush was well on the early side on Saturday.

A male Yellow-headed Blackbird was out on the beach at Magee on Saturday.

Over on Toledo's west end, a Yellow-throated Warbler graced the window on wildlife at Secor Metropark yesterday, and should be looked for as it may hang around there for a little while.

Some new arrivals over the last few days, in addition to those already mentioned include Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and Spotted Sandpiper.

Lark Sparrows have returned to the Oak Openings at Girdham and Reed roads as of today.

So, it's good to be generally caught up and things will continue to heat up. That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, April 22nd unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Wednesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End transcript

More Smith's Longspurs, Mountain Bluebird

2009-04-14T19:40:00.006-04:00

-Phone Transcript

Tuesday, April 14th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Smith's Longspur, Mountain Bluebird and an update on spring migration.

I have more details on the great Smith's Longspur expedition from over the weekend, and the news is good. There are numbers of birds being seen right from the road, including today, in western Mercer County. The birds are being seen along Manley Road a half-mile east of Hill road. As it turns out, there are a number of birds and walking the fields is absolutely and thankfully unnecessary. Respecting the private property is of course very important, but who would want to schlep through the fields when you can see the birds from the road?

The Mountain Bluebird remains in the Oak Openings through today. It is being seen at the confluence of Sager and Wilkins Roads and Route 295/20A. This is at the eastern edge of Oak Openings Metropark, at the west end of Toledo Express Airport. This is the Toledo area's first record for this western stray and second ever for Ohio. For those unfamiliar with this species, it differs from our common Eastern Bluebird in a number of ways. Plumage is the most obvious, but structure and posture is different as well, among other things. The bill of the Mountain Bluebird is noticeably thinner and sharper and it has much better posture than its eastern cousin, usually seen perched much more upright.

Long-billed Dowitchers touched down for a short time the other day at the west end of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge along Veler road. John Pogacnik identified this rare spring visitor by voice, which is really the only way to do it, though time of year offers a clue as well. This early in the spring, any dowitcher should be considered carefully.

Western Meadowlark remains in Wood county at Rangeline and Cygnet roads.

A few miscellaneous new arrivals the last week include Bank Swallow, Purple Martin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Caspian Tern, Common Tern and Black-bellied Plover. I haven't had a good chance to mention new arrivals because rarities have been burning up the hotline. This is a trade-off I am willing to accept every time, and I hope you are too.

That's all for now. If you see Smith's Longspurs in the previously mentioned location or anywhere else, or if you see the bluebird, or to report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape. If reporting a rarity, be sure to leave your phone number. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be Friday, April 17th unless something wild turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Friday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-End Transcript

Well, Southwest Florida has been pretty low-key this week. It has been horrendously windy which definitely makes birding a serious challenge. I have not encountered any uncommon birds for down here, save for the 6 Bronzed Cowbirds I had today at a traditional spot in Naples. Still, I never tire of some of the "dirt birds" down here. Who can complain of numerous, daily sightings of Swallow-tailed Kites, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Limpkins, spoonbills, etc, etc.

Today, I took the kids to a playground on Marco Island, and adjacent to the playground was a freshwater pond. There were 50 (!) frigatebirds doing their best tern imitation - swooping and diving low over the pond and playground, at times only 20 feet away. WOW!

I wasn't able to get a photo of the Bronzed Cowbirds, but while walking along a lake at that location today, we encountered a hefty snake along the shoreline. Landon was pretty excited (and so was I!) - I grabbed the long-handled (butterfly) net, and jumped through the long grass (foolish) and onto the bank. I got within ten feet and was able to confirm my first impression: Water Moccasin! Oh boy, now what? Fully realizing the stupidity of my next actions, I went ahead, Landon all the while yelling at me, trying to talk sense into me. I had the long handle, I figured I could manage just fine. The cottonmouth was mostly interested in getting away from me, and eventually it decided just to swim away. I don't think I actually would have made an attempt to catch it (or at least handle it). I was hoping I could corner it so it would stand its ground and I could take a photo or two. I wasn't able to make that happen, but it sure was exhilarating. I had to take the next hour to explain to my 7 year old what a poor example I had been and why I should have never been fooling with it.

Here are just a couple of miscellaneous photos from the last few days.

Burrowing Owl

Making Dad Proud

Smith's Longspurs, Mountain Bluebird

2009-04-11T20:37:00.002-04:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT

Saturday, April 11th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Smith's Longspur, Mountain Bluebird, and a number of other interesting sightings.

At least two Smith's Longspurs were discovered today by a group of birders from Amish country. To me, this news is more interesting than any report I have had in a very long time. Why, you ask? This group of intrepid birders actually set out to find Smith's Longspurs. This species used to be regular in western Ohio decades ago, and it has been theorized that more modern farming practices have been the reason it hasn't been detected more recently and/or more often. However, migration paths are migration paths, and armed with the knowledge that Smith's Longspur prefers corn stubble with lots of weeds, especially foxtail, they hit the fields of western Ohio and struck paydirt. The fields they found the birds in are in Mercer county, west of Rockford, Ohio. Of course, these fields are private property and scoping Smith's from the roadside is not an ideal proposition. You should get permission from landowners who are hosting likely looking habitat, and actually walk them. Truly great stuff, and congratulations to all who set forth on this wonderful, fruitful expedition.

The Mountain Bluebird remains in the Oak Openings. Ohio's second state record has been incredibly accommodating to literally hundreds of birders from all over the state and beyond. It is being seen at the west end of Toledo Express airport at the junction of Wilkins and Sager roads and State Route 295/20A.

The Cullens - Jeff, Becky and Brad have had a tremendous couple of days birding off the beaten path south and east of town. They found 2 Eurasian Wigeons. The first was at Springville Marsh on Thursday and that bird remained through today for others. The second bird, they found along Township Road 34 in Seneca County yesterday. Along Township Road 205 in Sandusky County yesterday, they had 2 record-early Least Sandpipers. Also in the record-early category was a Blue-headed Vireo in the Cullen yard in Wood County on April 9th. Today, the Cullens found a White-winged Scoter on the Luckey, Ohio quarry and a Franklin's Gull on a pond east of Cygnet. Perhaps the Cullens should stay home for spring break more often; we'd all get to see a few more good birds.

There are a couple of Western Meadowlarks in Wood County. The first, at its traditional spot along Rangeline Road at Cygnet Road. Tom Kemp discovered another yesterday outside the Bowling Green fitness center at State Route 64 and Newton roads.

Sherrie Duris had a Louisiana Waterthrush in the Oak Openings yesterday along the yellow trail, north of Monclova. This bird is almost certainly a returnee, and not a migrant.

Shorebirds can be found most reliably right now at the end of Veler road, on the south side of the road. Nothing rare has shown up here yet, but it's bound to. Access is off of State Route 2 just south of Metzger Marsh on the Bono curve. Drive east on Veler to its dead end and scope to the south.

There have been no new developments on the Golden-crowned Sparrow near Findlay, and access is still unavailable.

Really quickly, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Bank Swallow were both new arrivals the last few days. That's all for now, as if that weren't enough. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, April 15th, unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape as soon as possible. I am updating the tape this week from south Florida, so my access is a bit limited. For more information or to track some of my adventures down here, you can visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Wednesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

On Location From the Sunshine State

2009-04-10T17:39:00.002-04:00

Well, the Links family truckster arrived last night in the Tampa area after a loooooooong day on I-75. We're heading down to Marco tomorrow, which I am looking forward to. Aside from playing "Yellow Car", rocking the White Stripes and eating horrible food, I looked at birds as we raced down the highway. Here are ten birds I saw while driving down I-75 and the thing I like most about them in parentheses.

1. Common Loon (call)
2. Mallard (sense of humor)
3. Red-tailed Hawk (abundance)
4. American Kestrel (plumage)
5. Canada Goose (attitude)
6. Bald Eagle (symbolisim)
7. Sandhill Crane (stature)
8. Cattle Egret (diet)
9. Red-winged Blackbird (predictability)
10. Wild Turkey (taste)

Stay tuned for more posts, at least some of which should have some photos. 83 and sunny here today!

Rare Birds!!!

2009-04-08T15:45:00.001-04:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT

Wednesday April 8th you’ve reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you are listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists’ Association. Highlights are Mountain Bluebird, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Western Meadowlark.

Well, I think we all were getting a bit jaded with the multitude of White-winged Crossbill reports this winter, and myself included, were wondering when the next “rarity” would show up. White-winged Crossbill is of course a rarity in our area but with so many around we began to take them for granted. Well, things certainly shot up the spice meter this week when a Mountain Bluebird was discovered in the Oak Openings on Sunday. It is still being seen as of this afternoon. I think almost every birder in Ohio has seen it now, but in case you are from out of town or are new to the scene, the Mountain Bluebird is being seen at the west end of the Toledo Express Airport at the junction of Sager and Wilkins Roads, and State Route 295. There is a small, triangle of habitat at the confluence here, and this is where the bluebird is being seen reliably. This is the first record for the Toledo area, and only the second record for the state of Ohio.

Amazingly, A Golden-crowned Sparrow was found yesterday just outside of Findlay, Ohio. Unfortunately, this bird is on private property and the homeowners are not welcoming birders at this time. It has been photographed, and you can see an image of it on rarebird.org. This is the first state record for Golden-crowned Sparrow.

John Pulella called in a male Yellow-headed Blackbird today just south of Maumee Bay State Park. The bird has been hanging around a small group of grackles along Cedar Point Road. Check the SW corner of Cedar Point Road and North Curtis – there is a house with a red barn there. It has also been seen just south on Curtis and also west on Cedar Point just a bit.

The Wood County Western Meadowlark has apparently returned to its haunts at Rangeline Road at Cyget Road. This bird was tallied yesterday by a Central Ohio group returning home from the Mountain Bluebird site.

A light-phased Rough-legged Hawk has been seen sporadically at the west end of the Toledo Airport, so watch for it while visiting the Mountain Bluebird.

You’ll have to sit tight for a few days now, as I am hitting the road momentarily to South Florida. I will have access to the hotline and internet, but probably will not be able to update the tape again until Sunday, April 12th. Once I have settled in, you can expect the updates to pick right back up where I left off. In the meantime, you can visit rarebird.org to check the current status of Mountain Bluebird or to see if the Golden-crowned Sparrow access situation has changed at all.

That’s all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday, April 12th. For more information, as well as some updates from South Florida, you can check out toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

The Golden-crowned Sparrow is truly an awesome find. I sure hope the homeowner opens up access, but I certainly understand why they would not want hundreds of birders from all over the state and beyond to descend onto their home. Would YOU allow public access if a first state record showed up at your house?

Check back here to follow me on my adventures in South Florida over the next 10 days. I'm heading south for birds, herps, beaches and golf!!!

Mountain Bluebird, Indeed!

2009-04-07T12:39:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post. The Mountain Bluebird was relocated this morning, seen and photographed by quite a few folks. I hope to get a shot or two of it this afternoon and if I do, I will post them here. In the meantime, check out the photos on http://www.rarebird.org/ under the "Mountain Bluebird" thread.

Incidentally, this is the Toledo area's FIRST record of this species, and Ohio's second. Great work Pat!!

I saw the bird this afternoon at 5pm: Here is my poor, blurry awful shot I took with my point-and-shoot. BUT, it is MY shot of an Ohio Mountain Bluebird. I'll take it!

Mountain Bluebird in the Oak Openings?

2009-04-05T19:12:00.012-04:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT

Sunday, April 5th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Without question, the highlight is a tantalizing report of Mountain Bluebird.

Today, a report surfaced from the Oak Openings of a Mountain Bluebird at the west end of the Toledo Express Airport. The bird was reported from the corner of Sager and Wilkins and was apparently spending some time there. The bird was pretty well described, including acknowledgement of its rarity so I am inclined to think it is a valid report. Since this is a rarity not only for the area, but also state and region, some type of confirmation will be needed. Other observers will have to track it down, and hopefully someone can get a photo. Pat, if you are listening to this tape, I am interested in talking with you further. Please leave your phone number at the end of the tape so I can call you.

Mike and Cathy Gordon had a Red-necked Grebe today on the Maumee River at Providence Metropark today. We are having a stellar spring for the rare species.

Spring migration is cruising along. New arrivals this weekend include Green Heron which is on the early side and Louisiana Waterthrush at Maumee Bay State Park. The heron was at Detwiler marsh.

Richard Johnson checked in with results of the Ottawa NWR monthly count today. Highlights were Golden Eagle at Ottawa/Lucas County Road and Route 2, and some American Golden Plovers at Veler Road at the refuge gate.

Northern Saw-whet Owls continue to be found along the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, which is not really a surprise. What is a bit surprising is the number that are vocalizing. I would say this behavior during migration is erratic at best.

Belated, but significant and worth mentioning was that a Barred Owl was discovered about 10 days ago on the far west end of Wildwood Metropark in Sylvania township. I'm not sure the last time Barred Owl was detected at Wildwood, but it has been many years.

Pine Warblers are back in the Oak Openings and at least one continues to visit the window on wildlife at Mallard Lake.

There was a calling Sora in the Maumee State Forest last night, which is a hair on the early side.

Common Loons and Horned Grebes remain widespread throughout the area. The typical early April migrants are being reported across the area - i.e. Yellow-rumped Warblers, Fox Sparrows, Winter Wrens, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, towhee, thrasher, kinglets, etc.

Pine Siskins remain abundant throughout the area.

That's all for now. If you see the Mountain Bluebird, please call me directly at 419-367-1094. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, April 8th, but you will want to stay tuned to stay abreast of the bluebird situation. If it gets relocated, I will update the tape immediately. Until Wednesday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

TNA Herping Adventure

The field trip to the Maumee State Forest to look for amphibians Saturday night was great fun. Unfortunately, my son got a "better offer", so I had to fly solo. Leader Greg Lipps was, as usual, informative and enthusiastic. Few people know their herps like the "other Greg L.". The highlight was surely the Four-toed Salamanders I stumbled upon, but the group enjoyed looks at more common amphibians as well, including Chorus Frogs, Leopard Frog, and Spring Peepers. Wood Frog was heard, as well. Here are a few shots of the salamander, peeper and Greg.

Return of the Fish Hawk, The Fonz

2009-04-02T20:14:00.002-04:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT

Thursday, April 2nd you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Red-necked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck and an update on spring migration.

Unlikely as it may seem, the Defiance Reservoir is the place to be right now for good birds. In addition to the expected Common Loons and Horned Grebes, a single Long-tailed Duck brightened things up on Tuesday, and on both Tuesday and yesterday, a Red-necked Grebe has been present. The Defiance Reservoir is located about 3/4 mile west of S. Clinton off Kiser Road on the west / southwest part of town.

A couple of Pine Warblers anyway have returned to the Oak Openings. My assumption is there are at least a few back on territory, but you may want to check the window on wildlife at the Buehner Center at Mallard Lake as there are a couple coming to the suet there. Makes for easy viewing of this nice looking bird.

Matt Anderson had an Osprey today in Whitehouse, Ohio, the first report of that species back into the area this spring.

In Willard, at the Willard Reservoir, a stunning Surf Scoter was found today.

A very early Barn Swallow was tallied early this week at Toussaint by Kenn Kaufman.

Perhaps the most notable returning bird of the week was Rick Nirschl coming back from his winter in Texas. Not skipping a beat, Rick assumed his post as King of the Bird Trail today and tallied very good numbers of the expected migrants. Brown Thrasher was new on the bird trail for "The Fonz" as I sometimes to refer to Mr. Nirschl. He just seems to snap his fingers, and the birds are attracted to him. Welcome back, Rick.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be Sunday night, April 5th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Sunday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

Check back for more later.

Hotline Analytics? Well, Not Really

2009-03-30T18:35:00.002-04:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT

Monday, March 30th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert you're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is an update on spring migration.

So, as I mentioned this morning, I delayed the tape just a bit in an effort to lasso a few more reports from over the weekend. The result was mildly successful as a couple did come in. No rarities were reported over the weekend, but the Golden Eagle that Scott Hites had today near Ottawa Refuge definitely qualifies.

Waterfowl really is still the name of the game, though the pendulum is swinging a bit. At least 20 species of ducks are still in the area, though getting all 20 now requires a bit of effort and luck. Goldeneye are thinning out considerably but there are still a fair number of Canvasbacks around. These are two species that I generally consider among the earlier of migrants and first to disappear from the area. The TNA field trip on Sunday reported success, but no rarities. The flooded area at Pearson Metropark north continues to be productive, if not the easiest place to scope. Ducks and shorebirds can be found here including good numbers of Wilson's Snipe. The other flooded area worth watching on a consistent basis is at Benton-Carroll Road and State Route 2 east of Magee Marsh. Good numbers of shorebirds including Pectoral, Dunlin and both yellowlegs can be found there.

New arrivals the last couple of days include Vesper Sparrow in Holland, Ohio and also Field Sparrow in Northwood.

The flooded areas in and around Bellevue, OH in Sandusky, Erie and Seneca counties is starting to produce now. Becky Cullen called in an Eared Grebe from that area the other day. If you recall, this area was a magnet for all kinds of good things last year, and is well worth the hour drive down.

Pine Siskins remain throughout the area in very good numbers. If in the Oak Openings, be sure to be thinking about nesting activities for not only siskins but White-winged Crossbills as well.

Smith's Longspur is a bird that very few Ohio birders have on their list. Historically, they were somewhat regular in western Ohio but changes in farming practices have made the Smith's Longspur a distant memory. Or has it? Smith's Longspur was detected down in Amish country last spring if memory serves me and I do feel here in the NW may be one of the most likely places to encounter one. Theory has it that corn stubble with foxtail is the habitat to check, and you may find this over in Williams County as well as other NW Ohio counties. Now through the end of April would be the time for one to come through.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be Thursday April 2nd unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

Who Says the Telephone is Dead?

Some say the age of the internet has killed the need for a phone-based hotline. Is the telephone alert antiquated? Possibly, but today was pretty interesting. I had planned on updating the phone hotline last night, but the lack of reports inspired me to wait until this morning. I did a quick impromptu update letting people know I would update later. Because of the truncated length of the message, I was able to determine with some accuracy the number of callers to the hotline today. As of 7:15pm, 34 people had called the phone hotline and hung up. This is pretty good, considering we are not close to the height of warbler season! Okay, so it hardly qualifies as "analytics", but it is still interesting.

The Arb in Ann Arbor

Last week, my company moved offices from the south side of Ann Arbor to the north side. One of the advantages to this move is the fact that I am now strategically located to a number of interesting natural areas. Thanks to Bruce Bowman who helped me clarify which areas I should focus on. I have visited the Matthei Botanical Gardens several times now and though it is normally described by local birders as average, I look forward to searching for Massassauga Rattlesnakes there when the weather warms up. Today, for the first time I visited Nichol's Arboretum, AKA "The Arb". Well, sort of. It was a bit tricky for me to find (Riverview Drive entrance near Dow Prairie), and because of this my time was short. The Arb is possibly the most birded location in Washtenaw County and has a long list of great birds. Parking was a bit unclear for me today as well, but after all the dust settled, I took a short stroll around the Dow Field. I didn't find anything unexpected, but it became pretty clear it will be a difficult place to cover over my lunch hours. I look forward to birding this area, including Gallup Park and the park that was adjacent, whose name escapes me now. It seemed that maybe that park had less people traffic than the others. Pine Siskins were in evidence in the residential area along Riverview Drive, not surprisingly (they are everywhere) and this was the closest thing to a noteworthy species I encountered in my short time there. Hopefully I will run into Bruce and other birders there as the spring marches forward.

"My Life as a Wing Man" by Luke Dempsey

2009-03-26T13:57:00.004-04:00

I read a wonderful essay yesterday from the magazine "Best Life". Luke Dempsey is a Brit who now calls America his home and just happens to have caught the birding bug. I hope you will enjoy the article as much as I did. You can find it HERE.

Welcome Back, Mr. Chippy

2009-03-25T19:33:00.004-04:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT

Wednesday, March 25th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan rare bird alert you are listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Natualists' Association. Highlights are Northern Shrike and an update on spring migration.

Very few reports have filtered in since Sunday. Notably, at least one and probably two Northern Shrikes remain along the Magee Marsh causeway through yesterday. I am expecting these birds to depart any day. If you see a shrike along the causeway, or anywhere for that matter, be sure to scrutinize it carefully. The rare Loggerhead Shrike could show up now as well.

The only new arrival reported the last few days is Chipping Sparrow, which is now widespread throughout the area.

Common Loons and Horned Grebes can be found at area lakes and reservoirs and you are likely to encounter both species in both winter plumage and their respectively beautiful breeding plumages.

Tree Swallows are increasing in numbers, as are Fox Sparrows, Hermit Thrushes, Golden-crowned Kinglets and Brown Creepers. We have not experienced a big wave of temperate migrants just yet, and the way the weather pattern looks, it may be a little while before we get anything more than the current trickle we are experiencing.

I'd like to take just a minute to call attention to a pretty neat event coming up in June. I know it's a long way out there, but it's worth mentioning now so you can get it on your calendars. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas will be conducting the "World Series of Atlasing" where teams of birders will compete against each other in one of the more interesting regions in the state for breeding birds. There is a point system, and prizes will be awarded in a number of categories. The Atlasing event will be held June 19-21 at Burr Oak State Park and surrounding region. It would be really great if we could get a team or two from the Northwest to go down and help out. For more information, please contact Atlas Coordinator Aaron Boone VIA email at boone.70@osu.edu OR by telephone at 614.247.6458.

The North Coast Open is less than two months away as well. This is a competitive big day event here in Northwest Ohio that is tremendous fun and open to birders of all skill level. For more information, stay tuned to this tape, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can leave a message at the end of this tape, email me at harpy1@gmail.com or call me at 419-367-1094.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday, March 29th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Sunday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

Though I haven't had any reports, I'd be willing to bet the Eurasian Wigeon remains at Metzger Marsh. These birds tend to hang around awhile, and I would be surprised if it has moved on just yet.

This website is likely to be of interest to readers of this blog.

In just two weeks, I will be in south Florida. These days, most of my time away from NW Ohio and SE Michigan are "multi-tasking" trips. This one will be a classic family vacation, with plenty of time spent just goofing around the pool and beach. But, I am really incredibly lucky in that my son Landon (and at times, my daughter Keira) really wants to be out in the field quite alot. I don't know of better quality time than being in the field with my kids. I don't care if we are birding, herping or just skipping stones as long as we are outside together. I am anticipating some good birding, though my "hardcore" time will be limited. Herping is GREAT fun in Florida, though more care must be taken, especially with the young ones. While I am gone, I will still update the tape remotely, and also have some posts on our adventures in the Sunshine State - hopefully, complete with some decent photos.

Eurasian Wigeon Continues, Black Vulture

2009-03-22T20:04:00.007-04:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT:

Sunday, March 22nd you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert. You're listening to Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Eurasian Wigeon, Black Vulture and an update on spring migration.

Lots of birders were in the field this weekend, and as it turns out, there was very good diversity as well as a couple of rarities. The best bird of the weekend by far was a single Black Vulture seen by the Cullens along the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge auto tour yesterday. This bird was seen migrating with a group of Turkey Vultures. While increasing in frequency, this record still represents one of a very few from this area.

Eurasian Wigeon continues to be seen at Metzger Marsh among the throng of other more common waterfowl. Patience and luck is required. There are alot of ducks to scope, and the wigeon is very good at staying hidden in the grasses. The bird was seen by Phillip Chaon Saturday afternoon. Scott Hites had a Long-tailed Duck off the pier at Metzger at the end of the week; don't forget to watch the lake side at Metzger while you are there, as interesting things can be out there.

Karl Overman and crew checked in on Friday with the season's first Dunlin at a flooded field near Magee. They also had Pectoral Sandpiper and a single Northern Shrike remaining on the causeway at Magee Marsh.

Sandhill Cranes are in their usual small numbers in the area right now. Birds have been seen from Magee, Ottawa Refuge and Maumee Bay State Park over the last 3 days. Common Loon is a new arrival in the area, and should be checked for on any inland lake, quarry or reservoir. Salisbury Quarry in Maumee off of US-23 is a reasonably likely location for this species on any given day.

Red-necked Grebes are apparently staging a significant incursion into the state. We have had 5 reports this spring here in the northwest, much higher than most years and Bruce Glick found a dozen on east-central Ohio reservoirs at the end of this week.

Pine Siskins continue in good numbers across the area; be sure to pay attention for signs of nesting activities.

It won't be long before before our old friends the warblers turn up. The first migrant Yellow-rumps are just around the corner, and not long after that we should get an overshoot in the form of Louisiana Waterthrush. Don't fast forward the clock just too much yet - try and enjoy the Fox Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Winter Wrens!

