By Andy Avram, Interpretive Manager
The first Sunday Morning Bird Walk of May still found us facing north winds, thus preventing major bird movement. Despite the odds, our group of 12 birders found 50 total species. Warbler numbers were low, but eight bald eagles kept us entertained for the duration of the bird walk. Our first ruby-throated hummingbirds of the year made an appearance with a total of three seen during the walk. Red-headed woodpeckers, both Baltimore and orchard orioles, and some wood thrushes helped round out the adventure. The following species were seen:
wild turkey
On Thursday May 11, winds from the south came in and the birds finally arrived in northeast Ohio! Migration is now here in full swing! The birding was so good that the people who attended the program stayed an extra hour!
We started the walk off with a clay-colored sparrow in the parking lot. These little sparrows are pretty rare migrants through Ohio and it is a special treat to see one in Lake County. Then, a flock of six to eight rose-breasted grosbeaks flew into a nearby tree. After that it was warbler city. The best was a brief appearance of a singing golden-winged warbler. We had a total of 18 species of warblers out of 71 total bird species! This may be one of the highest species counts we’ve ever had on a bird walk. The following species were all seen or heard during the morning walk:
red-winged blackbird
If you are interested in joining a guided Lake Metroparks bird walk, there are plenty of upcoming opportunities in May. Please click on the following links to register:
May 14 May 18 May 21 May 27
Birding at Lake Metroparks Photos by John Pogacnik, Lake Metroparks Biologist