NW Ohio summer birding places to visit

Spent a wonderful day with the birds, butterflies and dragonflies in Williams County on Tuesday, June 20.

Birds of note: About 60 Bobolinks (~40 of these in two large fields), 6 Dickcissels (1 female) in 3 separate locations, and 8 Henslow's Sparrows found in 5 different locations. All the Henslow's were singing males but I was only able to see 2 of them. Other birds of interest: 2 Cerulean warblers, 1 Chat, 4 Redstarts, 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, 1 Hooded warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, 1 Grasshopper Sparrow, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Osprey and Acadian Flycatchers among others.

Butterflies: Baltimore Checkerspot, Bronze Copper, Giant Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, and Red Spotted Purple.

Dragonflies: Halloween Pennant, Banded Pennant, Eastern Amberwing, Prince Baskettail, Blue Dasher, Eastern Pondhawk, Dot-Tailed Whiteface, Twelve-Spotted Skimmer, Common Whitetail, and Widow Skimmer.

And, unfortunately, a road kill Short-Tailed Weasel.

Roads driven were County Roads S, 575, Q-50, 6, P-50, 7, and R.

Good numbers of Dickcissels are back at Stony Ridge this year. I found many pairs (including several nests) behind private property along Stony Ridge road yesterday.

I do think these birds are accessible; Take route 20 east toward Fremont from I-75 to Stony Ridge road. Go south. There is a public park/playground on the east side of the road. Drive back there and park. Walk south to the south edge of that area and look/listen in the clover field to the south.

Other birds in this field included Grasshopper and Savannah sparrows among others.

I would be curious to know what the average territory size of a Dickcissel is supposed to be. I counted at least 17 males in an area of only 3.5 acres (!), and could hear plenty more in the properties surrounding me. I found 2 active nests no further than 70 meters apart, and I suspect the field was filled with breeding pairs.

A short trip out to Hidden Lake Gardens near Tecumseh this morning yielded quite a few warblers. Of the 16 species there were 2 Golden-winged and 1 Hooded. Other highlights were 3 Pileated Woodpeckers, 2 Sandhill cranes, 5 Vieros, and the most Swainson's Thrushs I have seen outside of Crane Creek.