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday March 25th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Wednesday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

Thinking about Black Bears

I stumbled upon this article earlier today and it got me wondering about Black Bears. A few years ago, maybe 2005 or 2006, a road-killed Black Bear was found in the Maumee State Forest in Lucas County. I remember there being speculation as to its origin, and skepticism that it was a truly wild animal. The Michigan Black Bear population has either been moving southward over the years into areas they historically were, or perhaps there has always been a small population in some of the wilder areas of the southern tier of counties. The Irish Hills of Michigan surely has some pretty wild areas, and it is not impossible for me to imagine a small population of Black Bears hanging on throughout the years. The above-referenced article may support this theory. That is, if Black Bears are breeding in Jackson County, Michigan, then it isn't just a young male wandering from points unknown farther north. This general area is only about 60 or 70 miles from the Maumee State Forest which quite frankly, isn't all that far as the bear walks. I can easily imagine a bear finding its way to Northwest Ohio from the Irish Hills. Maybe it followed a rail track, who knows, but there are not any populous areas it would need to traverse to get here. I wonder if we will see more Black Bears in Northwest Ohio - possibly breeding - in my lifetime. It wouldn't complete surprise me if they already were in Williams County in very small numbers.

Some Herping Pics

Landon and I ventured back to our favorite little vernal pools in Petersburg, MI yesterday. It was a daytime visit, which isn't ideal of course, but it was still a lot of fun. We added Wild Turkey to the property list, which wasn't surprising at all, but still neat. Chorus Frogs and Spring Peepers were pretty vocal, and we did hear some Wood Frogs, though not as many as the other night. We netted a few tadpoles this time around as well. I wish I knew what they were - I suspect most of them are Green Frog tads, but I think we would need to key them out to determine if they were Greens or Bullfrogs.

Landon, 7, manning the net.

Releasing a tadpole

Fairy Shrimp, another critter of the vernal pool

Eurasian Wigeon, Red-necked Grebe, More

2009-03-19T19:56:00.004-04:00

Hotline Transcript -

Thursday, March 19th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Eurasian Wigeon, Red-necked Grebe, Northern Shrike and an update on spring migration.

Kenn Kaufman found both a Eurasian Wigeon and a Red-necked Grebe at Metzger Marsh on Tuesday March 17th. I have not had any reports positive or negative since then. I think visiting Metzger Marsh is the right thing to do, regardless of if these birds are still present. Surely they are worth keeping in mind while there.

Two Northern Shrikes remain along the causeway at Magee Marsh through today. I find it a stretch to think they will be here still at the first of April, so you better go while the gettin's good.

Of course, Magee Marsh will be a prime area of focus for the next couple of months. The first group of temperate migrants have arrived along the boardwalk there including Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow and Tree Swallow. A couple of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers down at Wintergarden Park in Bowling Green on Wednesday were new arrivals. Today, Sherry Plessner had a Purple Finch at the Window on Wildlife feeders at Swan Creek Metropark in south Toledo. Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins remain at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo and Whitehouse. Siskins could be nesting now, so watch for activity like birds carrying nesting material.

Gerry Klug checked in today with an excellent report of an adult Golden Eagle over his east Toledo home today.

Mark Shieldcastle had an interesting hawk count the other day south of Ottawa Refuge along Lickert-Harder Road at Turtle Creek. Hawks were very slow, but excellent numbers of passerines were moving overhead. Some numbers of note included over 4,000 Lapland Longspurs and 1,400 Rusty Blackbirds.

A couple of other miscellaneous new arrivals the last few days include Marsh Wren at Erie Marsh in southern Monroe County, MI, Northern Harrier over east Toledo and Greater Yellowlegs at Ottawa Refuge.

So, it looks like this weekend will be another great one to be in the field. The north winds we have had the last couple of days are supposed to switch around to the south and when they do, we should see another good flight along the lake. Raptors should be on the move as well as early passerine migrants. It's just a matter of time before someone finds a roosting Long-eared or Saw-whet Owl along the boardwalk at Magee. Are YOU good enough?

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday, March 22nd unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

Man - the weekend looks really nice again. I think it could be time for some more frogging - I will try to take some photos this time and post them here ! Thanks to all who sent me a note this week. I really appreciate your support and enthusiasm!

Horned Grebes, Surf Scoter and Herps!!

2009-03-17T20:08:00.003-04:00

The last couple of days have been fantastic weather-wise in these parts. I have been able to visit Luna Pier and Erie Marsh a couple of times for brief evening visits and many of the waterfowl have cleared out, at least on Lake Erie itself. At Luna Pier, many fewer individuals are present, but the variety is still decent. About a dozen Horned Grebes off of Luna Pier signaled the first wave of that nifty species into the area. Unfortunately, they were very distant - in spite of my best efforts, I could not turn any of them into an Eared or Red-necked Grebe. Ducks at Luna Pier Sunday evening included Canvasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted and Common Mergansers and Bufflehead.

Down the road at Erie Marsh yesterday in the late afternoon, it was pretty uneventful. A calling Marsh Wren was the first of the year for me, and may be a bit on the early side. It is not inconceivable that this bird wintered in the area. About a hundred Rusty Blackbirds were the only other passerine that caught my attention for more than a moment or two.

On the bay, there were a couple of Horned Grebes, Canvasback, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, scaup spp. and Ring-necked Duck.

This morning while driving into work, I was at a red light that happened to be next to a pond in the Ann Arbor area. There were the usual geese and swans present, but also a largish duck that caught my attention. I was running late for a meeting, so I did not have time to pull over and scope it. I grabbed the trusty Leicas and looked that way as traffic started to go with the green light. I could see it was scoter! Great find for this little wetland, and I was pretty sure it was a Surf based on profile. The good news is that the bird hung around for the day, and others (and later, me too) were able to confirm my suspicion. Good way to start the day!

The highlight of the last two days for me came last evening. I decided to take the little guy (my son Landon, who is 7) to my uncle's property in Petersburg for a woodcock walk. The din of the Chorus Frogs proved too much of a distraction for both of us, and while we were outfitted for birding and not frogging, we made do. We wandered into the woods, and we heard not only Chorus Frogs, but Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs as well. We managed to catch a few Chorus Frogs, and a very immature Bullfrog/Green frog. What great fun! Schlepping through the mud and cold water of the vernal pools is great fun for a 7 year old kid, but also a 37 year old kid! We stayed out late for a school night, but since we didn't have our head lamps, not too late. We arrived home a little after 9pm (well past bedtime!), much to the dismay of mom, especially considering we were a "bit" wet and muddy. Not only that, but we just HAD to celebrate our great adventure by stopping for an ice cream cone on the way home. We are really looking forward to some rainy nights the first week in April, when amphibian diversity will be even better (surely we will get more peepers and Wood Frogs, but also add Leopard Frogs and American Toads to the mix). We are keeping our fingers crossed for some salamanders back in that woods, but we have a spot or two elsewhere just in case.

And for the record, we did hear woodcock as well, though I have no doubt my son will remember the Chorus Frogs and not the displaying timberdoodles.

Shorebirds, Harbingers and Lingerers

2009-03-15T17:46:00.004-04:00

PHONE HOTLINE TRANSCRIPT:

Sunday, March 15th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are White-winged Crossbill and an update on spring migration.

White-winged Crossbills are still around. Tim Haney had 25+ at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo yesterday. He noted that while a bit tricky to locate, once he did, he was able to get outstanding views of feeding birds on the ground under hemlock trees. Here in my neighborhood in Bedford Township, I had 10 White-winged Crossbills also yesterday, March 14th. This is the first time in weeks I have had them here in the neighborhood. Going back to Woodlawn, Tim mentioned that some Common Redpolls were still around as well as good numbers of Pine Siskins and some siskins appeared to be pairing up. Tim, please keep us posted on any developments on that front.

I should do a quick rewind on the new arrivals category - I was having some trouble retrieving messages here at the hotline and I missed a couple. First, Jerry Klug had 6 Wilson's Snipe at Pearson north on March 9th, as well as an early Winter Wren at Pearson on the same day. Arlene Johnson checked in with the season's first report of Golden Eagle, also last week though I am unclear on the actual date.

Yesterday, Pine Warbler was a new arrival both in east Toledo and also at Oak Openings Metropark. Becky and Jeff Cullen had 4 Greater White-fronted Geese near the Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area yesterday. In the shorebird category, in addition to Killdeer, Woodcock and snipe, we can now add Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs to new arrival status as of yesterday. A couple of Horned Grebes were off the west end of Maumee Bay State Park this afternoon. In addition, off in the distance in Maumee Bay was a raft of ducks, presumably mostly scaup, that may have numbered close to 100,000. It was impossible to get a handle on the true number, but it was obviously staggering. Great Egret was a new arrival yesterday at the Erie Marsh in southern Monroe County, Michigan. Sharp-shinned Hawk was a new arrival as a migrant today at Pearson.

Fox Sparrows and Eastern Phoebes now appear to be widespread, if still not in peak numbers, across the area now.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more details, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be Thursday March 19th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

A Glorious Day in the Marshes

The day started on a depressing note. While driving in on the causeway at Metzger Marsh, we found a roadkill mink. Why are people going so fast that they can't stop for wildlife in a WILDLIFE AREA?!?! Man, it really steams me. Luckily, the day got better. Laura, Sherrie, Pat and I (and later, Dale for awhile) enjoyed a day of good March birding along the lakeshore. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of a hawk flight; in fact, there was very little in the way of diurnal migration at all. Early along the Metzger dike, we had migrating crows, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Meadowlarks and a few Horned Larks. That was really it as far as passerines going overhead. We weren't there for the dickie birds though, we wanted ducks. And we were not disappointed.

Metzger Marsh is a very strategic location in mid March. It may be the easiest place in Ohio to see all 20 regularly occurring duck species together. The dike allows viewing lines into the impoundment for the puddle ducks, and out onto Lake Erie itself for the divers. Redheads were the most abundant duck present at Metzger, representing at least 60% of the 2 or 3,000 total ducks present. Plenty of others, including excellent numbers of the incredibly handsome Ring-necked Duck. I should also mention there were about 30 Hooded Mergansers in the channel on the drive in (Sherrie, can you share a photo?).

There were some other mergansers out on the lake (Common and Red-breasted), and Lesser Scaup were on both sides of the dike as well. We were able to pin down a half-dozen Greater Scaup on the impoundment, but we were a bit disappointed that most of the few Canvasbacks were pretty distant. Gadwall and American Wigeon were present, but the hoped-for Eurasian Wigeon was a pipe dream. The only Blue-winged Teal of the day flushed for Laura and I on our drive in, and the Northern Pintails we had were close, only in flight. We walked all the way to the end of the dike at Metzger where we were able to scope 5 Ruddy Ducks, our only ones of the day. In all, we had 19 species of ducks at Metzger Marsh, missing only Northern Shoveler of all things. All 3 swans were at Metzger, and some migrating meadowlarks and a phoebe spiced up the walk along the dike. On a non-avian note, we found a head of a Northern Pike. I'm not sure the status of Northern Pike at Metzger specifically, but I suspect this would be the time of year to catch them in the shallow western Lake Erie basin. Incidentally, the Northern Pike is my favorite freshwater fish to catch!

We spent two hours at Metzger and felt it was time well spent. We moved on to Magee, where we horsed around the causeway some, getting better looks at American Black Duck than what we had at Metzger, and also getting numbers of shovelers for our 20th duck of the day. We drove to the west end of the boardwalk, and walked out toward the beach. I pished out about 8 Fox Sparrows, a bird we will see more of in the next 4 weeks, but a bird we were happy to encounter nonetheless.

We also visited Benton Carroll road (better looks at Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail), the entrance roads at Ottawa NWR, Krause/Stange and Maumee Bay State Park. The only other thing of note was the MASSIVE flock of scaup evident in the distance in Maumee Bay. This is standard for this time of year, but the numbers always impress me. Man would it be cool to get an aerial view of that flock. A true spectacle.

Tomorrow, I need to be in Monroe for work in the early afternoon, which means I just may find myself poking around Bolles Harbor, Luna Pier, Erie Marsh, etc.! Stay tuned.

The First Flycatcher

2009-03-12T18:17:00.006-04:00

Phone Hotline Transcript

Thursday, March 12th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Northern Shrike and an update on spring migration.

Scott Hites had the Magee Marsh Northern Shrike earlier this week, and it still could be present. Check anywhere along the causeway but especially at the north end, west of the duck identification sign.

Ducks are widespread throughout the area right now, and with some effort, 19 or 20 species can be located. Blue-winged Teal remains missing in action for now, but I predict they will show up this weekend.

Elliot Tramer had a lone Sandhill Crane this week over his Whitehouse home and though not entirely unexpected this time of year, Sandhill Crane is always a welcome addition to a day's list and things have to be pretty busy here for them not to make the tape.

