ITINERARY
May 3rd: Evening arrival in Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport and then transfer to the Kirkwood Inn Hotel in Mason.
May 4th: Early start to Gilmore Ponds Preserve. Afterwards we drove to Shawnee Lookout Park near Indiana and Kentucky states.
May 5th: An early start to Spring Valley Wildlife Area, wetland and marshy-forest. After our picnic meal lunch, we covered the beach area and surroundings of Caesar Creek State Park. Then we drove to Sharon Woods Park.
May 6th: Early morning visit to Rick Lissi Bird Sanctuary. Then we birded Voice of America Park. Afterwards we visited a few sites all near Houston Woods State Park.
May 7th: Before leaving the Mason area we birded Voice of America Park again. After that we drove for almost four hours toward the Hotel Best Western in Port Clinton - Northern Ohio. Here we birded East Harbor State Park, the marsh, forest and wetlands of Lake Erie.
May 8th: Today we made an early visit to the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and walked the world renowned “Bird Board Walk”. For the rest of the afternoon we covered the Maumee Bay State Park Board Walk.
May 9th: Today an early start to Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. After that we managed to find the Snowy Owl by driving around Genoa township. Had lunch and then headed to hotel for luggage pick up and to bird East Harbor State Park again. To finalize we drove to the Hotel Hampton Inn in Port Clinton and had a delicious Italian dinner. End of the tour.
SPECIES LIST
DUCKS
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis. Very common in most areas.
Trumpeter Swan - Cygnus buccinator. About fifteen counted at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa. One seen at Rick Lissi Bird Sanctuary and also a couple seen at Maumee Bay State Park board walk.
Gadwall – Anas Strepera. Two seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos. Very common in most areas.
Blue-winged Teal – Anas discors. Two seen in flight at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
Northern Pintail – Anas acuata. Only one seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Red-breasted Merganser – Mergus serrator. Two seen in flight at Port Clinton Lake Erie shores.
GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps. Two seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Horned Grebe – Podiceps auratus. Two seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
CORMORANTS
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auratus. Several seen at different sites.
HERONS & EGRETS
Great Blue Heron – Ardea Herodias. Common in most places.
Great Egret - Ardea alba. About five seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Snowy Egret - Egretta thula. Two seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Green Heron - Butorides virescens. One seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area Board Walk.
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax violacea. A flock of ten flying over Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture – Coragyps atratus. Several seen at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura. Common in most sites.
OSPREYS
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus. One seen flying at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
HAWKS & EAGLES
Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Four adults and six chicks in two nests, common at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Cooper's Hawk – Accipiter cooperii. One seen very fast at Shawnee Lookout Park.
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus. One seen flying at Voice of America Park and two chicks on nest at Houston Wood State Park.
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis. Common in most areas.
COOTS & RAILS
Sora - Porzana Carolina. Heard only, at Ottawa National Wildlife Area and Maumee Bay State Park.
Common Gallinule - Gallinula galeata. One seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
American Coot - Fulica Americana. Seen in most sites with open lakes, common at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
STILTS
Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus. Two seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
PLOVERS
Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus. About eight seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferous. Very common in most sites.
SANDPIPERS
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius. Couple seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria. One seen at Caesar Creek State Park.
Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca. About five seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes. Two seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Dunlin - Calidris alpine. About eighty seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla. Hundreds seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
American Woodcock - Scolopax minor. Two seen at the board walk at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
GULLS & TERNS
Bonaparte’s Gull - Chroicocephalus Philadelphia. About eight seen at Caesar Creek State Park.
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis. Common in most sites.
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus. Couple seen at Port Clinton Lake Erie shores.
Caspian Tern - Hydropogne caspia. One flying over at East Harbor State Park.
Common Tern - Sterna hirundo. Two seen nesting at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
PIGEON AND DOVES
Rock Pigeon – Columba livia. Common.
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura. Very common in most areas.
TYPICAL OWLS
Eastern Screech-Owl - Megascops asio. One rufous morph seen near the nest at Maumee Bay State Park board walk.
Great Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus. Two adults and two chicks seen near Houston Woods State Park.
Snowy Owl - Bubo scandiacus. One seen at Genoa township near Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
NIGHTHAWKS
Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor.A few flying over the hotel parking lot at Port Clinton.
SWIFTS
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica. One flying over at Voice of America Park. Near Threatened.
HUMMINGBIRDS
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris. One seen at the Black Swamp office at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon. One heard and seen flying very high at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
WOODPECKERS
Red-headed Woodpecker - Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Two seen using nesting cavities at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus. Common in most sites.
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens. Common in most sites.
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus. Common in most sites.
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) – Colaptes auratus. Two seen very well at East Harbor State Park.
Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus. Two seen at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
FALCONS
American Kestrel - Falco sparverius. One seen very fast at Gilmore Ponds Preserve.
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens. One seen at Shawnee Lookout Park.
Acadian Flycatcher - Empidomax virescens. One heard and seen at Shawnee Lookout Park.
Alder Flycatcher - Empidomax alnorum. Heard only, at Voice of America Park.
Willow Flycatcher - Empidomax traillii. One seen at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe. Two seen at Maumee Bay State Park board walk.
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus. One seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus. Common in most sites.
VIREOS
White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus. Two seen at Shawnee Lookout Park.
Bell’s Vireo - Vireo bellii. Two seen at Voice of America Park.
Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus. Common in most sites.
