Lakeshore birdwatching Apr 19, 2003

Raptors and passerines - I started birding at 9:00 A.M. at the Lake Erie Science Center. Skies were mostly cloudy; temps were about 60; winds were calm.

Around the center I observed: Hermit Thrush, Caspian Tern, White-throated Sparrow, Winter Wren, Junco, 2 Cooper's Hawks, 5 Sharpies, Wood Ducks, Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 Broadwing Hawk, Field Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Swamp Sparrow, 1 Turkey Vulture. I quit birding here around 10:15. Since I saw so many raptors, I decided to visit the sledding hill at Maumee Bay State Park.

I first went to the MBSP nature center to use the bathroom. There were at least five Purple Martins hanging around the plastic gourds by the nature center. I was on the hill by 10:30. There were eight Amish birders on the hill, counting hawks. They all had scopes, and they were good at spotting birds. Their IDing was a little agressive. They seemed to be in competition with each other to try and be the one to find that rare raptor. At one point, several of the Amish thought a Golden Eagle was coming towards us. I was paying no attention. They were spotting birds way out there, and I figured I would wait until it passed us. Finally, one of the Amish asked me if I wanted to see the Golden Eagle. I faked surprise, and turned down looking through his scope, and focused on the big bird coming our way with my binos. We had been looking at a lof Sharpies and Broadwings, so a good-sized raptor would look huge. I watched the bird get close, and I noticed a lot of white underneath the bird. I then saw a big spot in the carpal area of each wing. I didn't say anything. The Amish corrected themselves and said it was a Rough-legged Hawk. Still a nice sighting.