Since things have been a bit slow this week, I will spotlight Bolles Harbor in Monroe County, Michigan. This area is a gem this time of year and is frankly, little known and seldom visited. It is only a 10 minute drive north of Toledo - exit 11 on I-75 I do believe, LaPlaisance road. Take a right at the exit, and follow your nose east toward the lakeshore. Lake Street is the name of the street that will take you down to the parking lot harbor. You will pass a small marina that you should check. Yesterday, I had 50 Hooded Mergansers in this marina, all of which were up close and personal. The harbor itself has a parking area and a small sidewalk that goes out toward the lake and gives you an excellent view. Yesterday, I had almost 1,000 Canvasbacks in the harbor, as well as much smaller numbers of 8 or 9 other species of ducks. This is a likely location in our area for the odd scoter or Long-tailed Duck. Perhaps a weird grebe could show up as well.

If you venture up this way, then looking at the lake off of Luna Pier is also a good idea which is exit 6.

The gull situation along Lotus Road has shifted from the Halfway Creek mudflats to the fields along the west side of Suder, north of Lotus. Yesterday, thousands of gulls were in the fields here but I could only muster up a handful of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The season's first Eastern Phoebe was found yesterday at Kitty Todd Preserve southwest of Toledo.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. The next scheduled update will be Sunday, March 15th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

THIS weather forecast for Sunday has me smiling (recognizing the accuracy is still a bit questionable). For those who haven't heard, I am leading a field trip! The focus will be ducks, but we will really make an effort to achieve a day's list that has good diversity. There will be ducks in the marshes and on the lake itself. I am hoping for 20 or 21 species, and certainly you can count on good scope views of many of the expected duck species in our area: Hooded Merganser, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Canvasback, and many more will highlight the parade. If the forecast holds true, we have a decent chance at witnessing a hawk flight. Red-shouldered Hawks will likely be on the move and we can dream of a Golden Eagle or Northern Goshawk. We will likely eventually find ourselves at Maumee Bay State Park where we may encounter a roosting Long-eared Owl. And finally, with some effort (and luck), we could find some blackbird flocks that could harbor Brewer's or Yellow-headed. Convinced?

Meet at 8am at the parking area at the end of Metzger Marsh along State Route 2. Dress warm, bring a scope if you have one and also bring snacks. The official field trip will end around the noon hour, but you never know if we'll decide to continue into the afternoon! Birders of all skill levels are welcome.

Hope to see you there!

Congregating Canvasbacks

2009-03-11T17:12:00.002-04:00

In just a few short weeks, the Canvasback will be a tricky bird to find around these parts. One of the larger ducks that visit our area, the Canvasback winters here and migrates through but only rarely is seen in the warmer months.

Yesterday evening, I stopped at Bolles Harbor in Monroe County, Michigan and was pleasantly surprised to find nearly 1,000 Canvasback visible from the shore there. Most were fairly close, providing excellent scope views.

In addition to the Cans, there were about 50 Hooded Mergansers inside the marina, the males in full display mode. Not too shabby!

Here is the rundown from yesterday evening at Bolles Harbor:

Canvasback: 970
Lesser Scaup: ~100
Greater Scaup: 8
Scaup, spp: ~100
Common Merganser: 20
Red-breasted Merganser: 10
Hooded Merganser: 50
Redhead: 35
Ring-necked Duck: 16
Mallard: 20

Along Suder Avenue north of Lotus road, farther south in Monroe County were a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls (3) mingling with the 2,000 or so other gulls (Herring and Ring-billed).

I Love Luna Pier

2009-03-09T18:01:00.003-04:00

Luna Pier, Michigan can be an incredibly convenient birding locale. Situated less than a mile to the east of I-75 in southern Monroe County, I often find myself driving by. This time of year there is always something interesting to scope from the public pier.

This evening, here was my duck list in a 20 minute stop:

Common Goldeneye
Lesser Scaup
Greater Scaup
Canvasback
Redhead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck

Exactly half of the expected duck species in our area at this season, all within scope view of a single point. The Long-tailed Duck that had been there for a week was gone, and numbers of Canvasbacks were way down. Red-breasted Mergansers outnumbered Common Mergansers for the first time this spring. Of course the Common Goldeneyes entertained me with their mating dances. The Hooded Mergansers were close - in the shallow inlet, and the spectacular males were on full display. No scope needed for these guys, thank you!

Obviously, there is nothing rare on this list. But birding is so much more than simply finding the unexpected. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the day-to-day (sometimes minute-to-minute) changes that take place over and through a season. The Red-breasted Merganser is surely one of the gaudiest of all the birds that visit our area, yet I almost never hear other birders comment on them. The ones at Luna Pier today were a bit distant, so I look forward to seeing more at closer range at a later day.

Luna Pier's convenience to both my work and home make it an ideal place for me to investigate often. But if you find yourself traveling I-75 in southern Michigan, especially in the early spring, you may want to leave yourself about an extra half hour to have a look for yourself. I love Luna Pier!

Lousy Weather, But Some Decent Birds

2009-03-08T18:21:00.002-04:00

Phone Transcript-

Sunday, March 8th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Northern Shrike and an update on spring migration.

Well, the weather really stunk this weekend, though yesterday was more reasonable than today. A few folks did get out, and a few birds worth mentioning were found. At least one Northern Shrike is still along the Magee Marsh causeway, being seen by at least one party on Saturday, but it was hit or miss this weekend. My guess is that the wind kept in low in the marsh. It won't be long though before the shrike or shrikes take off, and keep in mind that any March shrike should be closely scrutinized as Loggerhead is now on the radar as a remote possibility.

Lotus road in southern Monroe County, Michigan has cooled off considerably since late last week. That said, at least one Glaucous Gull was still present there today.

Out at Maumee Bay State Park on Saturday, at least one Long-eared Owl was found. This species, as well as Northern Saw-whet Owls, can be found with persistence and/or a good dose of good luck by carefully looking into thick tangles along the lakeshore.

Scott Hites had a Brown Thrasher today in Northwood at Nature Trails Park. I'm wishy washy as to whether I think this bird is an early migrant, blowing in on the heavy southwest wind of Friday, or if it over-wintered. Either way, it is a fine addition to a day's list this early in March.

Common Redpolls remain in Whitehouse at least through today. I'm pretty sure they are hanging around most of the places they wintered, though the Whitehouse ones are the only report I received of that species from the weekend.

New arrivals include Tree Swallow in Pemberville, called in by Scott Hites and Eastern Meadowlark in Northwood. Thanks to Kent and Delores for that update.

Ducks are still pretty thin, though diversity is good. There are large concentrations of ducks down in central Ohio, and they will surely arrive here this week. Next weekend is typically the peak for duck migration in our area. Not for all species of course, but generally speaking. Blue-winged Teal remains the only common duck that is still MIA.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday, March 12th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

Most of you reading this know that Amish Country in Ohio has some terrific birding opportunities. There are some great locales and really skilled birders which makes for a very good formula for good birds! What you may not be aware of is that there is an excellent resource for up-to-date bird reports for that area. Calling the Bobolink Area phone hotline is a "must" if you plan on visiting that bird-rich part of the state, or if you just want to see what is happening down that way. Here is the number.

The Bobolink Hotline (330-763-5119)

Good Waterbirds, Some Thoughts on Cullen Park, Toledo

2009-03-07T08:24:00.002-05:00

Phone Transcript

Saturday, March 7th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert. This is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Ross's Goose, Red-necked Grebe, Glaucous Gull, Long-tailed Duck and an update on spring migration.

A couple of Ross's Geese were found Thursday afternoon along Lotus Road in southern Monroe County, MI. They were in the corn stubble on the north side of the road .6 of a mile east of Dixie Highway. Despite efforts by a couple of parties yesterday, including yours truly, they could not be relocated. A major bonus for one of yesterday's search parties was a pair of Red-necked Grebes in the Halfway Creek, just around the corner. Specifically, they were seen from Suder Avenue on the first bridge south of Lotus. These are the 3rd and 4th Red-necked Grebes in the area in the last week. Keep in mind we are lucky to get one or two a year in most cases.

Also along Lotus Road yesterday were three Glaucous Gulls, a Cackling Goose and Lesser Black-backed Gull as well. The Yellow-headed Blackbird from Thursday was not present yesterday.

Staying in Monroe County, the Long0tailed Duck that was discovered last Sunday at Luna Pier was still present at that location through Friday afternoon. From Toledo, take I-75 north to exit 6. Go right, or east to its dead end into the municipal pier. There are many ducks here, including hundreds of Common Goldeneye and Canvasbacks. These two species will be clearing out by month's end for the most part, so you may want to go have another visit with them. Between the Canvasback's stately beauty to the Goldeneye's wonderful courting antics, these are two species not to be taken for granted.

Spring migration is obviously well underway. The conditions of yesterday afternoon were okay, but the strong wind made it actually pretty difficult, even to detect things as they flew overhead. At Pearson Metropark on Toledo's east side, Jerry Klug had the season's first migrant Red-shouldered Hawk along with reasonable numbers of other expected migrants. He noted a few Pine Siskins are still hanging around the feeders there, which is the case here in Temperance as well. There don't seem to be as many, but they are still around.

I think the only new arrival reported yesterday was American Woodcock. They were noted across the area last evening, from Swan Creek Metropark in south Toledo to Mallard Club Marsh along Cedar Point road east of Maumee Bay State Park. I would guess woodcock can be seen, or at least heard, virtually anywhere in appropriate habitat now.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday March 8th. Tune into toledobirding.blogspot.com for bonus coverage.

-END TRANSCRIPT

It has been a long time since I hiked the trail all the way out the peninsula at Cullen Park. The wind howled out of the southwest - the weather man said wind would gust to 25mph, but trust me when I tell you it was significantly stronger than that, and very steady. The north side of the peninsula was protected, and not surprisingly, most of the ducks I saw were in the calmer waters. A goodly number of scaup rafted about, mostly Lessers though a few small groups in flight I was able to ID as Greaters. There were a few hundred gulls on the flats and in the water but try as I might, I could find nothing different. Interesting to me was that there seemed to be a clear movement of birds coming inland, going DOWN the Peninsula. Robins, Killdeer and even a couple flickers followed this pattern. Not sure if it was a bit of a reverse migration, or if they just happened to be flying that way. I was taken aback by how far the hike was - clearly a longer hike than I remembered, and at the end of the peninsula, I was pretty well out in the Maumee. For those who don't know, Cullen Park is a city park near the mouth of the Maumee River in Toledo. There are some scrubby woods, heavy with tangles and underbrush and a long, very narrow peninsula that juts into the river. There is a trail that bisects the peninsula and ends on a beach of sorts that allows one to have good views of the river. Squadron Island is just beyond a channel, and IT looks like a potentially very interesting birding area. Birding was slow - a handful of duck species, some flyover migrants like Tundra Swans, Lapland Longspurs and Killdeers and a handful of sparrows (Tree and Song) kept me from declaring it an official "death march".

The lack of birds allowed my mind to wander a bit, and imagine this place in mid-May, which I don't think I have ever birded at this location at that time. From my perspective, it has all the hallmarks of a potential "migrant trap". Birds following the river from the south could easily congregate here before they cross the lake, or maybe more likely, they could skirt the edge of the lake and pass through on their way north. I wonder if winds with an easterly component would make Cullen Park a particularly attractive option. I can imagine that on a southeast wind, the birds come through steadily and probably move on. On a northeast wind, they may be inclined to hang around a bit longer.

The habitat isn't all that impressive, but it really doesn't need to be. After all, look at the Magee Marsh boardwalk area. At Cullen, there are some taller trees, mostly cottonwoods, but plenty of smaller trees, brush, tangles and undergrowth. It actually looks great for Long-eared and Saw-whet Owls, and I did look for them fruitlessly.

I could be completely wrong about Cullen Park - after all, look at Maumee Bay State Park. Specifically, the boardwalk behind the Nature Center. When that trail was first built, I think every birder in the state held high hopes that it would be the next Magee. The truth is, while occasionally good and rarely very good, the boardwalk at Maumee Bay State Park just isn't all that interesting in May relative to Magee. Maybe Cullen is the same deal. Another problem is that when it is mid-May and you want to go out looking for warblers, what are you more likely to do - go explore at an urban park like Cullen and hope for the best, or go for what you know and visit the tried and true Magee Marsh? Luckily, we have some active and avid "urban birders" here locally, so hopefully we will indeed be able to get a better read on what Cullen Park has to offer. I suspect it could be a little known treasure for neotropical migrants. Only time will tell if I am right.

