Howard Marsh birds

As the name of this blog has "birds" in it, it's high time that I posted a few. So, some birds follow, but first a brief intro.

On August 18, I made a long overdue trip to the marshes of western Lake Erie, just east of Toledo, Ohio. The primary target was Howard Marsh Metropark, a superb example of a restored wetland owned and managed by Metroparks Toledo. Metroparks acquired the 1,000-acre property in 2008, and a few years later opened the original wetland component on the east side of Howard Road. The avian response was instant and spectacular.

Then, just this year, phase II on the west side of Howard Road opened. Again, the birds, both migrants and breeders, took to the site with a vengeance. Build it and they will come, especially if a wetland restoration on a site that used to be wetlands.

One could make the case that various regional and county metroparks systems are now at the forefront of conservation on the state level. Funded by levies and usually overwhelmingly supported by the public, park districts such as Metroparks Toledo are doing lots of great things. Their management practices and goals are progressive, and their staff tend to be ecologically literate and in tune to conservation of biodiversity, both flora and fauna. Howard Marsh is a shining example, and well worth a visit.

The noisy gakkering of the world's largest tern, the Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) greeted me upon arrival. A noisy mob was roosting on a mudflat, including many juveniles.

An incoming tern drops a fish. It deftly re-snagged it midair a moment later. This parent was heading towards the shoal with its complement of loudly begging juveniles. Young Caspian Terns follow their parents around for months, depending on them for food. Apparently, the learning curve of aerial fishing is steep and takes time to master.

A hen Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) shows off her namesake patch. Many Blue-winged Teal were congregated here. Some of them probably bred locally. This is the least hardy of our fowl: early to migrate south, late to return in spring, and almost unheard of in winter. Most blue-wings winter south of the U.S., with some venturing all the way to South America.

A Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) teeters around Howard Marsh. It was one of about a half-dozen that I saw. This fantastical shorebird with bubblegum-pink legs is now a regular sight in Ohio. Stilts are conspicuous extroverts and call more attention to themselves with loud, grating calls. By 1900, unchecked market hunting had greatly reduced their numbers, but over a century later, stilts have increased greatly. Their comeback includes recolonizing former ranges such as the western Lake Erie marshes, where they now nest sparingly, such as at Howard Marsh.

Lots of shorebird species were present at Howard Marsh, and as usual in late summer the yellowlegs were common and conspicuous. Lesser Yellowlegs (photo below) outnumbered Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca, above photo) by a good margin, also to be expected. These are adult birds. The juveniles migrate later and will start to appear by August's end. Shorebirds are one of the marvels of bird migration. Many of our sandpiper and plover species breed in Arctic or near-Arctic regions and make incredible migrations thousands of miles southward to wintering grounds, a few species traveling nearly to the southern tip of the globe. And the juveniles do this without parental guidance, utilizing a pre-programmed built-in GPS system.

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

A juvenile Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) forages in Howard Marsh. All three phalarope species are rarities in Ohio and always a treat to see. The other two, Red-necked and Red phalaropes, breed in the far north, well into Polar Bear country. Wilson's Phalarope nests primarily in the prairie pothole region of the western U.S. and adjacent Canada. It's a rare nester in the western marshes of Lake Erie, and perhaps that's where this one was spawned. Phalaropes often swim like little ducks, rapidly spinning in circles. This creates a vortex that pulls prey to the surface.

I look forward to more trips to Howard Marsh, and highly encourage a visit.