By Nicholas Gaye, Interpretive Naturalist

Although it may seem to us like winter has just come to a close, spring has been in Lake County for some time! Hundreds of thousands of birds have already returned to the region including red-winged blackbirds, bluebirds, and many other familiar feathered friends. But it is not until late spring (sometime in the month of May) that the neotropical explosion of migrant birds occurs. Known as “the fallout” amongst avian lovers, a warm break in the weather can lead to massive amounts of birds returning to the region at once. The migration is filled with extreme weather, thousands of raptor predators, and traversing oceans. Barn swallows migrate from as far as the Falkland Islands (just north of Antarctica) all the way to your parks and backyards–that's more than 6,000 miles (the equivalent of Cleveland to Tokyo, Japan)!

Barn swallows

Vibrant tanagers, warblers, orioles, and ruby-throated hummingbirds can all be found throughout the month of May. Coming from regions like Costa Rica, Brazil, and passing through the Appalachian corridor, these birds have traveled incredible distances to make it to their summer homes. Once you learn of the beauty and habits of these passerines, birding can become somewhat of a scavenger hunt; sifting through the brush to get a peek at a bobolink or scouring the tree canopy for the bright red streak of a passing scarlet tanager. Birding is a hobby that can be picked up by all ages at any level of skill, and there is no better time to start than now. It all begins with getting out there and enjoying the beautiful May weather–all of the birding at your scenic parks will soon follow! Keep your eyes to the skies and happy birding from all of us at Lake Metroparks!

Scarlet tanager

Bobolink