Village becomes world's warbler capital

OAK HARBOR — Earlier this week — amid the Biggest Week in American Birding, May 8-17 — those representing the Ottawa County Improvement Corp. spent the day at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in the Oak Harbor area. Officials welcomed birders from near and far for this festival in this region, attracting thousands of birders to witness millions of migratory songbirds, especially warblers, resting before crossing Lake Erie. "The Biggest Week in American Birding is a 10-day festival featuring some of the best spring birding North America has to offer," according to a statement from Shores & Islands Ohio, a partner organization, along with the corporation, helping to put on and promote this event. "The festival features birding, photography and art workshops, guided birding activities, field trips, keynote speakers, spotlight presentations, evening socials and so many more fun activities." Corporation officials, meanwhile, pointed to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's H2Ohio initiative as a big reason why so many birds migrate, rest and fly through this region. It's a clean water program aiming to scale back harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, thus helping the environment, natural habitats and creatures calling these places home. "Thanks to the success of the H2Ohio initiative, more than 1,000 acres of habitat are being restored each year with new wetlands continuing to emerge across the region, including three near Sandusky Bay," according to a corporation statement. "Rich, productive, vibrant habitat is thriving once again," the corporation noted. "We're not just restoring land: We're restoring life." During a quick walk around the grounds, corporation staff identified 15 different bird species while visitors from 32 different states explored the marsh this morning alone. The corporation also congratulated the village of Oak Harbor for recently and officially designating Oak Harbor as the Warbler Capital of the World, largely in part because of this event.