Seaside Vacations

Few people have the opportunity to see two dozen of the most majestic birds in the northern hemisphere.  These birds are commonly referred to as pelagic species.  

The Outer Banks has a wide variety of wildlife, including amazing birds.  However, just off the coast of the Outer Banks towards the Gulf Stream are some hard to find species of birds.  Birders that are familiar with the common terns that are typically seen on the OBX may be astonished by the birds that are encountered on the high seas…

• Garry Durham was fishing at the East Branch Reservoir when an American avocet touched down.

• The Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area in Sandusky County has been the shorebird hotspot recently, featuring red knots, Hudsonian and marbled godwits, and Western, Baird’s, white-rumped, stilt, and pectoral sandpipers, red-necked and Wilson’s phalaropes, both dowitchers, both yellowlegs, ruddy turnstones, black-bellied plover, and black terns, reported Kenn Kaufman, Gabe Leidy and Chris Pierce.

• The first wave of fall warblers arrived at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center last week, Scott Van Valkenburg reported. They included Blackburnian, black-and-white, chestnut-sided and yellow-rumped.

• Jeanne Hrenko tracked down a male mourning warbler skulking in the shrubs at the Beaty Landing MetroPark in Painesville.

• Two merlins at Carver Pond near the Holden Arboretum were a surprising find for Haans Petruschke.

• Sandy Ridge Park in North Ridgeville has hosted good numbers of shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors recently, as well as busy beavers. Naturalist Tim Fairweather will begin leading the fall bird walks on Wednesdays beginning Aug. 26 at 7:30 a.m.