M & M Birding

06/09/2026

Our private tour of the Sunnybrook Trout Club was so much fun today! 🌞🐦🌿

Without leaving the patio, we got excellent views of Great Crested Flycatchers, Cedar Waxwings, and an Eastern Wood-pewee.

Then while on a tour of the property, we found a Green Heron being mobbed by an Eastern Kingbird! It was thrilling to see.

The Sunnybrook Trout Club is an ideal birding location given the diversity of habitats, close proximity to facilities, and the ability to use golf carts to explore the entire 80-acre property.

Stay tuned for some exciting details regarding our partnership with Sunnybrook Trout Club! 🎉🦜🌈

Until then, visit our website to book tours or message us to set up a private tour. 🌐📲

06/04/2026

Many of the migratory birds have passed through, but there are still chances to see some really cool birds in northern Ohio. Martyn got his eyes upon this King Rail today while kayaking.

These birds are listed as Endangered in Ohio, and Near Threatened by IUCN Red List, but that can be difficult to determine as they are so secretive (usually). They are occasionally found (or more often heard) in some of the wetlands in our region, though there are likely more than we are aware!

The other two images here show the eBird reports from 2026 so far, and their distribution map - which shows a scattered breeding range - which extends beyond Ohio!

One of our mottos is ABB: Always Be Birding. You never know what you might find!

06/02/2026

We had a lovely morning on our tour of Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. Peak spring migration has passed, but we were lucky enough to see a Canada Warbler on its way further north.

We also enjoyed an identification challenge: an Alder Flycatcher. After a good view and hearing it sing, we were confident in our ID. In total, we had 44 bird species across the boardwalk and the adjacent Crane Creek Estuary Trail.

We also found a decent number of reptiles, including a Blanding's Turtle, two Common Snapping Turtles, MANY Northern Map Turtles, some Painted Turtles, and a melanistic Common Gartersnake.

Have you always wanted to explore the Lake Erie marshes, but don't know where to start? Book a private tour with us to experience the best this world-renowned region has to offer!

MandMBirding.com 🌟🌿🐦🎉👍

05/22/2026

Although The Biggest Week In American Birding Festival ended last weekend, we are still birding and seeing some exciting spring migrants including orioles, warblers, and flycatchers.

This morning on our private group tour of Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, we got great views of MULTIPLE Great Crested Flycatchers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, and Indigo Buntings.

Some were lucky enough to hear and see a Yellow-breasted Chat, which are uncommon at this site. Other birds identified included Magnolia, Tennessee, and Blackpoll Warblers, Pied-billed Grebe, and a Green Heron.

What stole the show, however, was a member of our group finding a TINY Blanding's Turtle on the trail! This is a Threatened Species in Ohio, so seeing a young one means that there is at least a successful breeding pair around! It is the smallest one either of us have ever seen!

Does this sound like something your group would be interested in? Message us to arrange a tour!

05/16/2026

Meadowbrook Marsh was teeming with birds this morning with 11 warblers among 52 species identified! Magnolia, Bay-breasted, and Chestnut-sided Warblers put on the best shows for our group, though a singing male Indigo Bunting was probably the standout bird. Another exciting find included an active pair of Hairy Woodpeckers close to the trail.

Thank you to Lakeside Chautauqua for coordinating this guided bird tour. Stay tuned for information about dates for more partnerships between Lakeside and M&M Birding for the fall migration.

For information on other bird tour dates, or to book a private tour, visit our website:
https://www.mandmbirding.com/

05/15/2026

Our birding tour this morning with the Sandusky Library was wonderful!

We found a Peregrine Falcon - the fastest bird in the world - perched on a nearby church steeple! We also had great views of a Baltimore Oriole, Chipping Sparrow, and a Barn Swallow.

One of our most exciting experiences however, was two young eagles fighting over a fish high in the sky. The fish was dropped and caught by the aggressor in midair. Incredible!!!

Thank you to everyone who came out!

05/13/2026

We are looking forward to this program!

Interested in bird watching, but don’t know where to start? One barrier to bird watching is not having the right optics. We are excited to announce that you can now borrow binoculars from the Sandusky Library! To celebrate this service, Morgan and Martyn Drabik-Hamshare of M & M Birding will be giving a binocular tutorial and leading a bird watching tour near the library, meeting at the Circulation Desk. Join us on a walk to find spectacular migrating birds during the spring bird migration.

05/10/2026

It happened today on our birding tour of Meadowbrook Marsh with Lakeside Chautauqua. It rained warblers!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

We started off strong with 22 bird species just at the parking lot including good views of a perched male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Then we took a short stroll through the forest. The bird activity started to slow down until an unexpecting section of the trail.

The warblers were hopping like jumping beans and every time we located a bird with our binoculars: it was a new species!! Anyone who has tried birding knows how many times you bring your binoculars to your eyes and how many times you look at the same individual bird hopping around. This was so different.

In one small spot we saw the following warblers: Black-and-white, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Blue-winged, and Northern Parula.

We were so excited to experience this event with this group. Here is hoping for a similar event on our bird tour on May 16th also at Meadowbrook Marsh. 🐦🌿🌟🌈👏

05/08/2026

Come out and bird with M & M tomorrow!

05/08/2026

With a break from leading tours, Morgan helped with bird banding for the Winous Point Marsh Conservancy. This week's banding took place at Swan Creek Preserve MetroPark in Toledo. This project aims to understand the relationship between landscape, birds, and mosquitoes on the life cycle of West Nile Virus.

Morgan uses her knowledge of avian research to inspire tour participants to appreciate the natural world and encourage them to stay curious.

Note: this project complies with all federal and state regulations including possessing the necessary permits and permissions. All birds are handled by trained professionals.

Winous.org
U.osu.edu/meutilab
Go.osu.edu/vetfluresearch