Ross's Geese, Yellow-headed Blackbird

2009-03-05T19:44:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, being "connected" all the time isn't all that great. People from work can track me down any time and there is rarely a good excuse for being reachable. Well, today I was thankful to have my trusty Blackberry, which of course all of my birding messages come across the wire in "real time" as well. Skye Haas, an avid Michigan birder, had found a couple of Ross's Geese along Lotus Road in southern Monroe County, only about 10 minutes from my house. As luck would have it, I was driving down I-75 (instead of my usual route 23) coming from a late afternoon meeting in downtown Detroit. I could swing by Lotus Road and it would not be out of my way at all.

I arrived at 6:10pm, with quickly fading light. It did not take long before I had the two Ross's Geese, along the north side of the road .6 of a mile east of Dixie Hwy. Gulls were missing from the mudflat on the south side of the road (Skye had a Glaucous along with the usual crowd of Lesser Black-backeds earlier in the day but I was too late for them) but a couple of minuscule Cackling Geese were swimming around with Canadas. And the final bonus of the day came in the form of a Yellow-headed Blackbird, mixed in with a flock of about 4,ooo blackbirds. There were good numbers of Rusty Blackbirds as well.

All of this great action in about 30 minutes along a stretch of road that is probably no more than two miles long. The Ross's Goose was Monroe County # 278 for me. Time for a beer!

Red-necked Grebes, Good Times Comin'

2009-03-04T18:23:00.002-05:00

PHONE HOTLINE TRANSCRIPT

Wednesday, March 4th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Red-necked Grebe, White-winged Crossbill and Northern Shrike.

On Sunday, March 1st, two Red-necked Grebes were discovered at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on the monthly census there. These birds were in an area that is closed to the public, but potentially could be found off the far east end of the dike at Metzger Marsh. Red-necked Grebes are very rare in Northwest Ohio and any report of this species locally is highly noteworthy.

White-winged Crossbills continue but are on the way out. They are no longer in every conifer in the area, but still could potentially show up just about anywhere. If you need to get one last visit with these great birds, then you probably want to go to Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo or Swan Creek Cemetery in Monclova Township. The sooner you go, the better chance you will have.

Northern Shrike continues along the causeway at Magee Marsh east of town. Check anywhere along the causeway but especially at the north end west of the duck identification sign.

Speaking of ducks, there was a Long-tailed Duck at Luna Pier in Monroe County, MI on Sunday March 1st. It may or may not still be there, but there was some good action there and is certainly worth the once-over. From Toledo, take I-75 north to exit 6. Go east, or right for less than a mile to its dead end into the town pier.

Wood Ducks are now widespread throughout the area. I am expecting Blue-winged Teal to arrive this weekend. The weather report looks pretty appealing for the next 4 or 5 days and I am anticipating significant movement, especially along the lakeshore, especially on Friday. The weather conditions, as predicted, look excellent for Friday afternoon. Setting up shop at the top of the sledding hill at Maumee Bay State Park would be a smooth move. Lapland Longspurs, Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, Eastern Bluebirds and crows could all be on the wing overhead. In addition, a hawk flight could materialize, there should be Tundra Swans around, Meadowlarks are likely to return to territory there this weekend and with some searching the tangles in the Northwest corner of the park, you may find Long-eared and/or Saw-whet Owls, much like Greg Lovalenti did just about a week ago. Sounds pretty exciting to me - unfortunately, I have to work Friday, so I will rely on you, the listeners to get out and allow me to live vicariously through you.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday March 8th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Visit toledobirding.blogspot.com for more coverage. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

Wow, what an exciting time of year. The latest weather report really has me jazzed. A major southerly push will work into the area Thursday night into Friday (assuming the forecast is accurate!!) and with it will come a boatload of birds. In addition to the birds mentioned above, we should see an increase in geese, including the possibility of Cackling, Greater White-fronted and Ross's. American Woodcock, AKA Timberdoodle will be on full display. Even though my good friend Sherry Plessner already tallied the season's first Killdeer in urban Toledo, that common species should be on the move and more widespread by the upcoming weekend. Sandhill Cranes will go through in small numbers and hopefully some lucky birder will detect one or two. I would anticipate a great flight of Lapland Longspurs along the lakeshore. Ducks, one of my favorite families of birds regardless of location, are nearing their peak and will likely hit that peak in the middle of March.

I mentioned in an earlier post I would be leading a number of field trips for a yet-to-be-named sponsor, and the first one of those will be SUNDAY, MARCH 15th. It is a bit strange in that the sponsor may not even be mentioned at the field trip! This has to do with some delays in a website launch, but fret not - the field trip is still ON, and is FREE of charge. All of the field trips I will be leading will be free and open to the public. It is likely that this blog is the only place where the field trip will be mentioned. Of course, we will be looking for ducks and other waterfowl (and anything else that is around, of course) along the lakeshore to coincide with the peak migration.

Meet at the parking lot at the end of the causeway at Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area on State Route 2 at 8am. Things to bring include WARM clothes (no matter what the weather forecast says), binoculars, a scope if you have one, a field guide if you have one and some snacks. You can expect the field trip to end around the noon hour. I am really looking forward to it.

Crossbills Thinning Out, Snowy Owl and More

2009-03-01T18:47:00.004-05:00

PHONE TRANSCRIPT

Sunday, March 1st you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are White-winged Crossbill, Long-tailed Duck, Northern Shrike and Snowy Owl.

White-winged Crossbills are still around but are quickly thinning out. This is a bit of a mystery to me, because I think it seems a bit early for these birds to be moving north. There are still crossbills at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo and Swan Creek Cemetery in Monclova Township but numbers seem to be significantly lower. The flock of White-winged Crossbills that has been in my neighborhood in Bedford Township, MI has apparently gone. Yesterday was the first time since January 4th that I looked and did not find any. There were some down the way just west of here along Sterns Road today at Kenilworth just east of Secor Road.

Northern Shrike continues along the causeway at Magee Marsh through today. There are a couple of birds present, so you have a pretty good chance at getting this species here, at least for another couple of weeks.

There was a Long-tailed Duck in Monroe County, MI today at Luna Pier. It was a female and it was associating with the numbers of Common Goldeneye there. There were about 450 goldeneye, as well as a smattering of others. The Long-tailed Duck was actively diving and a scope was needed. A bit of patience may be required as well, only because of its active diving behavior.

A Snowy Owl has been seen off and on again in Lenewee County, not far from Cabela's. Specifically, it is being seen along Holloway road near Rixom road and along Rixom road all the way up to Sutton road. This bird is undoubtedly hanging around the area but it has not been a guarantee.

This is a great time of year to be out and about in the field. Waterfowl are here in very good numbers now and will only increase over the next 3 or 4 weeks. If you haven't been out enjoying the Common Goldeneye in their display mode, then do make a point to get out soon to take that in. Also, most of the Canvasbacks in the area will be gone by month's end so don't wait. Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings are in the fields in the outlying areas and cruising the county roads outside of the city limits will surely net you these species. Tundra Swans are now widespread and in good numbers and who can complain of a day in the field that includes seeing flocks of these spectacular birds.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday March 4th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information go to toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Wednesday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

BONUS

I mentioned Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in my last post and how it is a good birding area, in spite of the fact the old pine grove appears to no longer be productive for owls. Troy Shively and crew had an adult Golden Eagle there on Saturday, February 28th. Who wouldn't want Golden Eagle? Killdeer Plains is only 90 minutes south of Toledo.

I had the pleasure of birding with Phil Chu and Tex Wells this weekend. Tex is the unquestioned king of Monroe County listing with 302 species for his Monroe County list. He began birding Point Mouillee back in 1954. I am happy to have had a hand in a couple of his "ticks", the most recent of which came last week when he added Pine Siskin, # 302, which have been at my feeders all winter. Phil lives in Minnesota now, but he will always be a Michigander and his Monroe list is impressive as well. He came down this weekend in hopes of adding both Pine Siskin and White-winged Crossbill, and is not going home disappointed. We dipped on the crossbills that had spent the season in my neighborhood, but he found some others just west of here today. This afternoon, Phil found a Long-tailed Duck off of Luna Pier and called me, knowing I was missing it for my Monroe list. I was able to go to Luna Pier and re-locate it, but it did take some effort. The bird was actively diving and it took about 4 passes through the hundreds of Common Goldeneye before I got it. The Long-tailed Duck was number 277 for my Monroe list. Looking at my list, I have some GREAT birds on there, and not many misses at all. The biggest misses were the Long-tailed Duck, Greater White-fronted Goose and Cattle Egret. I am also missing Whip-poor-will which I know is along the lakeshore in spring, it is just a matter of going and finding one. I've got birds like Western Kingbird, Hoary Redpoll, Bohemian Waxwing and Varied Thrush on my list as well as many other very hard birds to get in this area. It just makes Tex's 302 all the more amazing.

Woodlawn Still Producing, Lapland Longspurs

2009-02-25T20:14:00.002-05:00

PHONE HOTLINE TRANSCRIPT

Wednesday, February 25th you’ve reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists’ Association. Highlights are White-winged Crossbill, Common Redpoll, Northern Shrike and an update on spring migration.

White-winged Crossbills continue to be seen throughout the area. Tim Haney checked in this week and reported that there are still numbers of White-winged Crossbills at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo. Also at Woodlawn for Tim were good numbers of Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins and a single Fox Sparrow that has successfully overwintered there. The Common Redpolls pretty much stick to the sweet gum trees and are very reliable. Other Common Redpolls continue to be seen throughout the area at private feeders. Incidentally, Common Redpolls prefer sunflower hearts and thistle seed so be sure your feeders are full and keep your eyes peeled for the much rarer Hoary Redpoll. Going back to White-winged Crossbills, Matt Anderson found another group of 9 or so at Wakeman Cemetery along Waterville-Neapolis Road in Waterville. I have not been able to check the crossbill situation in my neighborhood since Saturday, when I found about 20. It seems to me that the numbers could be thinning out some, but they are still very available throughout the area.

Northern Shrikes are being seen along the causeway at Magee Marsh, east of town. Over the weekend one was at the very south end of the causeway and the other was at the north end, just west of the duck identification sign.

Farther afield, Lapland Longspurs are beginning to stage in large numbers in their usual haunts around Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in Wyandot County. I have little doubt that the fields in the outlying areas closer to home, especially down in Wood County, are also hosting good numbers of Lapland Longspurs. This is a great time of year to look for them as well, because there are usually a handful of them in their beautiful breeding plumage. If you venture down to Killdeer Plains, it sounds like you shouldn’t even bother to visit the old owl grove on County Road 71. Rick Counts reports from that location today that the recent windstorm has nearly completely obliterated that pine stand and it doesn’t look optimistic that any owls would choose it now. There are still reasons to visit Killdeer Plains of course, as it is one of the premiere inland birding sites in the state. Large numbers of waterfowl, Rough-legged Hawks, Short-eared Owls, and Northern Shrikes are all possible at Killdeer Plains.

That’s all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday March 1st unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Sunday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

BONUS

Just really quickly – the Spotted Towhee that has wintered at Point Pelee National Park continues to be seen through yesterday. Shoot me a note if you want the specific locale within the park.

I am thinking more and more about the Northcoast Open. Staying within the spirit of my countdown mode, the Northcoast Open is exactly 80 days away!! That doesn’t seem like a very long time. Great-horned Owls are already on nest for the most part and I haven’t made any effort to stake one out. There is still time of course, but I am starting to focus more and more on what is surely one of the most entertaining days of the birding year. I noticed today that the OOS is having their annual conference that day in the Oak Openings. If birding competitions aren’t your thing, then joining the OOS for that event is sure to be enlightening. There is no doubt that Northwest Ohio is the premiere birding location in the state (and one of the very best May birding destinations in the entire country!) during spring migration and when you combine the lakeshore marshes and migrant traps with the forests of Lucas County, you can really drum up a very respectable bird list. Between the Oak Openings region and Magee Marsh (and vicinity) over a couple of days, finding 150+ species is an absolute given. With some luck and/or help from local intelligence, you could approach 190 species. If you are coming up this way for the weekend of May 15-17th, whether for the Northcoast Open, the OOS conference or just some good birding then be sure to tune into this blog for the latest information. Of course, you are more than welcome to contact me directly with any questions you may have as well.

The Countdown Begins...

2009-02-22T14:50:00.002-05:00

HOTLINE TRANSCRIPT

Sunday, February 22nd you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are Northern Shrike, White-winged Crossbill and an update on spring migration.

