Erie County 5/17--Least Flycatcher, Bank Swallow, Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee Warbler, Connecticut Warbler

Our final van trip of the vacation (and the last day we had to get up at 4:30 in the morning) was to the "Wilds of Erie County." Erie County seemed pretty far away to me when we hit it going west on our way to Toledo, but the places we were going were in the western part of the county, so it was only about an hour's drive to the first destination, Pipe Creek Wildlife Area.

This tour was run by a pro and, as it happens, he was also in charge of scheduling all the other trips for the festival. So he got to pick the place he wanted to go. I was happy to finally be birding with someone who knew how to lead a trip, but despite that, I was getting weary of being with a lot of other birders for the 3rd day in a row. It didn't help that two of the birders were "youth birders," two kids, 12 & 9, I think, who were birding fanatics already. I'm all for the next generation of birders, in theory, but in practice, I don't like being with kids, especially kids who talk talk talk talk. They were with their grandmother, who took a real interest in the birds in their hobby, and their mother, who could read a book while walking. I thought she should be grateful that her kids were doing something more intellectually stimulating than playing video games in the basement and maybe she was.

At Pipe Creek, on the shores of Lake Erie, we got Bank Swallows, a good look at a Least Flycatcher, and very fleeting glimpse of a Northern Waterthrush. The kids, with their young and (I admit it) more knowledgeable ears, were  hearing all kinds of stuff I wasn't. Of course, maybe if they had piped down a little, I would have had a better shot.

There were a surprising number of ducks in the impoundments--odd to see wigeons and Ruddy Ducks this time of year. We found a couple of Cedar Waxwings, which have been oddly sparse this year.

After a few hours at Pipe Creek we drove a short distance to our 2nd destination, Sheldon Marsh, which sounded to me like a television producer from the 60's. This was a park fashioned from someone's estate (there are quite a few of these former estates turned over to the public in Ohio) and it had a great trail running through woodlands. Here we got much better looks at Red-headed Woodpecker and Scarlet Tanager.

Photos: Shari Zirlin

We also picked up two difficult warblers--Tennessee Warbler (difficult for me because it is so bland in both looks and song) and Connecticut Warbler (difficult because it is a skulker). I saw the TEWA, I only heard the COWA, but at least it has a very loud, distinctive song, unlike some of the buzzy whispers many of the warblers have. (I don't know why they call them warblers, most of them hardly warble at all). Shari did see the COWA for a split second before it dove down into the underbrush once it knew it was being watched. 

POP QUIZ: Can you name the other "state" warblers without looking at a list? Warning: Virginia's Warbler doesn't count, it's a "lady warbler." 

72 species on my new Erie County, Ohio life list:

Species               First Sighting

Canada Goose     Pipe Creek

Mute Swan     Pipe Creek

Gadwall     Pipe Creek

American Wigeon     Pipe Creek

Mallard     Pipe Creek

Blue-winged Teal     Pipe Creek

Ruddy Duck     Pipe Creek

Double-crested Cormorant     Pipe Creek

Great Blue Heron     Pipe Creek

Great Egret     Pipe Creek

Turkey Vulture     Pipe Creek

Cooper's Hawk     Pipe Creek

Bald Eagle     Pipe Creek

American Coot     Pipe Creek

Spotted Sandpiper     Pipe Creek

Solitary Sandpiper     Pipe Creek

Ring-billed Gull     Pipe Creek

Herring Gull     Pipe Creek

Caspian Tern     Pipe Creek

Common Tern     Pipe Creek

Red-headed Woodpecker     Sheldon Marsh

Red-bellied Woodpecker     Pipe Creek

Downy Woodpecker     Pipe Creek

Eastern Wood-Pewee     Pipe Creek

Alder Flycatcher     Pipe Creek

Least Flycatcher     Pipe Creek

Eastern Phoebe     Pipe Creek

Great Crested Flycatcher     Sheldon Marsh

Eastern Kingbird     Pipe Creek

White-eyed Vireo     Sheldon Marsh

Warbling Vireo     Pipe Creek

Red-eyed Vireo     Pipe Creek

Blue Jay     Pipe Creek

American Crow     Sheldon Marsh

Northern Rough-winged Swallow     Pipe Creek

Tree Swallow     Pipe Creek

Bank Swallow     Pipe Creek

Barn Swallow     Pipe Creek

Tufted Titmouse     Sheldon Marsh

White-breasted Nuthatch     Sheldon Marsh

House Wren     Pipe Creek

Swainson's Thrush     Sheldon Marsh

American Robin     Pipe Creek

Gray Catbird     Pipe Creek

Northern Mockingbird     Pipe Creek

Cedar Waxwing     Pipe Creek

Northern Waterthrush     Pipe Creek

Black-and-white Warbler     Sheldon Marsh

Tennessee Warbler     Sheldon Marsh

Nashville Warbler     Sheldon Marsh

Connecticut Warbler     Sheldon Marsh

Common Yellowthroat     Pipe Creek

American Redstart     Pipe Creek

Northern Parula     Sheldon Marsh

Magnolia Warbler     Sheldon Marsh

Bay-breasted Warbler     Pipe Creek

Yellow Warbler     Pipe Creek

Chestnut-sided Warbler     Sheldon Marsh

Blackpoll Warbler     Pipe Creek

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Sheldon Marsh

Wilson's Warbler     Pipe Creek

Song Sparrow     Pipe Creek

Scarlet Tanager     Sheldon Marsh

Northern Cardinal     Pipe Creek

Rose-breasted Grosbeak     Sheldon Marsh

Indigo Bunting     Pipe Creek

Red-winged Blackbird     Pipe Creek

Common Grackle     Sheldon Marsh

Brown-headed Cowbird     Sheldon Marsh

Baltimore Oriole     Pipe Creek

House Finch     Sheldon Marsh

American Goldfinch     Pipe Creek