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in the Lake Erie Marsh Region
 

BIRDING SITES

Black Swamp Bird Observatory Grounds

Longitude: 41 36 18 North Latitude: -83 11 34 West Just north of Ohio State Route 2, at the entrance to Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, the headquarters for Black Swamp Bird Observatory is immediately to your left.  The Observatory is open on weekends year-round, open several days per week during migration season, and open every day during May.  This is a good place to stop to get the latest information on sightings and hotspots, birding area maps designed by Kenn Kaufman, check out the fabulous selection of bird and nature books in the gift shop, and meet fellow birders. Behind the building is the Gallagher Memorial Trail, a walking trail leading through woodland edge, second growth woods, and meadow, all of which are often good for migrants. The Gallagher Trail also provides the area's best opportunity to experience the bizarre and dazzling display of the American Woodcock. The Window on Wildlife in the Observatory’s gift shop is often a good place to see orioles, grosbeaks, and other birds visiting the feeders, and warblers and other songbirds visiting the water garden. See our Woodcock Extravaganza on May 9, 12 & 15 under Field Programs.

East Harbor State Park

NO MAP OF EAST HARBOR STATE P Latitude: 41.5415 North Longitude: - 82.8189 West From Port Clinton, go east on Route 163 about four miles to Route 269 and then north about a mile to the park entrance on the right. The park’s campground and beach are popular in summer but the area is outstanding for birding all year, with marshes, woods, and big concentrations of migrant songbirds in season. Park office:419 734-4424.

Kelleys Island

INFO MAP OF KELLEYS ISLAND This beautiful island (accessible by auto ferry from Marblehead, on Route 163 east of Port Clinton) is a popular vacation spot, but also a fine birding area, especially during migration. See our Kelleys Island Guided Birding Excursions on May 10 & 14 under Birding by Jet and Ferry.

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

INFO BIRDING MAP OF OTTAWA NWR Latitude: 41.6110 North Longitude: - 83.2209 West With its entrance located on Ohio State Route 2, about half a mile west of the entrance to Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge encompasses more than 5000 acres of managed wetlands, forests, and prairies. The refuge protects major populations of birds and offers good birding practically every day of the year. The Visitors’ Center is a good place to start. The center itself has fine interpretive displays, knowledgeable staff and volunteers, a bookshop, and an elevated observation deck. Trails immediately behind the center lead to a boardwalk through a beautiful swampy woodland and connect to the rest of the entire trail system.  The trails also can be accessed from another parking lot (see map), and it is worthwhile to walk the trails in the eastern part of the refuge to access impoundments that may be good for shorebirds, waterfowl, rails, moorhens, and other birds.  The woodlots in this area, and the small trees along the edges of the impoundments, often hold large numbers of warblers and other migrants. The auto tour route accesses many other areas of the refuge, often including spots that are very good for shorebirds, bitterns, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and other species.  The auto tour route will be open twice during the Biggest Week.

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area

INFO BIRDING MAP OF MAGEE MARSH WILDLIFE AREA Latitude: 41.605 North Longitude: - 83.193 West Directions to Magee Marsh: The entrance road leads north from Ohio State Route 2 about 18 miles east of Toledo and 16 miles west of Port Clinton, or 1.5 miles east of State Route 590, 1.5 miles west of State Route 19. Together with the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge which is directly to the west, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is perhaps the largest uninterrupted area of coastal wetlands habitats remaining in Ohio. There is a trail that connects the two areas. The Ottawa-Magee Partnership trail is a one mile trail that goes from the Bird Center over to the parking lot of the old Ottawa NWR office. Half a mile north of Ohio State Route 2 is the Sportsmen’s Migratory Bird Center, the center for the Division of Wildlife’s wetland research programs. It is open to the public and has good interpretive displays. Restrooms are located here and open during the Bird Center's hours of operation. Also located here is the “hawk watch” observation tower which provides views over the marsh.  A walking trail behind the center leads through a swampy woodland and around some small ponds, and often offers many warblers and other migrants. Beyond the Sportsmen’s Center, the Magee causeway runs straight north across the marsh. Three gravel pullouts on the east side of the road offer easy parking. The Magee Marsh Wildlife Area extends a short distance west and far to the east of here. The causeway offers opportunities to see many wetland birds.  Swans, geese, ducks, herons, egrets, rails, Marsh Wrens, Swamp Sparrows, and others are often easily seen along the causeway. To learn more about Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, visit http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/19778/Default.aspx

