Page 9 - Leisure Living Magazine May 2018

Birds And Birders Flock To Great Egret Marsh Preserve
By Jessica Keith, Associate Director of Marketing, The Nature Conservancy
This time of year, hundreds of millions of birds are making their annual trip north, and many of them may literally stop in your backyard along the way.
The western basin of Lake
Erie is a hotbed of migratory
bird activity, supporting some of
the largest numbers of land birds
found during migration. En route
to nesting grounds, millions of
winged migrants will stop here,
touching down to rest and refu-
el in preparation for the next leg
of their trip—frequently taking
them directly over Lake Erie’s
vast open waters. These “stopover sites”, as they’re known, are critical to their survival.
The Nature Conservancy’s 150-acre Great Egret Marsh Preserve is one such stopover site. Located in Marblehead, across the road from East Harbor State Park, the preserve’s coastal marshes offer food and cover for the tired travelers.
Great Egret Marsh Preserve provides food and cover for winged travelers.
Photo by Kent Mason
“More than 300 species of birds can be found here throughout the year,” says Matt Kovach, Lake Erie coasts and islands project manager for The
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Relaxing in coastal marshes. Photo by Ian Adams