The Biggest Week in American Birding (Magee Marsh Wildlife Area – Oak Harbor, OH)

May 11, 2023

war·bler
any of a number of small insectivorous songbirds that typically have a warbling song.

^{Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)}

It all started eight years ago. I was sitting in bed sifting through US birding festivals, some in Texas, others in Indiana. I’d have killed to go to any of them, but “The Biggest Week in American Birding” was an instant draw. Where the heck was this??? The BIGGEST week? I had to go.

I clicked on the festival link and saw that it was hosted in Oak Harbor, Ohio, aka the “Warbler Capital of the World.” Thousands of warblers migrate through and breed in the area every spring— a true birdwatching paradise. They remind me of jelly beans, coming in all sorts of unimaginable patterns and flavors. Plane ticket prices were outrageous so I dropped it, but it’s been in the back of my mind ever since. Total bucket list item.

Fast forward eight years, a friend was describing an epic road trip she’d be taking with her husband from Arizona to Massachusetts in May. She listed Ohio as a state they’d be traveling through and my mind went straight to warblers. I looked up plane tickets out of curiosity and saw $150 round trip tickets.

I texted my sister, “Want to go to Ohio to birdwatch? Warbler Capitol of the Word.” Next thing you know, we were on an Airbus A320 headed for Toledo.

Presenting a whole bunch of warblers (and some other awesome birds):