The Biggest Week in American Birding: Day 2 (Ohio), 7th May

For my second day I was glued to the magical Magee Marsh boardwalk, THE place for American Warblers. What I had not banked on was some classic turbulent midwest weather. Gusty winds, rumor of a tornado, chilling rain, and then sunny during the afternoon after we had been soaked, chilled to the bone, and blown this way and that! In spite of all these birding hazards (largely due to me being ill-prepared for any of this after my long stint on the Upper Texas Coast) the birding was good. After the stormy morning birds started to drop down lower bin the trees, and we all enjoyed some fantastic views of what we are all here for: WARBLERS. A Blackburnian Warbler threw out the rule book and decided to flit around almost within touching distance, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo tried drying off from the morning's rain during a sunny spell, Black-throated Greens dangled invitingly as if to ward off the Blackburnian from trying to steal the title for most showy warbler in Magee, Nashvilles lurked unusually low in the undergrowth, as did a stonking male Hooded Warbler, while an Ovenbird or two prowled the leaf litter. Late in the afternoon I finally caught up with the female Golden-winged Warbler that had frustrated me all day, while a few Gray-cheeked Thrushes and Veerys also gave choice looks just off the boardwalk.

International Migratory Bird Day up next at Magee Marsh...