On a lark (impending pun intended) we set off to visit the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area today. It was a gorgeous, sunny day making travel, then walking the trail, a pleasure. Magee Marsh is a birder’s hot-spot due to the large protected wooded wetland set along the south shores of Lake Erie. It is a perfect spot for migratory birds to rest and refuel before or after their non-stop flights over the Great Lake. In the wildlife area, through bird songs were delightfully the dominant sounds around, we saw no exotic avian visitors. We caught a glimpse of a large bird, possibly an immature Bald Eagle, as it winged past — too much of a surprise for me to catch via camera. We did enjoy the color and the amazing aerobatics of the colorful resident Barn Swallows. One posed for a portrait, shown here. Most beautiful, though not pictured, were the many, many Great Egrets we saw in wet areas all around the area. We do admire our fine feathered friends!
Barn Swallow
All posts tagged Barn Swallow
It’s been tiring and stressful lately, let’s leave it at that. Today was a fine day to take a few minutes and begin to explore the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area on Lake Erie, not far east of Oregon, Ohio. Visiting the Bird Center was delightful. We were surrounded by swooping and diving Barn Swallows, singing and chattering Purple Martins, and the sounds of many other birds singing all around us. We saw a Baltimore Oriole, a Great Egret, a Great Blue Heron, and other birds, all in the space of an hour or less. It would have been easy to put out a lawn chair and lounge for hours in the shade –it was a hot day, around 84F– just relaxing, taking in the scene; I hope we do that some day. We had, however, someplace to go and loved ones to see, so departed all too soon.

