Thurs., May 8 Arrivals in Cleveland / Sheldon Marsh
Our local guide, Dan Donaldson of Madison, Ohio, met those flying in, and Peg greeted those arriving by car back at the hotel. We assembled at 2:00 p.m., ready to go out and enjoy a bit of nature. We chose a walk close to our hotel at Sheldon Marsh. We hoped to find both birds and wildflowers in bloom, inspired by the fact that even before we got to our destination the beauty of spring was bursting forth from gardens in small towns and scattered woods along the highways. Redbud, Dogwood, Forsythia and other trees in mixed species assemblage painted an impressionistic wash against an intensely green background. Once at the marsh, we walked among blooming White Trillium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Adder’s Tongue, and enjoyed sightings of a bright male Wood Duck, Blue Jays, our first warblers and a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.
For our welcome dinner, we went to nearby Lemy’s, a friendly small town restaurant that served us fresh, perfectly prepared perch and walleye, among other delicious dishes.. We ate early as we had tickets to hear Ken Kauffman speak at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center. We then returned to enjoy a real treat -- in celebration of a reunion of friends from past tours, Marlene G. had baked us a Sour Cream Raisin Pie. Marlene remembered that it was one of Peg’s favorites, and we enjoyed every bite before turning in to rest up from our travels!
Fri., May 9 Black Swamp Bird Observatory Banding / Magee Marsh Boardwalk
We started our day with a fantastic demonstration of banding by Mark Shieldcastle, director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. Despite the fact that they were preparing for the big migratory bird day festival, the staff greeted us with enthusiasm, and as the birds were pouring in we got to see MANY of the region’s colorful warblers close up and personally in the hand. We also received a great deal of background information on the pulse of migration; those species that came early, those that came later, trends and waves of activity noted over their long history of research. 
Each bird received a numbered metal ring as the staff deftly recorded measurements of its fat reserves, wing, tail and more. We snapped photos and just marveled at the intricacies of plumage one can’t always absorb in the field. Carlyn later remarked that seeing these birds this close-up was one of the highlights of the tour for her. A real treat, even for the bird observatory staff, was handling a Red-headed Woodpecker. This feisty bird was not impressed with being handled and let us know it would like to return to the wild as fast as possible. The morning passed quickly, and we were still ablaze with questions as we headed to lunch at Blackberry Corners, the delightful local eatery 
close to Magee Marsh. The afternoon flew by as well as we wound around the trail system at Magee Marsh. We joined many others in pursuit of observing migrants, and all were alert, attentive, and quick to share discoveries. We found an American Woodcock feeding among the leaves, many species of warblers, and a tiny Eastern Screech Owl, which blended so perfectly in with its habitat that it was almost impossible to see. Dan and Peg went over our fast-accumulating species list after a break back at the hotel and we enjoyed quite a good dinner at a fine Italian restaurant in the nearby town.
Sat., May 10 International Migratory Bird Day Celebrations / Magee Marsh / Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge / Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Today was quite a day as we joined in the festivities planned to celebrate and draw attention to the phenomenon of bird migration. We started early at Magee Marsh, where the flow of migration was continuing. While we did not experience a true wave, when numbers can be staggering, we appreciated the good weather and the chance to study in detail the steady flow of species. This morning we 
got especially good looks at Blackburnian and Chestnut-sided Warblers, and in the parking lot crowds gathered under a most cooperative Yellow-throated Warbler, which sang and sang from visible perches. Several vendors has set up booths with goods for sale; people would gather and then dash off as birders at the fringe announced Baltimore Oriole, Catbird, or Prothonotary Warbler… Julie Shieldcastle and staff from the Black Swamp Bird Observatory banding station were on hand and were quite busy again today. We particularly enjoyed the raptor exhibit over at the Sportsman’s Center. As Marlene M. said, “I’ve seen an eagle or a hawk or two at such 
exhibits, but never the full array of species they had here”. Indeed they had Peregrine Falcon and American Kestrel, Bald and Golden Eagles, several hawks and all the local owl species. Staff showed off each species and it was just great to be able to compare beaks, wing-length, overall size and demeanor. Throughout the day, we walked trails at each site visited, finding a good mix of species. On the shore of Lake Erie, during our picnic lunch, Peg spotted a beautiful group of Ruddy Turnstones in bright breeding plumage. Richard and Peg both got some excellent photos of this handsome shorebird, with sunlit waves as the background. Driving in and out of Magee Marsh along the causeway, we had a great time watching a Sora feeding along the line of cattails, and enjoyed the 
various ages of broods of the abundant Canada Geese. In honor of Migratory Bird Day, they opened the 15-mile driving loop drive at Ottawa Refuge, and we were fortunate to find White-faced Ibises, Dunlins and a variety of shorebirds. Black Terns were hovering over the marsh, and with patience we found several bright male Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Towards the end of the drive, we watched in fascination as several American Bitterns explored the marsh, and then flew along its tree-lined margin. Dan knew a few more key areas to search, and with luck we were able to find Wilson’s Phalaropes from a viewing platform where we could put the scope on them to study 
their circling feeding behavior. Back at the hotel, we again tallied a good list for the day before our evening meal. Tonight was a free night, and some of the group enjoyed time to catch up on photos and journals, and grabbed just a quick bite at the Mexican restaurant next door to our hotel.