It still looks and feels like winter outside and for the most part, the birdlife in the area reflects a winter feel as well. White-winged Crossbills are still numerous and widespread though I am not receiving as many reports as earlier. I suspect this is because people are no longer actively seeking them. I did receive a positive report of White-winged Crossbills from Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo today and I had about 20 in my neighborhood here in Bedford Township, MI yesterday. I assume the birds at Swan Creek Cemetery are still present, and there should also be crossbills in the Oak Openings and Maumee State Forest. In Michigan, Allen Chartier has documented White-winged Crossbill sightings from all 83 counties in that state which is truly mind-boggling. There have been no reports from Williams County this winter and it would be interesting to see what is happening over there right now.

Common Redpolls continue to be seen in numbers across the area. Private feeders in Sylvania, South Toledo, Whitehouse and Northwood all are reporting some Common Redpolls and Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo continues to host good numbers as well.

There are apparently two Northern Shrikes along the causeway at Magee Marsh. Both birds were seen yesterday - one at the south end of the causeway and the other at the far north end. It has been a bit of a disappointing season for this species, as well as Snowy Owls, especially considering the early influx of reports late last fall. Those invasions just never materialized.

A group of 14 Rusty Blackbirds in Whitehouse yesterday was a pretty decent-sized group for this early in the season, and represents the first numbers of that species this spring. Waterfowl are building in numbers and as the ice continues to loosen its grip, we will see more and more which is always a good thing. There are 19 species of ducks in the area right now, with Blue-winged Teal being the only one for sure that has not been seen yet this spring. I would suspect the first of that species within the next 10 days or so, weather depending.

Turkey Vultures have already been reported, but there were a number of reports from across the area the last two days, so that bird is well on its way north now.

That's all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, February 25th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For more information, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Wednesday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

ONLY 68 DAYS UNTIL MAY 1st!!!

Counting down to a date or event you look forward to is a fun exercise for me. There are plenty of things to be excited about between now and May, however. We are only a few weeks away from consistently tolerable temperatures and thousands of waterfowl of 25+ species to view here in the western Lake Erie marshes. By the end of March, we will be seeing some temperate migrants like Hermit Thrush, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Fox Sparrows and Northern Saw-whet Owls in numbers. How about flotillas of Ruddy Ducks off the beach at Magee Marsh during April? Or the over-zealous Louisiana Waterthrush on the Magee Marsh boardwalk during the first week of April? American Woodcocks will be here very soon and it won't be long before Pectoral Sandpipers, yellowlegs and snipe join the party. Migrating raptors will be consistently evident along the lakeshore by the first week of March. Of course, May represents the very best of local birding, but don't be tempted to overlook all of the great things that are happening now and will happen between now and then!

Best Birding Destination?

2009-02-21T17:15:00.007-05:00

Well, this question is obviously a loaded one and one that is sure to spark discussion if not debate. The single best birding location I have ever visited on a global scale was the Cristalino Jungle Lodge in southern Amazonia. A true "Eden on Earth", Cristalino has miles of walking trails, a 150ft canopy tower and a list of birds approaching 600 species. Jaguars, Giant River Otters, Harpy Eagles...what else does a naturalist need? Well, the purpose of this post isn't to plug Cristalino though I am happy to at every chance I get. If any of you reading this want to go to Cristalino, shoot me a note - maybe I will organize a trip there soon if there is enough interest.

What about in the Great Lakes? What are the best birding destinations within a day's drive from the Toledo area? Again, we should consider criteria - am I talking about for migration, for breeding birds, for wintering specialties, etc? Since our region is known mostly for its tremendous bird migrations, we should stop and consider locations for observing migrants for a moment. Though there are many interesting and productive migrant traps throughout the Great Lakes, there are three that stand above the rest in my opinion. Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, Canada, Magee Marsh/Crane Creek in Northwest Ohio and Whitefish Point, Michigan along the southern shore of Lake Superior in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

Pelee and Magee are fairly similar in the species diversity they attract. May is the best time at both locations and during this month it is routine to see over 20 species of warblers within park boundaries. In addition, other neotropical migrants funnel through these locations in huge numbers; vireos, flycatchers, orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks and more can be found in large numbers at both Magee and Pelee. Pelee still gets substantially more birder coverage than Magee, and has a bit of a geographical advantage as well. Because of these two reasons, Point Pelee tends to be better for vagrants than Magee. The Point Pelee list is lengthy and impressive. Point Pelee is also probably better for migrating waterbirds. For example, scoters are regular off of Pelee but rare off of Magee. On the other hand, you really have to work hard at Point Pelee to get good looks at birds and also to build a long list of birds. At Magee, an hour stroll along the boardwalk is likely to net you some serious numbers. The woods along the boardwalk at Magee are pretty scruffy and many of the migrants are down low. Because of the ease of viewing, as well as a few other reasons I may discuss as we approach May, I give a slight nod to Magee Marsh.

What about Whitefish Point? Well, it is a different world up there. Many of the same neotropical migrants you would see at Magee or Pelee visit Whitefish as well. Southern species like Yellow-throated and Kentucky Warbler, Blue Grosbeak and Summer Tanager are true vagrants at Whitefish though, and they are regular if uncommon at Pelee and Magee. Waterbirds are FAR better at Whitefish than either of the other locations. Red-necked Grebes can be abundant, all three scoters are routine, Red-throated Loons are uncommon but regular and jaeger sightings are not unusual. Raptors are a real draw to Whitefish as well. In late April especially, Golden Eagles and Northern Goshawks put in a good showing and along with Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet Owls (which are both uncommon but regular at Pelee and Magee as well), there are chances for rarer owls like Great Gray, Boreal or Northern Hawk-owl. What about specialties? Because Whitefish Point lies at the edge of the boreal zone, there are a handful of specialties that a southern birder would really appreciate. Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse, Gray Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, Red Crossbill and Evening Grosbeak all come to mind as I type this. These northerners are all resident in the eastern Upper Peninsula, if not at Whitefish itself. Occasionally Black-backed Woodpeckers and Boreal Chickadees are seen at the point (as are crossbills and Evening Grosbeaks), but often you have to go just a bit "off-campus" to get the specialties.

Certainly, all three locations can be interesting at all seasons but the Upper Peninsula has a clear advantage in the "off seasons" of summer and winter over Pelee and Magee. The breeding birds in the U.P. are many, including plenty of warblers (including Connecticut). And in the winter, there are few places in North America where you can go and get the glamour species that the eastern Upper Peninsula regularly offers the visiting birder.

Conclusion: WHITEFISH POINT (and environs) is the single best birding location within striking distance of the Northwest Ohio birder.

Some bad photos I have taken there are below.

Dreaming of the North Woods

2009-02-19T17:45:00.004-05:00

HOTLINE TRANSCRIPT-

Thursday, February 19th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are White-winged Crossbill, Northern Shrike and an update on spring migration.

White-winged Crossbills are still being seen across Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. You are likely to encounter this northern species virtually anywhere there are cone producing conifers, especially spruces and hemlocks. If you don't want to go out searching them out in places unknown, then you should consider visiting Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo, Swan Creek Cemetery in Monclova Township or Oak Openings Metropark near Whitehouse. The crossbills are now seen to be feeding on the ground rather frequently, especially at the cemetery locations.

Northern Shrike, at least one and possibly two are being seen along the causeway at Magee Marsh. Specifically, look for them at the north end of the causeway, especially west of the duck ID sign.

You wouldn't know it by today's wind chills, but spring migration is rolling along. Tundra Swans are beginning to stage in numbers throughout the area, including along Route 2 at Stange near Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and also north of Bedford Township, MI along Rauch Road near Bacon Road and also in the fields south and east of Maumee Bay State Park in eastern Lucas County. Turkey Vultures were a new arrival this week in south Toledo and a few Red-winged Blackbirds have already set up territory.

It looks like we are set for yet another winter blast on Saturday, as they are calling for some significant snowfall. Be sure to fill your feeders and watch them closely. If we get the storm, it may drive some of the blackbirds that are in the area to feeders, especially in the outlying areas. Be sure to check for not only Rusty Blackbirds but also Yellow-headed and Brewer's Blackbirds.

The TNA monthly meeting will be held this Saturday, February 21st. Jeff Grabarkewicz will deliver a presentation on the mussels of Swan Creek. Meet at the Anderson's Activity Center at 1833 South Holland-Sylvania road in south Toledo at 7:30pm. All TNA monthly programs are free and are open to the public.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday, February 22nd unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Sunday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

BONUS COVERAGE:

Dennis and Martha Johns traveled north last weekend to the great North Woods that is the eastern Upper Peninsula. Their bird list is located here on rarebird.org, and chances are you have read it already if you are visiting this blog right now. Their list is filled with glamour birds like Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk-owl, Pine Grosbeaks, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Red Crossbill and more. Virtually any season in the Upper Peninsula is well worth the birder's time, but winter can be downright special. Personally, my favorite time to visit is late fall - mid-November to early December. This season at Whitefish Point can be very compelling, with flocks of winter finches swirling about the point and/or visiting the feeders behind the gift shop as well as a very good chance at a vagrant or two. Dennis and Martha mentioned Boreal Chickadee in their post, and that they were disappointed they missed that target species. Boreal Chickadee is a very locally distributed species in the eastern U.P., and though Basnau Road has been a traditional locale for them, I have found forest service road 3145 to be more consistent. This is near the town of Trout Lake, but this two-track may not have been passable for Dennis and Martha. Boreal Chickadee breeds in this area, as do a wide array of other interesting species including Olive-sided Flycatcher and Connecticut Warbler.

I look forward to leading a trip to Whitefish Point and nearby areas later in autumn of 2009 - stay tuned to this blog for details.

Breeding Bird Atlas and More

2009-02-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

Phone Hotline Transcript:

Sunday, February 15th you've reached the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan rare bird alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. I delayed updating the tape by a day, in hopes of getting more reports in. As it stands, it has been rather quiet here at hotline central.

Winter has returned and like most, my thoughts of spring migration have been temporarily sidetracked and I have kept a close eye on my feeders. I still have not seen a single redpoll at my bird feeders, but others have had much more luck. Common Redpolls are being seen across the area at people's feeders, mostly thistle. If you want to see "wild" redpolls, then a visit to Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo is in order. Over 100 are present at that location, and you will want to focus your efforts on the sweet gum trees and alder trees along the lake. For White-winged Crossbills, stay focused on cone-producing conifers - especially hemlock and spruces. Though fewer reports of White-winged Crossbills are filtering in, I have no doubt they are widespread and still in good numbers throughout the listening area.

If you feel like a short little chase to a really good bird, then you should consider heading 45 minutes north to Ann Arbor where a Varied Thrush has been present much of the winter. The two addresses to visit are 1100 Claire and 1165 Wendy. Again, both are Ann Arbor addresses. If not in one of these two yards, then walking the neighborhood there a bit may prove fruitful.

The Toledo Naturalists' Association monthly meeting will be held next Saturday, February 21st. Jeff Grabarkiewicz will deliver a presentation on the mussels of Swan Creek. Meet at the Andersons Activity Center at 1833 South Holland-Sylvania road at 7:30pm. As always, all TNA programs are free and are open to the public. That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday, February 19th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For additional information, including some comments on the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas, please visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-END TRANSCRIPT

I was having a look at some of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas information earlier this morning. You can have a look at the official OBBA website here. There have been a LOT of data points entered and certainly a wealth of information has already been inputted. However, it looks like Aaron Boone (OBBA Coordinator) still needs a lot of our help. Here in the Northwest, there are a number of Priority Blocks that have little or no coverage. As you would expect, some of the better known areas of the Oak Openings have received some attention, but there are two areas that really stood out to me. Some areas right here in Toledo have had no coverage and some really prime spots in Williams County have had little to no coverage. It may seem early to be atlasing, but it really isn't. There are a number of species that are already within "safe dates", including Barred Owl and Great-horned Owl. Many others will begin breeding activities within the next 6 weeks or so. Both Barred and Great-horned Owls are very vocal right now, and the OBBA certainly needs records. Last May, a North Coast Open team discovered a Barred Owl at Swan Creek Metropark in urban Toledo. What a GREAT record this would be for the Atlas! Great-horneds will occasionally take up residence in urban neighborhoods as well. You don't need to go to the trouble to visit out-of-the-way areas. Checking local neighborhood woodlots is a decent strategy, at least for Great-horneds. Many schools have woodlots behind them that could be attractive to a Great-horned Owl pair. You'll need to get permission from the Toledo Metroparks to enter their property after dark, so keep that in mind if you are looking for Barred Owls in new places. Within Toledo, by far the most likely places for a Barred Owl would be at Swan Creek Metropark, Wildwood Metropark or Ottawa City Park.

Stay tuned here, because I will be leading some OBBA efforts throughout the year, especially in areas deemed as High Priority with light coverage. If you don't feel comfortable venturing out on your own, you will be welcome to join me, regardless of skill level.

