Arrivals to Detroit Airport, and pick-up at 230pm, followed by a 1-hr drive. We may do a little late afternoon birding before check-in, but we will aim to begin dinner by 730pm. Night at our lodge near Toledo.

Our daily plan will remain flexible but we will hit a combination of the following locations and possibly others too.

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area: A place that will likely feature prominently during our week in Ohio, the famous Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is a true birding hotspot! The swamp forest habitat runs up against the shore of Lake Eerie, and creates a perfect stop-over site for migrating songbirds. We will wander down the 1.2 mile long boardwalk through the swamp forest, enjoying a wide array of migrant songbirds, especially warblers! A few warbler species we might see here include: Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Blue-winged, Prothonotary, Mourning, Cape May, and Black-throated Blue Warblers. Some other migratory birds often make an appearance here, like Eastern Whip-poor-will and Black-billed Cuckoo. We also stand a good chance of finding a sleeping Eastern Screech-Owl or American Woodcock while working our way around the boardwalk.

Howard Marsh Metropark: In the afternoon, we may visit Howard Marsh Metropark, where we can find a few wetland species and migrant shorebirds like American Golden-Plovers, Dunlin, and both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Howard Marsh also has a few resident Yellow-headed Blackbirds that we will look for. This charismatic marsh bird is typically a ‘western’ species, and will make for a fun addition to our Ohio trip.

Maumee Bay Lodge: Birding the grounds around the lodge can also be quite rewarding. Walking the 2.3 mile loop boardwalk through swamp forest is a great place to spot any overshoot migrants like Hooded, Kentucky, and Worm-eating Warblers. The forest here also holds Red-headed Woodpeckers, Eastern Screech-Owls, and Swamp Sparrows. The marsh on the east end of the property is a great spot to listen to American Bitterns sounding off with their unique “kerPLUNK”-ing calls.

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark: This unique metropark, located just west of Toledo, is one of the best sites to see a few specialties that aren’t common elsewhere in northern Ohio. The sandy soil and unique plant life make it very different to the more typical hardwood forest parks around Toledo. The biggest target for our visit to Oak Openings will be Lark Sparrow, followed by Henslow’s Sparrow and Summer Tanager.

Pearson Metropark: A remnant of Black Swamp, with a mix of old growth forest and wetland habitats, here we might bump into birds like Blue-winged Teal, Sora, American Woodcock, Broad-winged Hawks, Least Flycatcher, Black-capped Chickadees, Gray-cheeked Thrush, White-crowned Sparrow, with some of the more regular warblers here being, Nashville, Magnolia, Blackburnian, and Black-throated Blue.

Morning Birding & Departure. After another morning hitting the hotspots and trying to round up any species that have eluded us so far, after lunch we will head for the Detroit Airport with the plan to arrive by 4pm.