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April 18, 2006
SPRING MIGRATION COMES TO SHELDON MARSH STATE NATURE PRESERVE
Event third in Natural Areas Discovery Series
 COLUMBUS, OH - The songs of migrating neotropical birds will greet visitors at the next Natural Areas Discovery event. Well-known for its migratory guests, Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve will host an open house from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 29.
The open house will feature two guided hikes, at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., for novice and expert birdwatchers alike. Colorful neotropical warblers, shorebirds and waterfowl will be the featured sights for those joining either hike. Visitors are encouraged to bring their field guides and binoculars.
Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve is located in Erie County along Lake Erie’s southern shore. The water, shore and surrounding upland of this 463-acre site provide unique habitat for nearly 300 species of birds. Numbers are greatest in the spring and fall when migrating birds stop to rest before or after crossing Lake Erie. Birds often seen in the spring include yellow, yellow-rumped, yellow-throated and palm warblers, as well as blue-gray gnatcatchers, black-throated blues and American redstarts.
The preserve protects one of the last remaining barrier beaches in the Lake Erie region. The beach separates Lake Erie from the East Sandusky Bay. Notable plant species growing along the beach include silverweed, inland sea rocket, seaside spurge and bushy cinquefoil. For more information on the open house, call 440-839-1561.
Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, the Natural Areas Discovery Series features scheduled hikes, interpretive activities and an opportunity for visitors to meet preserve and scenic river staff. Programs are held from April to October. The next event will be held Saturday, May 6 at Eagle Creek State Nature Preserve in Portage County.
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