Let's support the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas!

Hornbills

2009-02-14T20:30:00.008-05:00

Without question, the most famous hornbill in the history of the world is Zazu, the Red-billed Hornbill who appeared in Disney's "The Lion King". I have seen "The Lion King" at least twenty times as a result of having two young children and Zazu certainly provides a few chuckles.

Last fall, some friends and I traveled to the Kruger National Park in South Africa where we had hoped we would see a few hornbills. There, Red-billed Hornbills are outnumbered by the Yellow-billed but we saw good numbers of both. We saw a few other species of hornbills as well, but the "grandaddy" of the hornbills is without question the Southern Ground-hornbill, which you see pictured above. Southern Ground-hornbills are the largest species of hornbill in the world, and their size rivals that of a Wild Turkey. One of the more memorable species on our entire trip, these huge birds would walk around, sometimes right next to our rented cars. They had a very prehistoric "feel" to them, very much looking like they belonged in an otherworldly time and place. The only other bird species that really make me think of dinosaurs are the Wood Stork and the Jabiru. In fact, the Jabiru occasionally gives me nightmares!

Southern Ground-hornbills are omnivorous - preferring live prey like lizards and snakes, but taking fruits as well. We saw one in Kruger walking around with a dead kingfisher in its bill!! This species is pretty rare now across its range, only being commonly encountered in large, protected parks and reserves. I feel very lucky to have encountered such an incredible bird, and look forward to the day I return to see them again.

(Red-billed Hornbill, below. All photos taken by Greg Links)

Migration Has Arrived!! ...And the Music Plays

2009-02-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

Rare Bird Hotline Transcript:

Wednesday, February 11th you've reached the NW OH and SE MI rare bird alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlights are White-winged Crossbill, White-winged Scoter, Black Vulture and an update on spring migration.

I'm not sure if local birders are growing tired of seeking out White-winged Crossbills or if they are starting to thin out just a hair. It was only 4 days ago that I had 100 of them here in Bedford Township, so I suspect the former. Alas, it IS midweek and reports are fewer and farther between during the workweek. I am going to operate under the assumption that White-winged Crossbills are still numerous and widespread through NW Ohio and SE MI. Woodlawn Cemetery, Swan Creek Cemetery, Forest Cemetery and Oak Openings are all good places to look.

Common Redpolls also continue in good numbers and while they are in low numbers scattered throughout the listening area, over 100 are now being seen at Woodlawn Cemetery. Worth noting is that a Hoary Redpoll has been up in Ann Arbor this week and if we are to get a Hoary Redpoll here, February or early March is the time. We may have a situation at Woodlawn that is really worth monitoring for that very rare species.

Sherrie Duris checked in this week with a White-winged Scoter along Bayshore Road. Waterfowl are starting to build in numbers and will continue to do so until the end of March.

Spring is definitely in the air! I noted some Horned Larks winging northward over the weekend, but the very warm and very strong flow from the south has really moved things forward. American Crows, Horned Larks, Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings, Killdeer, Red-winged Blackbird and Rusty Blackbird have all been noted the last day or two as northbound migrants. In addition, Jerry Klug had a Rough-legged Hawk in migration mode over his east Toledo home yesterday as well.

If out at Magee Marsh, be sure to check the causeway for Northern Shrike and the feeders at Black Swamp Bird Observatory for a Fox Sparrow that has spent the winter.

Just today I received a belated and somewhat fuzzy report of a Black Vulture. I saw photos of the bird, and there is no doubt of its identification, only its exact whereabouts. It was described as being seen on Sandusky Bay, as it fed on dead fish on the ice. The sighting was from February 6th. I will try and get more details and pass them along to you.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Saturday, February 14th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For bonus coverage, be sure to visit toledobirding.blogspot.com.

BONUS MATERIAL

This weather system that is overhead as I type this looks pretty significant, and certainly has the potential to drive in vagrants from the south. In fact, an outlandish Barn Swallow record came from Michigan's Upper Peninsula yesterday and today. It may have been awfully nasty out there today, but as things settle the next few days I would definitely recommend hitting the lakeshore. Magee Marsh is always a great bet, as is Maumee Bay State Park.

Also, I want to announce a field trip that is coming in March. I will be leading "March of the Ducks" on March 15th, and there is a new sponsor for this trip, which I cannot divulge at this time. While it is not a TNA-sponsored event, you will be sure to enjoy yourself!! Here is the description:

March of the Ducks

Waterfowl are among the most spectacular birds in the entire world and here in the Lake Erie marshes, we expect 20 species of ducks to be present during March. Join us for a half day of enjoying ducks in the marshes and open lakefront. Be sure to dress warmly and bring a spotting scope if you have one. Meet at the Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area parking lot at 8:00am along State Route 2 just west of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. MARCH 15, 2009.

Incidentally, I have entered into a partnership with this sponsor and am VERY excited to be leading at least 6 different field trips in 2009 to really great locations at strategic times. Soon enough, we will roll out the rest of the field trip schedule and more but I wanted to get the March trip posted so YOU can mark it on your calendar and join me!

Big Day Dreaming

2009-02-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

The balmy temperatures and warm breezes today in Northwest Ohio have me thinking of bigger things than the Horned Larks that were winging overhead today. Bigger, as in Big Days! If you are reading this, then you likely know what a big day is, but in case you do not, the big day is birding's equivalent to the Boston Marathon. An exercise in stamina, strategy and sheer lunacy, the big day is one of my favorite birding pastimes. There are many different variations to the concept, but the basic idea is to find and identify as many bird species as possible on a given day within a particular, pre-defined territory.

The Toledo Naturalists' Association sponsors an annual team big day event called the North Coast Open. On the 3rd Saturday in May, teams of 3 or 4 birders of all different skill levels take to the field of 5 Northwest Ohio counties that offer a wide range of habitats. Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky and Erie Counties define the territory and teams find and identify as many species by sight or sound as possible between the hours of 12:00am - 9:00pm. At 9pm, the teams stagger across the finish line at Blackberry Corners restaurant in Bono, OH to compare lists and vie for the Peregrine Cup Trophy. Winners of the Peregrine Cup hold it for a full year, at which time they may choose to attempt to defend their title or relinquish the glory.

It's all in good fun (mostly), and regardless of how teams finish, the North Coast Open (as with other big days) really is about having a great time.

Why in the world am I thinking of the North Coast Open on February 10th? Well, what SHOULD I be thinking about? I tend to obsess over things and I suppose this post signals the beginning of what is sure to be a 4 month long obsession with the North Coast Open.

First thing is first - I have to get my team in order. The last two years, I have had the distinct pleasure of having Kenn Kaufman and John Chadwick with me. Kim was with us two years ago, but last year we missed out on her company and tremendous birding skills. Our loss, for sure.

I hope we can figure out a way to get the four of us together again, but schedules are always hectic, especially at the peak of spring migration. So, I have to let that "bake" for awhile, and hope for the best.

Regardless of my teammates, I will be worried about the same things I fret about each and every year. Where will the ducks be hiding? Will there be ANY shorebird habitat? And the wind - for ONCE I would like a year that the wind is favorable. Of course, I have no real control over any of this, which makes it all the more irrational to be thinking about it in February. Well, I do have SOME control over finding those pesky ducks but all of this will have to wait until scouting the week before, which is yet ANOTHER thing I worry about. Will I be able to get some time off work? How much? What about the others?

What about the Oak Openings? For years I have considered cutting the Oak Openings from the route, but I have finally accepted the fact there is simply no way around it. If you are serious about doing a big day in this geography, then the Oak Openings MUST be on the morning circuit. There are so many birds there that simply are not available elsewhere in the region. For example, Lark Sparrow, Summer Tanager, Pine Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Brown Creeper, Louisiana Waterthrush, Pileated Woodpecker, etc, etc. This year, I would expect Pine Siskin to be on the table, and I can dream of nesting White-winged Crossbills as well!

Erie County is vastly underbirded. Sheldon's Marsh and Kelley's Island call like a lonely Barred Owl, but alas their distance from the rest of the route makes their inclusion (without the exclusion of other strategic sites) nothing but a pipe dream.

We have always ended the day at Magee Marsh. One could argue that starting the daytime hours there could be more advantageous, but our theory says that we should go for territorial birds and breeders during the morning hours, hit the waterways and marshes in the afternoon - picking up migrants as we go - and then go the migrant trap that is Magee at the end of the day to "clean up" our list. I like this idea, because you always have a very set list of needed species at the end of the day, and looking for those species is a very focused task. Otherwise, wandering around the boardwalk looking at all the migrants in the morning just asks for trouble. How long do you stay at Magee if you are still missing "easy" migrants like Cape May Warbler, Gray-cheeked Thrush, etc?

"Easy" is a relative term, especially on big days. Belted Kingfisher and Green Heron have routinely given my team fits. There are others too, but these are good examples of reasonably common species that are spread throughout the area in low numbers and aren't easily staked out. If you don't have a nest staked out and NEED to find a kingfisher, then go ahead - I dare you.

Well, I suppose that's enough worrying for one night. Follow along, as I will surely be posting more North Coast Open posts as the days grow longer.

Winter Finch Repeat

2009-02-07T18:44:00.001-05:00

TRANSCRIPT:

Saturday, February 7th you've reached the NW OH and SE MI RBA this is Greg Links for the TNA. Highlights are White-winged Crossbill, Northern Shrike and Greater White-fronted Goose.

Things are pretty much status quo right now, which is not necessarily a bad thing. While the ridiculous crossbill numbers of last week did not repeat themselves this week, they are still being seen across the area. Check anywhere there are conifer trees that are producing cones, especially hemlocks and spruces. Cemeteries are especially prolific in this department, so you may want to check out the nearest graveyard. Swan Creek Cemetery, Woodlawn Cemetery, Oak Openings Metropark, Maumee State Forest and Forest Cemetery have all been regularly producing good numbers of White-winged Crossbills.

Common Redpolls are also widespread throughout the area. They are being seen mostly at private, residential feeders but you can look for them at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo where they are a "gimme" in the sweet gum trees and/or the alders along the lake, or at the various metroparks' Windows on Wildlife.

Over in Huron County at the Norwalk Reservoir, 7 Greater White-fronted Geese have been regular for the last week or so, including yesterday. Mid-winter, this is a good get in NW Ohio.

There are a few towhees spending the winter in Bedford Township, MI this year which is certainly on the different side. I have had one in my yard, there has been in one at the cemetery on the south side of Sterns east of 23, and I found another one at a private feeder along Rauch road this week.

The Northern Shrike along the Magee Marsh causeway is presumably still present. It frequents the area just to the west of the duck identification sign on the west side of the causeway at the far north end.

Northern Harriers have apparently taken up roost again at Magee Marsh, where apparently a dozen or more are coming in at dusk along the causeway. Interestingly, Short-eared Owls have been MIA this winter. Surely there must be a few around, yes?

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Wednesday, February 11th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Wednesday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

BONUS COVERAGE:

The Michigan White-winged Crossbill map continues to amaze me. As it stands TWO counties in MI have not reported White-winged Crossbills. HERE is the link to the map. It is reasonably accurate (though I have had more in Monroe and also Lenawee than the map indicates, but I have not bothered reporting those to Chartier so it isn't Allen's fault. Branch County isn't all that far from Toledo, and definitely not far from "the cottage" at Posey Lake, so if things stay status quo, I may wander that way before the winter is over.

There are a couple of Golden Eagles wintering at The Wilds this year, and though it is a bit of a run from NW Ohio, Golden Eagle is a pretty good bird!

Purple Martins have landed on the Gulf Coast....they will be here in 60 days! I am ready, I can tell you that. Today's 50 degree temps were nice, but I have a funny feeling old man Winter still has some tricks up his sleeve.

Groundhog Day Edition

2009-02-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

Hotline Transcript:

Monday February 2nd you’ve reached the NW OH and SE MI RBA this is Greg Links for the TNA. Highlights are White-winged Crossbill and Northern Shrike.

White-winged Crossbills continue their explosion into the area. Without question, the most crossbills yet were found yesterday by Matt Anderson as he explored some country roads in Fulton County. Matt counted a mind-boggling 314 birds yesterday including 280 at a single site. The 280 were along Fulton County Road 2 a quarter mile south of road C. Others were along road EF between roads 2 and 3 and also along road 2 at Sherwood Lane which is just south of EF. Other new White-winged Crossbill reports are as follows: the Maumee State Forest today where 50 were found in Henry County along county line road just north of road U, in Oak Harbor over the weekend at a private residence and 3 new locations in Bedford Township, MI. White-winged Crossbills are being seen reliably in numbers in Swan Creek Cemetery in Monclova Township, Woodlawn Cemetery in west Toledo, Ottawa City Park Golf Course in west Toledo, my neighborhood in Temperance, MI and Oak Openings Metropark. I have not visited Toledo Memorial Park cemetery in Sylvania in some time and I would be curious to know if others have tried that location. When I was last there in December, it seemed like it had prime crossbill potential. Obviously, this is an unprecedented event and virtually any conifer with cones should be checked for White-winged Crossbills.

