Winous Point Marsh Conservancy

See those little fuzzy dots out there?
Those are Wilson's Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes.
Ya know what else they are? LIFERS!!!

We were lucky enough to go birding at the property owned by the Winous Point Shooting Club, the oldest duck hunting club in America. They were established in 1856 by some of the great people of Cleveland's past. Even at that early time in our history, they realized the importance of this area and the wetlands it contained. As we were told, they have 10 months of conservation and maybe, if they're lucky, 2 months of duck hunting.

The Conservancy now manages close to 5,000 acres in Ottawa and Sandusky counties. Since the 1940's they have had wildlife biologists working on the property including graduate-level interns from The Ohio State University.

On top of all of that great history, it's a really cool place to go birding!

This is a view of Muddy Bay...or is it Sandusky Bay?
We drove all around the dikes and I got a little confused...

No, no, no...that's not a homeless man in the marsh!
That's our buddy Tom "The BandMaster" Bartlett, with a few bags of shorebirds.

Tom is checking to see if this Short-billed Dowitcher measures up to his high standards.
It did.

I got this shot by crawling on my belly through the swamp and leaches!
(Not really, Tom was holding him for me...)

This is the dormitory and research facility.

They still go by the old rules of the club and use a number of 'punts' made in the 1800's.

"If I act casual, no one will notice..."
This Willet is taking a stroll through the Terns.

Does anyone remember Euclid Beach Park?
The "Flying Terns!"

Two for one butt special! Semi-palmated Sandpipers...

A lonely Pectoral Sandpiper.
The shorebird migration was just starting.

WOW! A Triple Booty!
That's a Marbled Godwit in the center.

There are birds other than shorebirds to see!
Such as this cute Warbling Vireo.

...and a Purple Finch...from behind!

How about a nice teneral Common Green Darner?

The boat house was FULL of swallows!
That's a Barn Swallow on the left and a Bank Swallow on the right.
You can tell a Bank Swallow because of the cash box he flies around with...now ask me about the Barn Swallow...

Sorry, the only King Rail I could get was this one stuffed in 1881...

This Green-winged Teal was from 1877.
I think that's the only way I'm gonna hold up that long...

Remember Bobb?
He's still around...and getting into mischief.
He found the perfect set of binoculars...too bad he couldn't lift them up...

For a little more info and more photos, go to the Western Cuyahoga Audubon site, the sponsor of this fun outing!