Shorebird migration in Ohio is heating up, and the trip was planned to take full advantage of shorebird habitat. We took off from Worthington Mall at 5:30 am, heading for the harbor in Conneaut, Ohio, which is affectionately known to birders as the “Sandspit.”
Upon arrival, we drove out onto the beach (perfectly legal), got out of the car and had point blank views of a few dozen shorebirds. Many other birders were already there, taking stunning photographs of American Golden Plovers, Baird’s Sandpiper and Stilt Sandpiper. We lingered for a couple hours, watching birds fly in and out at close range. We watched the Golden Plovers take off together, apparently continuing their migration, and decided it was time to depart as well.
Mosquito Lake was a new location for us. Here there were expansive mudflats and scopes were mandatory – in other words, normal Ohio shorebirding conditions. We tried to stay in the meager shade as temperatures were soaring into the 90s, made even worse by the oppressive humidity. But the environmental conditions were quickly forgotten as we got good looks at a Marbled Godwit and other sandpipers. A Black-bellied Plover roamed the mudflats, peeking in and out of some scrubby bushes. Nine Sandhill Cranes were lounging in the shade. The reported ibis made an appearance, but like the others before us, we were unable to tell if it was a Glossy Ibis (most likely) or its close relative, the White-faced Ibis. Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Phoebe and a Red-headed Woodpecker added to our enjoyment of the site.  After a few hours practicing our shorebird identification skills, and sharing with other birders, who came and went,  we retreated to our air conditioned car.
The Wilderness Road peat field in Wayne County has provided consistently good fall shorebird habitat for a number of years. Hundreds of swallows were congregating on the wires, mostly Barn Swallows, with a few Bank and Tree Swallows adding to the mix.  As we were driving down the road, a report came in (Smart Phones are great for birders) that Buff-Breasted Sandpipers were seen within the last hour. Several other birders directed us to the area of the sighting and we located three “Buffies” on the freshly turned peat field. We each found an American Golden Plover, among good numbers of Killdeer and a few Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Even though we are Avids, the stifling heat and humidity got the better of us: after about an hour of observing, we decided to head for home.  A couple of American Kestrels and a Belted Kingfisher entertained us, flying around the utility wires as we left Wilderness Road. Within 30 minutes we ran into an unexpected thunderstorm with strong winds, while the temperature dropped 15 degrees. The storm was short lived, but we were glad to be in the car not out in the field! From a birding standpoint, I-71 was boring as usual, the only car birds being Red-tailed Hawks on that stretch of highway. Overall a great trip, relaxed birding and good conversation.
You can view an album of photos of the trip taken by Lisa Phelps on Flickr.com.
List of species seen:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Glossy/White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Marbled Godwit
Stilt Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow