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April 25, 2007
SPRING MIGRATION COMES TO SHELDON MARSH STATE NATURE PRESERVE
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Palm Warbler |
COLUMBUS, OH - The songs of migrating neotropical birds will greet visitors at the next Natural Areas Discovery event at Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.
Well-known for its migratory guests, Sheldon Marsh will host an open house and 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, separating Lake Erie from East Sandusky Bay. For more information, call 419-433-4919.
Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Natural Areas & Preserves, the Natural Areas Discovery Series features scheduled hikes, interpretive activities from April to October each year. It also provides an opportunity for visitors to meet preserve and scenic river staff.
The next event is an open house on Saturday, May 12 at Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve in Ottawa County.
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