Thursday, May 15, 2003        Point Pelee, ONT
Rain with wind and cold blustery weather greeted us upon awaking in Wheatley.  Oh, oh!  It rained most of the 25-minute drive to Point Pelee National Park.  By the time we got together with our Friends of Point Pelee guides, Sarah Rupert (head naturalist at the Park) and Peter Read, and started seeing birds, the rain and wind had died down.  This didn't much matter as we were all pumped up anyway to be finally seeing the Eastern warblers we had been studying since January.  Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart, and Tennessee Warbler were seen early on the Tip Road.  Although the trees and bushes were mostly not leafed out yet, the birds were still very active and often challenging for everyone to find.  Numerous other Eastern birds caught our attention like Eastern Towhee, Eastern Kingbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal and Baltimore Oriole.  Richard Trier appreciated the Gray Catbird, to him "understated but elegant."  A highlight of the morning was a Connecticut Warbler on the Woodland Trail, singing teasingly, very briefly seen by a few of us, missed by most.  From the footbridge on the trail back Black-throated Blue, Yellow, and Blackburnian Warblers and Ovenbird were seen.

After a picnic lunch, we headed out to the Tip with Lake Erie surrounding us.  Had great views of Canada, Nashville, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, plus the three main vireos here (Red-eyed, Blue Headed and an oblivious Warbling), and immature Great Black-backed Gulls.  Particularly striking were the brilliant male Scarlet Tanagers and the subdued females.  Unusual for Point Pelee was a rather bright orange Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, lurking in rocks at the beach edge and surrounded by photographers.  Unusual for us was the strong yellow supercilium of a Savannah Sparrow.

The day ended with a fun group dinner and group bird list at the Car Barn Restaurant in Wheatley.  Some of us instead tried for American Woodcock in the evening.  Missed that but did get warblers missed during the day, several Bay-breasted and Palm Warblers. A good omen.  At day's end an impressive 24 warblers had been identified by at least one person in our group. 

Friday, May 16, 2003        Point Pelee, ONT
We started the morning at the Tip in sunny brisk weather.  In fact it was so brisk on the windy eastern edge of the Tip that it felt like winter there but warmer spring on the leeward western side.  Both the birds and us preferred the warmer western side.  Immediate sightings were Black-throated Blue and Blackpoll Warblers.  Chestnut-sided Warblers and Wilson's Warblers were numerous and especially easy to approach closely.  When they were literally just down at our feet it was remarkable how small and delicate warblers actually are.  Blackburnian Warblers seemed particularly dazed and, as one of us said, "almost jumping in our hands."  A Mourning Warbler near the tram stop delighted about half of us who saw it and alerted the others who would get good views later in the trip.  Two Yellow-billed Cuckoos moved ahead of us as we walked back to the visitor's center.  Near the visitor's center were an Ovenbird and an Orange-crowned Warbler.

Our leisurely picnic lunch was abruptly terminated by the announcement over the radios from Lena Hayashi "Connecticut Warbler on the Tilden Trail."  Over the next 45 minutes (was it an hour and a half?) everyone in our group and the hundred others on the trail, were thrilled to get views as good as can be generally expected from Connecticut Warbler.  We definitely experienced its stealth mouse-style of walk-skulking behind and under the brush.

John and Bev Hargrove at the Tip managed to see Black-billed Cuckoo and the Cape May and Bay-breasted Warblers most of us hadn't yet seen.

The remaining afternoon was spent with the drive back to the U.S. and south onto Oregon, Ohio.  The feared border crossing and immigrations check went more smoothly than we expected, with perhaps a 10 minute wait in the slow-moving line of cars and at most a 30-second stop at the entrance station.  More fearsome to some of us apparently was the short drive through gritty urban Detroit, getting from the end of the Ambassador Bridge from Canada to the freeway heading south to Ohio.  Another lively group dinner was enjoyed at the Bayshore Supper Club in Oregon.

Saturday, May 17, 2003        Magee Marsh--Crane Creek, OH
About 20 minutes east of our hotel in Oregon was our main birding stop for the day.  Magee Marsh within Crane Creek State Park, right on the south edge of Lake Erie, presented our first Bay-breasted and Cape May Warblers able to be seen by all.  And they were almost the first birds we saw at the entrance to the boardwalk just as we arrived in the morning.  The resident naturalist, Paul Sherwood, was fortunately available to be with us on the boardwalk trail throughout the morning.  He presented helpful information on Magee Marsh and its birds and shared our enjoyment in watching the bobbing and sauntering American Woodcock and the sleeping Eastern Screech-Owl and Hoary Bat.  He also pointed out a thick brown Northern Water Snake, curled up asleep in branches above the marsh waters.