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus. One seen at Sharon Woods Park.
CROWS AND JAYS
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata. Common in most sites.
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos. Common in most sites.
LARKS
Horned Lark – Eremophila alpestris. One heard and seen at Voice of America Park.
SWALLOWS & MARTINS
Purple Martin - Progne subis. Several nesting at the shop house at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor. Common in most sites.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Couple seen at Gilmore Ponds Preserve.
Bank Swallow - Riparia riparia. About ten seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Area.
Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. About fifteen nesting at the lodge entrance of Maumee Bay State Park.
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica. Several seen in most sites.
CHICKADEES & TITMICES
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis. Common in most forested sites.
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atracapillus. Several seen only at East Harbor State Park.
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor. Common in most forested sites.
NUTHATCHES
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis. Seen one at Gilmore Ponds Preserve and another at Sharon Woods Park.
WRENS
House Wren - Troglodytes aedon. Common in most sites.
Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris. A few heard and one seen at Maumee Bay State Park board walk.
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus. Common in most sites.
GNATCATCHERS
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea. Common in most sites.
KINGLETS
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Regulus satrapa. One seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area board walk.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula. One seen with a mixed flock at East Harbor State Park.
THRUSHES
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis. Couple seen at feeder near Houston Woods State Park.
Veery - Catharus fuscescens. Heard only, at Houston Woods State Park.
Swainson’s Thrush - Catharus ustulatus. Common in most forested sites.
Wood Thrush - Hylocichla mustelina. Heard only, at Shawnee Lookout Park.
American Robin - Turdus migratorius. Very common in most sites.
MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis. Common in most sites.
Brown Thrasher - Toxostoma rufum. One seen very well at East Harbor State Park.
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos. Common in most sites.
STARLINGS
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris. Very common in most sites.
WOOD WARBLERS
Northern Waterthrush - Parkesia noveboracensis. One seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area board walk.
Louisiana Waterthush - Parkesia motacilla. Two seen at Sharon Woods Park.
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia. A few seen in many sites such as Sharon Woods Park and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Prothonotary Warbler - Protonotaria citrea. Seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Tennessee Warbler - Oreothlypis peregrina. About three seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Nashville Warbler - Oreothlypis ruficapilla. One seen at Sharon Woods Park and three more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Kentucky Warbler - Geothlypis Formosa. Two seen but very secretive at Houston Woods State Park.
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas. A few seen and seems to be common in most sites.
Hooded Warbler - Setophaga citrina. Only one seen at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla. About six seen at Shawnee Lookout Park and a few more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Cape May Warbler - Setophaga tigrine. A few seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Cerulean Warbler - Setophaga cerulea. About three seen at Shawnee Lookout Park and one more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. ENDANGERED.
Northern Parula - Setophaga americana. Couple seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Magnolia Warbler - Setophaga magnolia. One seen at East Harbor State Park and a few more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Bay-breasted Warbler - Setophaga castanea. Two seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Blackburnian Warbler - Setophaga fusca. Only one seen for a few seconds at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
Yellow Warbler - Setophaga petechia. Common in most sites.
Chestnut-sided Warbler - Setophaga pensylvanica. Seen very well at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Blackpoll Warbler - Setophaga striata. Two seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and a couple more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Setophaga caerulescens. One seen at Sharon Woods Park and a few more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Palm Warbler - Setophaga palmarum. Common in most sites.
Pine Warbler - Setophaga pinus. One seen for a short time at East Harbor State Park.
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler - Setophaga coronata. Common in most sites.
Yellow-throated Warbler - Setophaga dominica. One seen at Sharon Woods Park.
Prairie Warbler - Setophaga discolor. Two seen at Shawnee Lookout Park.
Black-throated Green Warbler - Setophaga virens. Two seen at East Harbor State Park and a few more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Yellow-breasted Chat - Icteria virens. Two seen at Shawnee Lookout Park.
NEW WORLD SPARROWS
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus. Two seen at Shawnee Lookout Park and another one at Rick Lissi Bird Sanctuary.
Chipping Sparrow – Spizella passerine. A few seen at the feeder near Houston Woods State Park.
Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla. A few seen at Voice of America Park and also Shawnee Lookout Park.
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis. About three seen at Voice of America Park.
Song Sparrow – Melospiza melodia. Common in most sites.
Lincoln’s Sparrow - Melospiza lincolnii. One seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana. One seen at Spring Valley Wildlife Area and two more at East Harbor State Park.
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis. Two seen at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys. Two seen at East Harbor State Park.
CARDINALS & BUNTINGS
Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea. Two seen at Shawnee Lookout Park and one more at Sharon Woods Park.
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis. Common in most sites.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus. Couple seen at the feeder near Houston Woods State Park and two more at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
Blue Grosbeak - Passerina caerulea. One seen only and for a short time at Voice of America Park.
Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea. Common in Gilmore Ponds Preserve and Shawnee Lookout Park.
ORIOLES & BLACKBIRDS
Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus. About ten seen at Voice of America Park.
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus. Common in most sites.
Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna. About four seen at Voice of America Park, common in open fields.
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula. Common in most sites.
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater. Common in most sites.
Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius. One seen at Shawnee Lookout Park and two more at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula. Common in most forested sites.
FINCHES
House Finch – Carpodacus mexicanus. Common in most sites.
American Goldfinch – Spinus tristis. Common in most open fields visited.
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus. Common in most sites. Not a native species.