BWIAB: It's Not All Birds

Northern Watersnake

I just spent the past few posts (OK, the past FOUR of SIX posts) talking about birding in northwestern Ohio at the Biggest Week in American Birding (BWIAB). 

During my almost 10 days at the event, I went on five guided van tours (each from about 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.), attended one on-site event to watch American Woodcocks doing their courtship dance (in full dark), attended four lectures and a banquet and spent all my "free time" birding at multiple sites around northwestern Ohio's bird-rich Lake Erie shore.

It was exhausting, but I saw 144 species of birds, gained 13 Lifers and captured lots of great photos of both the new and repeat birds. 

Finally decent photos of an American Redstart!

I had some really special moments, including ...

Seeing a King Rail that had been captured by a banding team

Getting to know a new part of the country

Seeing colorful Warblers in their breeding plumage (here: Magnolia, Chestnut-sided)

Encountering some very-hard-see bird species (here: Eastern Whip-poor-will)

Watching at least 20 Hawks (mostly Broad-winged) fly over in just a few minutes

Meeting lots of very interesting fellow birders

Of course, when you bird, you are looking for birds. Duh! 

But, I am always looking for anything interesting, including ... 

Animals (here: Midland Painted Turtles) ...

... bugs (here False Potato Beetle) ...

... and flowers

Let's see what else I saw during the week ...

Green Frog

Common Carp

Northern Watersnakes in Lake Erie

Eastern Fox Snakes

Eastern Gartersnake

Common Whitetail Skimmer

Muskrat

Eastern Cottontail

Red Squirrel

White-tailed Deer

Eastern Raccoon

A huge swarm of Honeybees

Common Snapping Turtle

Common Map Turtles

Midland Painted Turtles

Spiny Softshell Turtles

You may have noticed how muddy the water is in some photos. Yes, many tributaries into Lake Erie are extremely muddy, especially after recent rains.

Weirs Rapids, Maumee River

It was interesting to experience a part of America that I really haven't visited very often. Now, when I think of Ohio, I will first think of the incredible phenomenon that is spring migration.

Eastern Wood-Peewee

While experts find it difficult to pinpoint an exact number, some sources estimate that 3.5 billion birds migrate across the US in the spring. Birds fly northward each spring along unmarked routes known as flyways. Birds traveling along two paths, the Atlantic Flyway and the Mississippi Flyway, sometimes overlap above Ohio. 

Maps: Perky Pets

Some are passing through and many stay in Ohio to breed.

I saw Indigo Buntings in Roatan in April and then some in Ohio in May; same ones?

Birds are famous for not staying in their lanes.

Of the nearly 2,000 species of birds that live in North America, 450 have been documented visiting the state, the majority in May.

I also saw Summer Tanagers in Roatan

What a marvelous trip! 

Male Tree Swallows

But, it wasn't really over. I still had to drive home.

Off to the north woods!

Trip dates: May 3-21, 2025