Trip Assistant Linda Oberholtzer observed: "Walt Glowski came hurriedly down the boardwalk of Magee Marsh panting. 'I can't keep up with all the birds!' he exclaimed. As he was headed for stop number 32 on the boardwalk to see a Hoary Bat hanging upside down in a tree, the radio cracked with news of an Eastern Screech-Owl asleep in a tree at stop 12.  No sooner had he rushed to this spot, he got a call on the radio to come to stop 7A to see a Woodcock.  It seemed like no sooner had we reached the end of the boardwalk, that we were called back to the parking lot area at the beginning with news of new birds.  A Mourning Warbler was reported, as well as sightings of Cape May, Blackburnian, Yellow, and Chestnut-sided Warblers.  This was how the first day started at Magee Marsh. At times the excitement was overwhelming."

A group of about 35 young Amish birders also were fascinating to see.  They wore the traditional homemade clothes of hand-stitched black and white cloth.  The young men eagerly birded, talking excitedly among themselves in their unusual accent, while the young women mostly just sat.  Paul Sherwood explained that they don't watch TV or play video games.  They're close to nature and this is their recreation.  (Sounds like us.)  They're very good birders, some of the best in the state, Paul said.

After a group picnic lunch on the edge of Lake Erie, we were treated to Bald Eagles from a nearby nest.   Also a treat was a Common Nighthawk sleeping on a tree branch right above the shoulder of the road entering the marsh.  On each side of the causeway crossing the marsh were numerous entertaining pairs of protective Canada Geese, often attending their group of 5 or 6 fuzzy goslings.  The small, treed birding area at Metzger Marsh, on the shore of Lake Erie west of Magee Marsh, was slow, at best.  However, a Red Fox did give us some excitement as he peered out from his burrow.  After an afternoon break and early dinner we enjoyed the late afternoon and early evening flush of bird activity back at Magee Marsh.  Particularly enjoyable was the viewing tower on the west side providing eye level birds in the afternoon light and then the light of the sunset.  Here Steve Metildi got especially satisfying photos of Blackburnian, Palm, and Black-throated Green Warblers, plus Philadelphia and Warbling Vireos. 

Sunday, May 18, 2003        Magee Marsh--Crane Creek, OH
A few Bobolinks in a corn stubble field near Metzger Marsh and a few trilling Chipping Sparrows were all we could find in the early morning before returning to Magee Marsh. Although no new species were found at Magee Marsh, most of us were able to fill in holes in our bird lists and get the satisfying, better-views-desired of birds already seen.  This included many people getting great views of a relatively obliging Connecticut Warbler, seen off and on for at least an hour, and of a couple of Mourning Warblers.  One tree held three or four female warblers, including a challenging cryptic Blackpoll.

At different times of this day many of us got our fill of close-up Bank Swallows in a large flock (100+) at Metzger Marsh.  After another picnic lunch, we departed Magee Marsh for the 4 to 5 hour drive to Tawas City, Michigan.  The largest sporting goods store in the world, Cabela's in Michigan, provided an entertaining break in the drive for, it seemed, most of us.  Everyone got to Tawas City in time for an enjoyable group dinner and bird list at the Lakeshore, Too restaurant.

Monday, May 19, 2003        Tawas Point, MI
Tawas Point State Park, pointing south, felt like a miniature version of Point Pelee, including smaller, much more spaced apart trees.  Birds, warblers in particular, were being funneled through relatively low and sparse vegetation toward and back from the point of this narrow peninsula.  Highlight birds included Golden-winged Warbler, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers and cooperative male and female Black-throated Blue Warbler.  An American Kestral had a nest in the stately-looking Lighthouse.

After lunch in East Tawas, we tried for grassland birds along Oaks Road off the well-known Alabaster Road south of Tawas City.  Although no Henslow's Sparrows were detected, most got good views of Bobolinks and Clay-colored Sparrows.

Next onto Tuttle Marsh northwest of Tawas City.  The expected waterbirds were not in evidence.  However, we enjoyed four Osprey associated with an active nest and numerous graceful Black Terns.  And then it happened.  Linda Gray found and finally convinced skeptics that what she was seeing was in fact our first Prothonotary Warbler, a bright yellow male.  Everyone had wonderful views of him, who is somewhat unusual for this area.  A couple of local birders came along, quite happy to enjoy our find and said they would notify the rare bird people.

