Every spring, a quiet magic takes over the southern shores of Lake Erie. Millions of migrating songbirds, exhausted from their journey north, drop out of the sky into a narrow strip of forest to rest and refuel before crossing the great lake.
This year, we packed up our camera bags and headed to Ohio for a five-day birding and photography blitz. The trip was our annual mission to visit family and attempt to photograph the dazzling, fast-moving jewels of the avian world—spring warblers.
Our Footsteps Through the Marshes
Day 1: May 13 – The Journey Begins
Our trek began late morning. We were all packed and ready to go as soon as Tammy completed a half day of work. By mid-afternoon, we arrived at our home base on Catawba Island, quickly unpacked, and reunited with the family. Eager to get our cameras moving right away, we headed straight out to a local favorite nature preserve to stretch our legs.
The moment we stepped onto the wooded trails, we were completely overwhelmed—the trees were absolutely full of birds. The canopy was alive with so much movement that it was genuinely hard to decide which bird to point the camera at first. One of the highlights of our afternoon walk was encountering an abundance of American Redstarts. They seemed to be everywhere in the foliage, flashing their brilliant orange and black tails as they darted after insects, making for a high-energy welcome to our trip. We capped off a perfect travel day with dinner and fresh local flavor at the Orchard Farm Stand before heading back to basecamp to charge batteries for the morning ahead.
Day 2: May 14 – Preserves, Pancakes & The Legendary Boardwalk
We started our first full day early with a quiet, peaceful walk through Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve to catch the birds at their most active. Afterward, we fueled up for an exciting day on our feet with a delicious breakfast at Dianna’s.
From there, it was time for the main event: the famous half-mile elevated boardwalk at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. The warblers were out in full force, feeding at eye level just feet away from our lenses. The eagles put on a display for us as well. After hours of tracking fast-moving targets, we treated ourselves to a hearty pizza dinner and a mandatory order of Piggy Nuckles (golden brown bite sized bread sticks soaked in garlic butter) at Porky’s Pizza Trof before heading back to Catawba Island to view our pictures.
Day 3: May 15 – Marshes, Diners, and Dog Beaches
The morning began with an early return pass through our local favorite nature preserve, but migration is full of surprises—unlike Day 1, the birds here were amazingly scarce. With the trees unusually quiet, we headed out for a classic diner breakfast at Big Bopper’s.
Next, we explored Meadowbrook Marsh, checking the beautiful trail system for any skulking warblers hiding out in the brush. Looking to pivot our luck in the afternoon, we headed over to the East Harbor State Park. As we hiked the dog-friendly Water’s Edge trail, we ended up seeing the most birds of the entire day right along the shoreline! We finished the evening with excellent Mexican food at Casa Las Palmas before unwinding back at the house with the family.
Day 4: May 16 – Refuges, Deep Water Marshes, and Mudflats
Another early morning found us back at our favorite local nature preserve catching the first light. After a repeat stop at Dianna’s for some of our favorite breakfasts, we stepped outside to find the weather threatening rain.
Because of the dark skies and impending downpour, we decided to stay dry and do the seasonal wildlife drive at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. It was the perfect choice for a moody, overcast day, allowing us to traverse the massive wetlands from the comfort of the car while spotting eagles, swans, and shorebirds.
As the weather cleared later in the afternoon, we hit the deep-water impoundments at Howard Marsh Metropark. Instead of craning our necks up into the branches, we trained our lenses low. We captured striking reflections of graceful Caspian Terns, large flocks of Dunlin probing the shallows, and even a stunning, Black-necked Stilt wading through the mudflats. We wrapped up our loop right next door at Metzger Marsh, where we captured photos of a Glossy Ibis before packing up our gear for our final night with family.
Day 5: May 17 – One Last Trail & Heading Home
We started our final morning by saying a fond farewell to our favorite local nature preserve with one last morning walk through the trees. After the quiet spell earlier in the week, the birds were officially back, and the birding was absolutely great! The branches were bouncing with activity once again, giving us a fantastic final hour at the preserve.
After returning to the house, we packed up our things and said our goodbyes to the family. With our bags loaded, we headed over to hike the gorgeous Magee Marsh Estuary Trail to finish our Ohio birding checklist strong, walking away with some of our absolute sharpest full-frame songbird images of the entire trip. After making the drive back across the state line, we officially concluded our incredible five-day adventure with a dinner at Salvino’s in Wayland, MI.
📸 The Photography “Hit List”
Photographing warblers is like trying to shoot a bouncing tennis ball in a dense forest. They are fast, erratic, and tiny. But over the trip, we managed to check some spectacular species off our bucket list:
| Warblers | Other Notable Birds |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Glossy Ibis |
| Prothonotary Warbler | Common Gallinule |
| Nashville Warbler | Pied-billed Grebe |
| Common Yellowthroat | Sandhill Crane (baby) |
| American Redstart | Black-necked Stilt |
| Cape May Warbler | Dunlin |
| Northern Parula | Least Sandpiper |
| Magnolia Warbler | Spotted Sandpiper |
| Bay-Breasted Warbler | Solitary Sandpiper |
| Blackburnian Warbler | Caspian Tern |
| Northern Yellow Warbler | Black Tern |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | American White Pelican |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | Snowy Egret |
| Palm Warbler | Great Egret |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | Cooper’s Hawk |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | Bald Eagle (with babies) |
| Canada Warbler | Baltimore Oriole |
| Wilson’s Warbler | Orchard Oriole |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | Scarlet Tanager |
| Blue-headed Vireo | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| Warbling Vireo | Indigo Bunting |
Top Takeaways for Bird Photographers
1. It’s All About the Wind: South winds bring the birds in, but north winds pin them down against the lake. If a warm south wind suddenly turns north, get to the boardwalk immediately.
2. Adapt and Pivot When Migration Shifts: Spring migration is incredibly fluid. A hotspot that is overflowing with warblers on Tuesday can feel like a ghost town by Thursday morning. When the activity at your favorite wooded trail suddenly goes quiet, don’t pack up the gear—pivot your strategy. Look to alternative habitats like shoreline beach trails, or head to the open marshes where shorebirds and terns thrive regardless of the songbird movement.
3. Look Low: When rainy or cold weather hits, insects drop to the lower branches and forest floor. Don’t just look up; some of your best full-frame shots will happen near your boots.
Final Thoughts
Beyond the 90+ species of birds we logged, the best part of the trip was sharing the patience, the frustrations of missed focus, and the absolute triumphs of a clean shot with each other. There is nothing quite like being surrounded by nature, great friends, and the spectacular soundtrack of spring migration.
Until next year
This post was written with the AI assistance of Gemini
Leave a Reply