Magee Marsh Boardwalk

INFO BIRDING MAP OF THE MAGEE MARSH WA BOARDWALK Latitude: 41.62917 North Longitude: -83.19279 West Directions to Magee Marsh: The entrance road leads north from Ohio State Route 2 about 18 miles east of Toledo and 16 miles west of Port Clinton, or 1.5 miles east of State Route 590, 1.5 miles west of State Route 19. The boardwalk is located adjacent to the large parking lot at the end of the road, about a mile and a half north of Ohio State Route 2.   The name of this spot is subject to confusion – it is sometimes called the “Crane Creek Bird Trail,” sometimes just the “Magee Boardwalk” – but whatever it is called, it is one of the most famous birding sites in North America during the month of May.  The boardwalk meanders through 7 acres of woodland situated on the beach ridge between Lake Erie and extensive marshes.  Migrating birds moving north in spring often pause here just before crossing the lake, and the woodland often swarms with such migrants.  The boardwalk can be absolutely fantastic for close-up views of warblers, vireos, thrushes, and other songbirds, and during the peak of migration it is not unusual to have 26 or more species of warblers at eye level during the course of a day’s birding.  Sometimes the best birding is on the north edge of the woods (south edge of the parking lots), especially early in the morning while things are quiet along the boardwalk inside the woods, and especially with south winds. The beach on the north edge of the parking lots is always worth checking for shorebirds, terns, flocks of ducks offshore, and gulls resting on the short breakwaters.

Mallard Club Marsh Wildlife Area

INFO BIRDING MAP OF MALLARD CLUB MARSH WILDLIFE AREA From Route 2, go 2.5 miles north on Cousino Road and then 0.2 miles east on Cedar Point Road to the parking area on the north side of the road.  Trails lead out into the marsh, a good habitat for bitterns and rails in the warmer months, many water birds all year.

Maumee Bay State Park

MAP OF MAUMEE BAY STATE PARK Latitude: 41.6843 North Longitude: - 83.3730 West Directions: From Route 2, go 2.5 miles north on N. Curtice Road to the park entrance.  Good birding all year, with gulls and waterfowl at beach, wintering raptors in open fields, migrant songbirds along boardwalk through forest.  Campground and lodge.  Nature center: 419 836-9117. The wetlands of the Maumee Bay area offer a vivid array of natural wonders. Wetlands contain more species of wildlife than any other habitat type, including: fox snake, northern water snake, painted turtle, chorus frog, green frog, spotted salamander, raccoon, muskrat, dragonfly, caddis fly, and water striders. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded with shorebirds such as snipe, Great Blue Heron, Common Gallinule and Ring-billed Gulls residing with waterfowl including Canada Geese, Northern Pintails, Redheads, and Ruddy Ducks. Songbirds include the Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow Warbler, Killdeer and Swamp Sparrow. Spring migration brings many others including the colorful warblers. The plant life is diverse as well. Cattails, buttonbush, bur-reed, cottonwood and black willow are just a few examples of the marsh plants at the park. In addition to marsh and swamp wetlands, several prairies add more diversity to the landscape. Ring-necked pheasants densely populate the meadow areas of the park.

Meadowbrook Marsh

INFO MAP OF MEADOWBROOK MARSH Latitude: 41˚30' 23.67" North Longitude: -82˚46' 14.44" West Located on E. Bayshore Road one-half mile west of Dempsey Access. Amenities: Picnic table, park benches, observation deck, paved biking/walking trails, grass and mulched walking trails along the prairie and in the forest. Scenic views of wetland marsh. For information about the marsh, click here. Directions: Follow State Route 2 to State Route 269N in Danbury Township (Exit 125A-B). Exit at 269N and continue northbound following Exit 125A until it terminates at State Route 163. Turn east and follow State Route 163 to Englebeck Road . (Englebeck is directly across from N. Shore Blvd. and Windjammer Restaurant). Turn south on Englebeck. Continue until Englebeck terminates at E. Bayshore Rd. (CR 135). Turn East. Follow E. Bayshore approximately one-half mile. Entrance to Meadowbrook is on the north side of E. Bayshore Rd. and is marked by a large “Meadowbrook Marsh” sign.

Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area

INFO BIRDING MAP OF METZGER WILDLIFE AREA Latitude: 41.6442 North Longitude: - 83.2457 West Just east of the village of Bono, the east-west highway of  Ohio State Route 2 makes a major curve to run south. The well-marked turnoff to Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area is on the curve. This 558-acre marsh is outstanding for waterfowl in migration and for nesting marsh birds in summer.  This is often a superb place to find bitterns, Black Tern, and Yellow-headed Blackbird.  The small woodlot at the end of the road is sometimes excellent for warblers and for a wide variety of other migrant songbirds, while the lake shore is worth checking for gulls, terns, waterfowl, and a few shorebirds.

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark

Latitude: 41.5654 North Longitude: 83.8556 West Directions: 4139 Girdham Road, Swanton, Ohio Two miles west of the Toledo Express Airport - Entrances off Wilkins Road, State Route 64 and Ohio State Route 2. The Oak Openings region was so named because originally, the trees grew so far apart that early settlers could drive wagons through the woods in any direction. Situated on the southwest edge of the greater Toledo area, the Oak Openings still occupy almost 5,000 acres with black oak savanna, oak woodland, and wet prairies. This collection of habitats is one of the rarest in the Midwest.  Birders know the Oak Openings not only for the many migrants to be seen here, but for the remarkable combinations of breeding birds that are rare elsewhere in northwest Ohio.  Among the many specialty birds to be found nesting here are Lark Sparrow, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Red-headed Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, Blue-winged Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Pine Warbler, and Yellow-breasted Chat.  Part of the Toledo Metroparks, a visit to the Oak Openings Preserve is sure to spice up your trip list with some birds that you haven’t seen in the migrant traps along the lakeshore. See our Guided Bus Trip to Oak Openings Preserve on May 10, 12 & 14 under Field Programs.

Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area

INFO MAP OF PICKEREL CREEK WILDLIFE AREA Latitude: 41.4368 North Longitude: - 82.9654 West On the north side of U.S. Highway 6, about 7 miles east of Fremont.  A little more than half a mile east of County Road 256 is a parking area with an observation tower giving an overview of part of the area, and trails along the dikes provide access.  Often an excellent area for shorebirds and waterfowl in migration.

Pipe Creek Wildlife Area

INFO MAP OF PIPE CREEK WILDLIFE AREA Latitude: 41.4494 North Longitude: - 82.6726 West From U.S. Highway 6 on the east side of Sandusky, turn north on Cedar Point Drive, then turn right at River Avenue (just after the McDonald’s).  The small parking lot for Pipe Creek is at the end of River Avenue.  Impoundments are good for shorebirds, waterfowl, and wading birds, while the woods hold fallouts of songbirds during migration.  Note that traffic going to Cedar Point Amusement Park can be very heavy on warm weekends.

Point Pelee National Park

INFO ON POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK Point Pelee National Park extends from the mainland of Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It consists of a peninsula of land, mainly of marsh and woodland habitats, that tapers to a sharp point as it extends into Lake Erie. Middle Island, also part of Point Pelee National Park, was acquired in 2000 and is located just north of the Canada–United States border in Lake Erie. Point Pelee is the southernmost point of mainland Canada. Over 360 bird species have been recorded in the park. See our Jet Express Birding Excursion to the Park on May 5 & 13 under Birding by Jet and Ferry.

Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve

INFO MAP OF SHELDON MARSH STATE NATURE PRESERVE Latitude: 41.4102 North Longitude: - 82.6078 West Entrance is on the north side of U.S. Highway 6, about six miles east of Sandusky and about two miles west of Huron.  Trails lead out to Lake Erie shoreline.  Good for marsh birds most of year; woodlots host big concentrations of migrant songbirds in spring and fall.

For More Area Birding Information

For Other Birding Areas of Interest Visit Kenn Kaufman’s Crane Creek – Magee Birding Website: www.bsbo.org/birding/birding_hotspots.htm