They're Here!

By Andy Avram, Interpretive Manager

Well, the first third of May is over and wow, what a first third it was! Migration was a bit slow in April but once May came the floodgates opened! On May 5, the park district led a bus trip out to Magee Marsh in western Ohio and recorded 94 species of birds for the day. The May 6 Sunday Morning Bird Walk at Lake Erie Bluffs found 63 species of birds. Highlights included eight late-staying common loons, a great egret soaring overhead with an osprey, six warblers, yellow-breasted chat, and a clay-colored sparrow.  

The complete list of birds found is as follows:

• Canada goose
• Mallard
• Red-breasted merganser
• Common loon
• Double-crested cormorant
• Great blue heron
• Great egret
• Green heron
• Turkey vulture
• Osprey
• Ring-billed gull
• Herring gull
• Caspian tern
• Mourning dove
• Chimney swift
• Ruby-throated hummingbird
• Red-headed woodpecker
• Red-bellied woodpecker
• Downy woodpecker
• Hairy woodpecker
• Northern flicker
• Eastern phoebe
• Great crested flycatcher
• Eastern kingbird
• Warbling vireo
• Blue jay
• American crow
• Tree swallow
• Bank swallow
• Barn swallow
• Black-capped chickadee
• House wren
• Carolina wren
• Blue-gray gnatcatcher
• Swainson's thrush
• Wood thrush
• American robin
• Gray catbird
• Brown thrasher
• European starling
• Northern waterthrush
• Nashville warbler
• Common yellowthroat
• Magnolia warbler
• Yellow warbler
• Palm warbler
• Chipping sparrow
• Clay-colored sparrow
• Field sparrow
• White-crowned sparrow
• White-throated sparrow
• Song sparrow
• Eastern towhee
• Yellow-breasted chat
• Northern cardinal
• Rose-breasted grosbeak
• Indigo bunting
• Orchard oriole
• Baltimore oriole
• Red-winged blackbird
• Brown-headed cowbird
• Common grackle
• American goldfinch

On May 10, I had one hour in the morning to bird Chagrin River Park. I wish I had more time, as the birding was excellent. I saw 55 species of birds, with 12 species of warblers, the bulk of which were black-throated blue, ovenbird, black-and-white, and magnolia (Tennessee, c. yellowthroat, A. redstart, Cape May, N. parula, yellow, chestnut-sided, and palm rounded out the rest). Orioles, indigo buntings, grosbeaks, Lincoln’s sparrow, white-eyed, warbling, and red-eyed vireos were some of the other highlights. Also of interest were red-headed woodpeckers and the fact that I didn't see any red-bellied woodpeckers! 

Ovenbird

Perhaps my greatest birding moment was on May 5 as I was out birding on my own and found 105 species of birds entirely within the borders of Lake County. This included discovering the first-ever record of chestnut-collared longspur in Ohio! The birding is top notch right now, so get out on your own or join us at one of our many birding programs!

Chestnut-collared longspur

Upcoming Birding Programs

Lake Metroparks offers a variety of birding programs for people of all ages to share the spring bird migration phenomenon. Binoculars and field guides are recommended and beginners are encouraged to attend. To join us for any of these exciting programs, please click on the following links to register.

International Migratory Bird Day

May 12

Bird Walks

May 17

May 26

Sunday Morning Bird Walks

May 13

May 20

Birding Bus Trip for Families

May 19

100 Bird Blitz at the Bluffs

May 20