This week, the annual event called The Biggest Week in American Birding is happening in northwest Ohio. I took this picture of a prothonotary warbler last year at the festival.
Thousands of birders will converge at the Magee Marsh to watch and photograph the tens of thousands—maybe more—of warblers and other birds migrating north. The Magree Marsh is a favorite stopping place for the birds. It has a wide boardwalk winding through it, with several raised viewing platforms.
The event is amazing not just for the shear numbers of birds, but also for how easy it is to see them right at eye level. Many of these birds are more often heard than seen, because they spend most of their days flitting about high in the trees. Warbler neck is a real problem for many birders. But it’s no problem at the Magee Marsh this week, because so many of the birds are right in front of you.
I’ll post some of my other favorite shots from last year throughout the week. The event has a website you should visit if you’re thinking about going (and you should), at www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com. It’s located about an hour’s drive east of Toledo.