Sun., May 11Eddison / East / Tony Pako’s / Maumee Bay State Park
Today proved to be a wet day, but we made the best of it, particularly in the morning hours. We started on a walk through an old field, where Al, our raptor spotter, spied a Red-shouldered Hawk. At a nearby riverside park we thought we’d have a good chance for some different species, 
and enjoyed scope views of a nesting Osprey with very young chicks, an easy sighting after Dan and Carol braved the pouring rain as they tried to find us an all too well hidden Great Horned Owl on its nest. Between storms, in a woodlot along the river, Wood Thrush entertained us with rich song. At East Harbor we walked a sheltered dirt road just behind the lakeshore, where a forested sand dune area held back the wind. Here, birds were picking insects off of small pools of water along the trail and we got looks at Ovenbirds, Eastern Towhees, Brown Thrashers Catbirds and several White-throated Sparrows. Mid-morning, the heavens opened with what seemed to be the full 
spring supply of rain, so Dan wisely directed us to the outskirts of Toledo, where we had a grand time sampling the lunch fare at Tony Pako’s, the restaurant made famous by “M*A*S*H”, the long running television series. We had all too much good food, bought a few souvenirs, and then headed back out to Maumee Bay State Park, where the rain had lightened up and we got in some excellent birding. We went out on the boardwalk trail, and in an hour or more got almost nowhere, as the trees were full of warblers, a Great-crested Flycatcher, a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a Downy Woodpecker and 
several other species. It was lovely to walk through these open woods, which were just leafing out so we had good views of species. As the flock passed on, we ventured out about a mile and a half to an observation point, where we found a perched Bald Eagle, and where new members of our group, Ruth and Owen Cummings of the nearby Detroit area, found us. A bold Yellow Warbler sallied up for insects within a few feet of us, but the rails we’d hoped to find stayed hidden. A treat at this location was hearing distant Sandhill Cranes, though in searching the vast expanse of marsh we could not find them. 
We completed the loop walk, finding Wood Thrush, a bright male Scarlet Tanager and, thanks to Mary Louise’s observant eyes, some new wildflowers. While out and about, we decided to enjoy dinner at a local seafood restaurant. Here we enjoyed a great meal, some birding and excellent lake views. We then returned to the hotel to tally species and head for bed!
Mon., May 12 Kelley’s Island
Today we had a fun change of pace as we ventured out by ferry to Kelley’s Island. Ahead of the ferry ride, we stopped at a small reserve for a local endemic wildflower, the Lakeside Daisy, which was in prolific bloom. It was fun to be out on the water, watching Double-crested Cormorants and Herring and Ring-billed Gulls as a stiff breeze 
signaled another potentially wet day. We walked a few trails on the island amidst a few sprinkles, and found some scattered migrant species. Walking back around a trail through dense Sugar Maple forest, we enjoyed blooming May-apples, Trillium and other wildflowers. An alert Great Egret hunted in the marsh, and Common Yellowthroats and Yellow-rumped Warblers popped up for close viewing. The Nature Conservancy and local groups have made a big effort to protect lakeshore limestone habitat, home to some endemic plants, and we enjoyed walking out on the platforms of rock that rim the island. None of the characteristic plants were in bloom, but we got a good feel for the habitat. It was too cold to search for endemic salamanders that were likely hidden down in protective mud, and birds were pretty quiet, so we headed around the island for sightseeing, appreciating the gardens, older homes and lunch at a great local eatery. Owen had a relative who had lived on the island and we walked in search of her home. The highlight of the day was seeing fantastic glacial grooves protected in a small park, perhaps one of the best examples of powerful erosion by glaciers anywhere. Rock held 
fast in ice had scoured out deep grooves in the limestone rock; we observed fantastic sculptured pathways made by the etching. Centuries of subsequent plant growth now left mosses, lichens, wildflowers and a rim of trees around the site; we enjoyed exhibits on the loop trail that surrounded it. Returning by ferry, we passed one of the historic Lake Erie lighthouses, and then headed back to our hotel. Dan had yet another good restaurant in mind, and on this free night several enjoyed a visit with each other over the evening meal at a family Italian Restaurant. Chip Cipolletti and Bob Faber, of Discovery Tours, who had coordinated our tour, joined us this evening to meet the group and discuss future joint ventures.
Tues., May 13 Magee Marsh / Metzger / Old Woman Creek
On our final full day, we returned to boardwalk trails of Magee Marsh, where we walked the loop slowly to savor the species that the last couple of days’ storms had blown in. Again we did not find huge numbers, but a good array of species and some new ones for our tally. We had good looks at Veery and Ovenbirds, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos and other species. We were pleased to find a Canada Warbler that had so far eluded us, and also enjoyed good looks at Lincoln Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows and Northern Waterthrushes. At nearby Metzger, we walked a narrow trail to the lakeshore, where the group had fine views of Dunlin and other shorebirds. Peg persistently searched for the Hooded Warbler that had been sighted earlier in the day as the group walked, and voila – found the bird in a quiet back woods. We had great looks at this, and a crisply-plumaged Black-and-white Warbler it was keeping company with at this small forest oasis along the shoreline. Katharine expressed an interest in seeing one 
of the National Estuarine sites at Old Woman Creek and we finished our day by going there en route back to the hotel. Here, we walked the loop trail through lush woods to an overview of a marsh. Dan described the seasonal flow of water through the drainage and out to Lake Erie as we enjoyed seeing blooming Dogwood and Cedar Waxwings. In the field on our way home, we finally got very good looks at Eastern Bluebirds. Our final meal was a luscious dinner at the nearby Sawmill Resort’s fine restaurant where several of our group ordered Macadamia-encrusted Walleye. The restaurant had a nice ambiance and delicious food and we enjoyed comparing notes and species from a great week of exploring wildlife areas of Western Lake Erie. We whole-heartedly thanked Dan Donaldson, who had been a great local guide.
Wed., May 14 Departures
Satisfied with our wonderful week of birding, the group elected to share a hot breakfast together rather than do another early bird walk. Dan took all to Lemy’s, and then we all dispersed to home terrain, after this great week in Ohio!