Northern Shrikes are still being seen in the area. There has been one that has spent the season along the Magee Marsh causeway at the far north end, and was seen again a couple of times over the weekend. Another was found today in the Maumee State Forest at the northeast corner of roads V and 3 in Henry County.

A couple of Fox Sparrows are being seen locally, including one at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo and also the Black Swamp Bird Observatory feeding station along the Magee Marsh Causeway near the entrance at State Route 2.

I had a couple of interesting birds in Bedford Township, MI on Saturday January 31st while looking for crossbills. I had a single Ruby-crowned Kinglet in Temperance and also a Merlin along Secor Road just south of St. Anthony Road. I also had a Red-shouldered Hawk along Secor just south of Rauch road, which is a pretty good mid-winter bird for MI.

Common Redpolls are being seen widely across the area, mostly at private, residential feeders. If you need this bird for your list, an easy way to get them would be to visit Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo and focus your efforts on the Sweet Gum Trees and also the Alder groves around the lake. There are easily a few dozen redpolls at Woodlawn.

That’s all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Friday, February 6th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. For bonus material, visit toledobirding.blogspot.com. Until Friday or sooner, thank you for calling and good birding.

BONUS MATERIAL:

I received a second-hand report of a Snowy Owl at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge yesterday. Certainly, it is a plausible report and I suspect it is good. Unfortunately, I have no further details on where in the refuge it was seen. If you told me to go find you one and you had a gun to my head, I would make the walk out to the north edge of the refuge on the Crane Creek estuary and focus my efforts there.

Gulls have been remarkably scarce in NW Ohio, with very few of any species being reported. Even Lesser Black-backed Gulls have disappeared from the radar for the time being. If you are interested in gulling, then heading over to East 72nd Street in Cleveland is your best bet in the state of Ohio. Yesterday, the usual uncommon species were present – Glaucous, Iceland and Thayer’s. If you REALLY want a good gull, you may need to travel to Plymouth, Massachusetts where the adult Ivory Gull WAS being seen regularly through Friday, January 30th but has been MIA since. At least one NW Ohio native has made the pilgrimage and was successful. Congratulations Tom!

There is a chaseable Brewer’s Blackbird being seen up in Wayne County, MI at Oakwoods Metropark. This is an hour or less from Toledo and it is being seen at the window on wildlife there. Brewer’s Blackbirds is a nesting bird in MI and are regularly seen in NW Ohio in March and April. Though, a mid-winter sighting is noteworthy and this one in particular provides an uncommon opportunity to study one up close.

Spring is in the Air

2009-01-30T18:21:00.000-05:00

JANUARY 30, 2009 RBA TRANSCRIPT

Friday, January 30th you’ve reached the NW OH and SE MI RBA this is Greg Links for the TNA. Highlight is White-winged Crossbill.

It has been a pretty slow week here at hotline central. Things seem to be status quo as far as White-winged Crossbill reports. Chaseable flocks are at Swan Creek Cemetery in Monclova township, Woodlawn Cemetery in west Toledo, Ottawa City Park golf course in Toledo, my neighborhood in Temperance MI, in Oak Openings Metropark – in other words, virtually everywhere. Just cruise around looking for mature spruces and hemlocks. The more, the better, but crossbills are being found in single trees.

Common Redpolls are also showing fairly well, with a new group being called in this week from the Applegate’s feeders – Thanks Dorothy. And though not rare, I’m sure those bluebirds looked awfully nice on the back deck as well.

Greg Lovalenti called in a White-crowned Sparrow from Pearson Metropark on Toledo’s east side this week. This species winters throughout the area in low numbers, but a late January sighting is sure to remind us that spring is right around the corner. Speaking of spring, the longer days have sparked the House Finches and Northern Cardinals into song already which is good to hear.

Elsewhere in Ohio, there are a few items of interest worth mentioning. There is a Lark Sparrow being seen down near Bucyrus, OH, a Dickcissel on the north side of Columbus, A Virginia Rail near Dayton and 2 American White Pelicans at Grand Lake St Marys. Those reports certainly make me think of warmer times.

Farther afield, there has been a reliable adult Ivory Gull being seen in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The bird is coming in to feed on chicken carcasses that the birders are throwing out for it. I have seen photos of this bird, and they are truly astounding. Plymouth is about a 13 hour run from Toledo – but an adult Ivory Gull is about as good as it gets in the lower 48.

That’s all for now. To report your sightings, please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Sunday, February 1st. You can check out toledobirding.blogspot.com for bonus material. Until Sunday, thanks for calling and good birding.

BONUS COVERAGE

To our west in Indiana, White-winged Crossbills are the headline (surprise, surprise) but a HOARY REDPOLL near Bloomington is quite far south. I haven't seen photos of that bird, but would like to. Ontario has its usual plethora of good birds, it is simply a matter of how far you want to travel. I strongly recommend joining the Ontario Field Ornithologists - they have tremendous publications as well as really good field trips. Up in the U.P. of MI, things have been good but not stellar. A reliable Northern Hawk-owl has been just NW of the town of Pickford at M-48 and McCabe. Snowy Owls are being seen in numbers around Rudyard and I have not seen a recent report of Great Gray Owl. However, if I wanted to see a Great Gray, I would visit Neebish Island where they have bred in the past. I have seen Great Grays on Neebish in years they have been completely absent from other, more visited U.P. locations. Pine Grosbeaks are being seen in small flocks throughout the U.P. and Evening Grosbeaks very scarce - check feeders in the Eckerman area, where they are most reliable.

Ivory Gull in Plymouth, MA

2009-01-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

In case you haven’t heard, there is an Ivory Gull in Plymouth, MA. That is about a 13 hour run from NW Ohio, and it is really tempting to go for it. The Plymouth Ivory Gull is an unbelievable, almost surreal-looking adult which makes it all the more special. There are many blog posts about the stunning bird, and a simple Google search of “Plymouth Ivory Gull” will set you up with all the information you will need. Some of the more mainstream media have picked up on the event as well.

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090123/NEWS/901230317

The photo in the Cape Cod Online piece does not do the Ivory Gull justice, but there are many photos available of this bird, none of which I have permission to re-post here, so you’ll have to seek those out. They are not hard to find, and are well worth your time!

Quick update (7:15pm): check out these photos:
http://www.patriotledger.com/sports/outdoors/x565954433/Birdwatchers-flock-to-Plymouth-to-spot-rare-gull

The Ivory Gull is connected to the pack ice, which of course is not the best thing to be connected to these days. Ivory Gulls are rare anywhere in the lower 48, and most birders only dream of ever seeing one.

I chased and missed an Ivory Gull once on Amherst Island in Ontario. My memories of that failed effort still haunt me, but I won’t go into the gory details here. It doesn’t look like I am able to go after this Plymouth bird in the next week anyway, but if you are reading this and can swing a long drive, please let me know how you do and please come back and share photos for this blog!! If you are a beginning birder, this is a RARE bird and really unusual opportunity to see an adult Ivory Gull.

White-winged Crossbills in Michigan and More

2009-01-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

Of course, if you are reading this, you already know that the current White-winged Crossbill invasion is not only exciting but historically significant. Allen Chartier created a county map of Michigan with all of the season's crossbill reports. Have a look at that map here.

There are only 11 counties in Michigan that have not reported White-winged Crossbills. This statement is truly mind-bending, and I would submit to you that it is likely ALL Michigan counties will have crossbill records before the season is over (March 15th). Wild, and almost certainly unprecedented! Thanks, by the way, goes to Chartier for developing this useful map. Michigan birders should take note and get out to those counties.

Elsewhere, there has been a Spotted Towhee spending the winter at Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, Canada. This is a good bird anywhere in the region, and this one in particular has been pretty obliging to visiting birders, many of which are listers looking to add this species to their Ontario or Pelee lists.

It will not be long before we start seeing the first north-bound migrants in the form of ducks and Horned Larks, but first we must contend with yet another winter storm that is expected for tonight and tomorrow. Be sure to fill your feeders this evening and watch them closely for any unusual or uncommon visitors.

White-winged Crossbills!!

2009-01-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

January 25, 2009 Script:

Sunday, January 25th you've reached the NW OH and SE MI Rare Bird Alert this is Greg Links for the Toledo Naturalists' Association. Highlight is White-winged Crossbill. The broken record continues its relentless revolution around the White-winged Crossbill. It may go on all winter and I doubt very much if I will tire of it and I hope you feel the same.

Yesterday, the TNA field trip to Woodlawn Cemetery was an unqualified success. About 25 people gathered in the cold, some hoping to add the White-winged Crossbill to their life list. Fortunately, they did not leave disappointed. Patience was required, but eventually we all saw many White-winged Crossbills up close and personal as they fed on the spruce and hemlock cones, constantly chattering. In all, about 40 were at Woodlawn Cemetery and are certainly going to be chaseable for awhile yet anyway. Also at Woodlean yesterday were a good number of Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins. These species prefer to feed in the sweet gum trees which are scattered throughout the cemetery and also the alder groves that line parts of the frozen lake.

Other White-winged Crossbills were found at Ottawa City Park in west Toledo yesterday in the conifers just west and north of the golf course parking lot.

Today, White-winged Crossbills were found in the Oak Openings along Reed Road at Swan Creek. At Swan Creek Cemetery in Monclova township, good numbers of White-winged Crossbills continue to be found.

Folks, virtually anywhere there are mature spruce trees or hemlocks are likely to produce this fantastic northern visitor, so it is simply a matter of getting out and looking for these trees.

There was a Rough-legged Hawk today in the Oak Openings as a flyover, and this species has been a bit scarcer this year than in most years.

I should probably mention that I have had no Red Crossbill reports in recent days, though I suspect one or two are still probably hanging around Woodlawn Cemetery and Swan Creek Cemetery would be another place to look. I also have not had any recent reports of Merlin at Woodlawn or Ottawa Park, and no recent report of Northern Shrike along the Magee Marsh causeway. I would be willing to bet all of these are around, and only luck needs to be on your side to find them in those locations.

That's all for now. To report your sightings please leave a detailed message after the tape and if reporting a rarity be sure to leave your phone number. The next scheduled update will be Thursday January 29th unless a rarity turns up in which case I will update the tape right away. Until Thursday or sooner, thanks for calling and good birding.

-End transcript

BONUS COMMENTARY

What a phenomenal morning of birding we had at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo yesterday. It was cold, around 15 degrees F, but that didn't stop the birders from coming out in droves! What a blast it was to see old friends and make some new ones as well. We had the pleasure of having some of our Amish friends along, as well as a couple from St. Louis who were in town and were looking to take advantage of their time here in Toledo by adding some good winter finches to their list.

The group convened around 8am, and within 20 minutes, a flock of about 30 White-winged Crossbills flew overhead just north of the bridge, but did not land. I figured the bonanza would begin early and we could then focus our collective effort on finding the harder Red Crossbill. Lady luck had not yet arrived though, and we found it a difficult task to locate some feeding crossbills that everyone could see well. After about 2 hours and three separate loops around the east part of the lake, paydirt arrived. Several dozen crossbills fed close by in a spruce stand and they were soon joined by Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins. These species were not feeding, but just coming to pay us a visit! At one point, our group had only these three species in a mixed flock decorating the top of a small deciduous tree. What a sight!!

We had hoped to find a Merlin that had been hanging around but struck out. Ottawa City Park was right around the corner and we thought maybe we could catch up with one of the Merlins that had been frequenting that area. No such luck, but we did manage to see another 10 or 15 White-winged Crossbills (ho-hum, JUST some more crossbills!!), a couple of which fed on the ground quite near to where we stood.

White-winged Crossbills at Woodlawn Cemetery by Dale Buchner

Here is a link to a post by Sherrie Durris who shot a little video and took a still or two:

http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3719

I sincerely hope all birders are getting out and enjoying this crossbill invasion just HALF as much as I have. It is without question unprecedented in my lifetime and I think we will be hard-pressed to ever see another one quite like it.

Anyone have a cool crossbill story or picture of a White-winged Crossbill they have taken this winter they would like to share? Just shoot me an email (harpy1@gmail.com) with the attachment, and don't forget to include your name, the date and location of the photo.