Our last birding stop of the afternoon was at the Canoers' Monument, high overlooking the lush AuSable River Valley.  The target bird was Pine Warbler.  It fairly quickly responded to a CD playing its song and gave us numerous but challenging views from the tops and backs of pine trees.  Black-throated Blue Warbler also came into its recorded song.  Most surprising was a bird giving back the song of Cerulean Warbler to its recorded song on a commercial CD.  We could not ever get this bird to come into view to dispel our (Roy's) disbelief.  It was heard when we first arrived (on the men's bathroom-break slope) and again there when we made a second attempt to call in the bird.  After talking to the wildlife biologist at the forest service office with jurisdiction over this area and after re-evaluating the identicalness of what was heard to the CD, Roy has concluded it was Cerulean Warbler.  The biologist agreed that warblers don't mimic each other and, although not expected there, said Cerulean had been found nearby before.

Linda Oberholtzer on this last stop: "Sitting on the leafy forest floor, we listened to the sounds of the woods. Roy played the songs of the Black-throated Green and the Cerulean Warbler and a voice replied.  Beverly Hargrove (who had recently been hearing Ceruleans sing in Missouri) identified it as the song of the Cerulean. We sat transfixed, listening to the beautiful sounds of different birds as tall pine trees loomed over us. We felt transported to a different time and place."

After checking into our hotel in Mio and doing our nightly group bird list, half the group went out owling west of Mio.  American Woodcock was giving its "painting" call vocalization in the dark on one side of the road as we got out of our cars.  Almost immediately a Whip-poor-will started calling loudly and called for most of the hour of so we were out on the other side of the road.  As we were walking toward an opening to call for Barred Owl, the initial portion of the Woodcock display vocalization was heard.  Barred Owl never responded to our CD.

Tuesday, May 20, 2003        Mio, MI
Most of the 10 or so late birders from last night's owling were also the early birders who went out at 5:55 AM, amidst light rain, to look for Ruffed Grouse close to where we were last night.  A stop on the way in the forest to play Barred Owl, to hopefully elicit response, instead gave us probably the most ethereal and enchanting dawn chorus any of us had ever heard.  Numerous bird species were singing; particularly beautiful were Hermit Thrushes and American Robins echoing through the forest.  Because we were hustling to get to the Ruffed Grouse spot, we stayed for only a couple of minutes.  But everyone felt that this was a glimpse into something wondrous, that we would all want to repeat, soon.

No grouse were detected from their designated spot, but we did see our first Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Black-capped Chickadees, plus a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  And we heard loud Ovenbird "everywhere", with a conservative number of 30 heard this wet early morning.

Linda O.:  "The forest looked enchanting as we drove through the shrouds of mist that blanketed the ground. When we started walking into the woods, there was an eerie feeling, as if something was watching us. Sounds ethereal and flutelike came floating through the air to our ears. It was a magical moment."

Everyone then checked out of our hotel in Mio.  Phil Huber, the supervisor from the Mio Forest Service, took us through drizzling rain to a relatively young Jack Pine forest. Within a few minutes he alone heard, far off in the distance, a singing Kirtland's Warbler.  Within a minute we could spot a bright yellow Kirtland's some 200-300' away.  Soon he flew away.  But just then another Kirtland's Warbler was found, almost as far away and to the left and less bright yellow.  Not long after he also flew away - this time, closer to us.  He was found not more than 30' feet from where we were standing on the road and he stayed, singing, in view for a long 5 or 10 minutes!  The rain had stopped and we were all a pretty happy bunch.

Phil then took us to a couple of other spots for Kirtland's Warbler and for Upland Sandpiper. Here and there about half the group departed for their trips home.  Some stayed till we heard another Kirtland's and later (after Phil and still others departed) flushed an Upland Sandpiper.

Only a few of us remained for lunch in Mio, after which we tried another forested spot where Ruffed Grouse might be.  No grouse, but a few American Goldfinch, a Black-capped Chickadee and a few warblers, including a perfect male Tennessee Warbler.

At the trip's end our group's tally of warblers numbered a whopping 32!  And 161 total species.  Our months of warbler study made it easy to ID warblers in the field.  Most of the time everyone could ID the plumages seen without looking in a field guide.  It was especially fun to often see numerous individuals of each species in their spring plumage of bright active colors.  Most people did see most or all of the expected species, and more.  Having no biting insects to bother us at any time was fortunate.  Most satisfying to Roy was that this trip did manage to both create the freedom and capability for diverse individual desires for activity and also create a warm and generous group cohesiveness. 

Roy heartily thanks Sylvia Gallagher for providing us with such a wonderful background in Warblers,  Linda Oberholtzer for assisting him on the trip in all the little ways that made the trip so much more enjoyable for all; Carol Getz for coordinating the room mates and the arrival- departure times; Sea & Sage Audubon for their willingness to sponsor these trips, and Nancy Kenyon for taking care of the reservations,  pre-trip information, financial arrangements with the hotels, and post- trip bird lists. 
 
 
 

                                                                      till next time