This is Bird Note. Every spring in Northwest Ohio, the shores of Lake Erie

transform into a birder's paradise. Birder and author Ken Kaufman, who lives in

this area, says that of the many species that migrate through here, one group of

vibrant, vivacious songbirds stands out from the rest. Right now there's a yellow

warbler up here in this willow above our heads. The warblers are just so

popular here because so much of the time warblers are up at the tops of trees.

They're very hard to see it, but in early spring here the trees leaf out

later right on the edge of the lake than they do inland and these birds are very

hungry and they're feeding out in the open. Many birds, such as the yellow

warbler, travel thousands of miles from the tropics and need to refuel before

crossing the vast expanse of Lake Erie to their breeding grounds in Canada. You

don't even need binoculars to see trees adorned in warblers, singing and

foraging in plain sight. And we happen to have these protected areas right

along the lake that are perfectly set up for birds and birders.

Northwest Ohio has earned a reputation as the warbler capital of the world among

birders in the know, but can wishes everyone could glimpse the beauty of

warbler migration, even if they don't make it to the warbler capital. I would

like for everyone to see warblers just to experience this little scrap of life,

this thing that weighs less than an ounce that wears these incredible colors and

makes this amazing journey. To learn more about watching warblers, start at our

website birdnote.org. I'm Ariana Remmel.