Bird lovers and bird likers: This is your month.
Even if you can’t tell a warbler from a wren, and assume every big bird flying overhead must be a bald eagle, you’ll likely still enjoy a bird-watching outing sometime in the next four weeks. Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline is a bird watchers haven in May. Arguably the most popular birding hot spot is Magee Marsh Wildlife Area about 90 minutes west of Cleveland off U.S. Route 2 near Oak Harbor. It’s the home of The Biggest Week in American Birding, a 10-day festival that celebrates the thousands of colorful warblers (that’s a bird) that stop over on their migration north. The festival runs May 3-12.
Magee Marsh has a terrific boardwalk that’s the centerpiece of the festival. I was there last week with my sister on a day that turned rainy and windy—not prime bird-viewing weather. Despite the gloomy day, we saw small clusters of colorful warblers, a whippoorwill (thanks to a tip from experienced bird watchers), and a handful of bald eagles and their nests. We were thrilled.
We picked up helpful (free) booklets and maps at the visitor’s center. The boardwalk has colorful photos to help identify a dozen or so warblers.
Closer to home, Northeast Ohio’s county parks and Cleveland Metroparks offer birdwatching hikes. Go to their websites for the latest schedules.
