Bird Well and Prosper

As the dawn breaks fresh on a new day of birding, it is the beginning of a journey.  No two days of birding are the same. One never knows if the birding will just be good, or if something in this day might be life-changing.

Our journeys all start differently.  My interest in "serious" birding did not happen until my 40's. Even now, it is but a portion of my interest and always tied to plant communities and habitats. 

Some birders are called at an early age, like the young birder I recently met, Anna. Who knows where this path will lead her, but Ohio has produced some excellent scientists rising out of our Ohio Young Birders Club community. 

Morning mist lifts as Anna explores the shores of Lake Erie.

Thanks to the Young Birders Club, kids like Anna will know they are not alone in their ornithological pursuits. There are opportunities to meet with other young birders and develop their skills and leadership abilities.

Katie Anderson, a talented leader helping others discover birds.

Biggest Week In American Birding is another opportunity to meet other birders and learn more about birds. We offer encouragement and support for each other, often develop strong bonds of friendship and discover secrets of the natural world. Black Swamp Bird Observatory offers field trips with experienced guides from all across America and around the globe.  It has been an opportunity for me to improve my leadership skills and network with others in the birding community.

Dr. Elliot Trammer (far right) our expert guide on the Oak Openings trip.

 We laugh.  We learn. Whether it is cold or hot, raining or sunny, we carry on.  No two days are alike and the offerings of nature are various and sundry. Sometimes the findings are unexpected.

Young raccoon sleeps off a rough night.

This young raccoon had chosen an odd way to sleep-it-off. We were debating if it was even alive, when it waved its left paw as to say, "Go away!  Move along birders, move along."

A group effort can often produce.

Festivals are social affairs and while many think birding is best done alone, there is no denying the likelihood for success when many eyes are focused.  The combined effort of many paid off when we were trying to relocate a very special bird. We worked together as a team and shared the glorious moment together.  We have birded well.

Kirtland's Warbler, female, the first recorded in the Oak Openings.

The crowd bubbled with the excitement of seeing this extremely rare bird as she wings her way to the Michigan breeding grounds from her wintering ground in the Bahamas. Most likely, the Oak Openings was her last stop before home.

The federally listed Endangered Kirtland's Warbler, the rarest warbler in the United States, is the Holy Grail bird for many Biggest Week Birders.  The good news, due to habitat management in their Michigan breeding grounds, Kirtland's populations are on the rise. More birds to love and admire.

To read more about this very special bird, click on  Conserving the Kirtland's Warbler.  

Thankful moments, nature's reward.

As the sun sets on our birding day, we know we have done no harm and discovered a little more about the value of life: our lives, the birds lives, and value of the natural world which we need to survive. The high of a successful chase and the warm reward of locating one bird in an entire forest is enough. 

This is birding: the thrill of the chase, the communing with nature, the friends, laughter and life-long learning. We are a curious community, wanting to know more about birds and the big picture of life. Young to old, we are all ages, races, genders.  We are a welcoming community. 

Bird Well and Prosper.

What could be a better definition of "prosper"?  We are rich in so many ways. 

On a Lark at Oak Openings

The most botanically diverse location in Ohio is the Oak Openings. And along with botanical diversity, comes interesting animal and avian life. So it is no surprise the Oak Openings is a favorite place to visit, and I easily agreed to be the bus driver for one of BSBO's field trips to the "Oaks."



While strolling along Wilkins Rd. looking for warblers, we were smitten with these Cinnamon ferns, Osmunda cinnamomea in full glory. The fertile fronds of these woodland beauties look like a cinnamon sticks, hence the name. I am generally fern-impaired, but this is one is fairly obvious!

Warbler neck. Yup, most of my friends have it this time of year, and one of our guides, Elliot Tramer did his best to show our friend Mary how to properly achieve the stabbing pains that accompany watching for birds high up in the trees.

"Warblering" is a bit more fun at Magee Marsh, where they are more likely to be at eye-level. So, we moved on to see the "rare in Ohio" birds the Oaks are known for: Lark Sparrows.

The Oak Openings are the remains of a post-glacial sand beach. The only modern day shifting sand dunes in Ohio are perfect habitat for this ground nesting western species! A sign warns folks to stay out of this area during their breeding season. Click here (Dave Lewis' photo of Lark Sparrow, taken on last year's OOS trip to the Oaks) to see one of Ohio's most attractive sparrows.

Here is the habitat: scrubby oaks, sand dunes, rare plants= rare birds!

A little closer look at those wild Blue Lupine, Lupinus perennis- the host plant for those rare Karner Blue butterflies. For more info on the rare plants and animal of the Oaks, visit Blue Weekend 2010.

Tell 'em the Weedpicker sent you!

OOS Conference at the Oak Openings

Need a good excuse to plan a trip to see Wild Lupines, Karner blue butterflies and neotropical warblers? Put this on your calendar:



The Ohio Ornithological Society's 2009 Conference and Annual banquet will be held May 16th, a sensational time to be in the Oak Openings and Lake Erie marsh regions. The staging ground is the beautiful Holiday Inn-French Quarter in Perrysburg, located only a stone’s throw from the Oak Openings’ best habitats, and an easy drive from such iconic western Lake Erie birding locales as Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and its legendary bird trail.
The Saturday-only conference will feature three nationally known speakers, Kim Kaufman, Director of Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and Jim Berry of Roger Tory Peterson Institute will present in the afternoon. Both are outstanding and you won't want to miss them! After Saturday evening's dinner, Jim McCormac, President of the OOS will give a program titled Oak Openings: Desert of Diversity, based on twenty years of visits to document its rare flora and fauna. Visit vendors, browse educational displays, and enjoy good conversation with fellow birdwatchers during the dinner buffet.

Even though the conference is officially only one day, there'll be plenty of great opportunities on the days that bookend it. Plan to visit one or more of the featured destinations, as the Oak Openings is Ohio’s only stronghold for Lark Sparrows, and harbors breeding Summer Tanagers, Blue Grosbeaks, Whip-poor-wills, Blue-headed Vireos and much more.


The date of the conference will also be good for catching late migrants such as Connecticut Warbler at Magee Marsh and the famous "Boardwalk." The conference packet will provide directions to seven great locations, ready to showcase the best they have to offer for our attendees. Hope to see you at “The Oaks!”

For Registration Click here or visit Jim McCormac's blog for more info.