In a deplorable demonstration of indecisiveness and creeping democracy, Avid Birders leaders allowed the assembled multitudes to choose our destination this time. We’d been unable to make up our minds between Michigan—for its hawk-watching and shorebirding possibilities, and a likelier duller but more familiar trip along our side of Lake Erie. Stunned at having a choice, the crowd was silent for a while, but eventually from the 5:15 a.m. darkness murmurs became audible: “Sheldon Marsh.” What was once called “Sheldon’s Folly” is the state nature preserve bought for duck-hunting decades ago by the local obstetrician who grew to like live birds better than dead ones. And so there we went, a little uncertain about what exactly to do thereafter, as the weather made hopes for a good movement of raptors or nearshore forays by migrating jaegers pretty dim. We’d had a fairly long run of fairly routine, or, yes, even disappointing outings, and we found it easy to keep our expectations low.
A gray day with a southerly breeze met us at Sheldon, as did friends from the area, who briefed us on local history all the way up to the recent controversial diking of the marsh’s edge by a local business, backed by influential forces who may have the greased the way for a sweetheart Corps of Engineers permit without a public hearing. This State Nature Preserve is one of the few remaining marsh areas along the Ohio shore of Lake Erie that remains undiked and open to the wild influences of the Lake, with all the consequences for birds, other animals, plant life, and water quality. Public outcry has stalled further “progress” on the dike for the moment.
Chips of migrant birds sounded along the entry road as we walked in, and we were even able to find out, in a few cases, the species making them. Late-calling local birds inhabited the forest—pewees, warbling and red-eyed vireos, chickadees—but further along the mudflats and spatterdock of the main marsh revealed only a few killdeers and a solitary—very solitary—sandpiper. More migrants in the willows at the beach were outnumbered by mosquitoes, and the sand was empty. The leaders were finally starting to get a grip, and we decided to go next to some Sandusky area sites, Pipe Creek WA and Turning Point Island.
On the way, we passed the entrance road to the old Cedar Point Causeway, last year’s legendary shorebird, larid, and wader site, which has thus far this year been inundated. A glimpse of a large aggregation of pale gray roosting birds through the trees induced us to just have a look, and what we saw kept us there till noon. Mudflats were exposed, and places for birds to loaf and feed. Before we’d left we’d found sixteen species of shorebirds, including no fewer than three red-necked phalaropes, and thousands of terns, hundreds of herons and egrets. A merlin strafed the terns, getting them all up in a white swirl, and was himself eventually chased away before he could get lunch.
Pipe Creek was empty of other humans, the impoundments full of stagnant water, but lots of warblers and thrushes and vireos were in the woods near the parking lot, and a long hot dike walk did yield, for some, a pair of least bitterns and a sora. Turning Point Island was nearly empty this late after nesting season, but everyone learned how to find it when it won’t be. Ice cream restored us for a last push, first at mostly empty and overgrown Medusa Marsh, then at quiet flooded Pickerel Creek WA before we turned south, most of us aiming for a last stop at Hoover Reservoir back home and a day list we hoped would reach 100, as we stood at 90 by then.
Hoover had more mosquitoes and plenty of birds to eat them. Our walk to the shorebird flats was constantly interrupted by sightings of new species: more warblers, wrens, nuthatches, gnatcatchers, two early creepers, etc. Out on the flats it was hard to miss three exquisite avocets, and among the multitudes of shorebirds some other new species for the day, 30+ stilt sandpipers and a very attractive snipe. Our shorebird list grew to a surprising 19 for a day in which we hadn’t dared to hope for double figures, and we added more birds on the walk back, for an impressive 115 for the day. It was a nice change from our recent slogging pace, but of course we don’t delude ourselves that democratic procedures had anything to do with it.
