A wide array of colorful migrating warblers visit Northwest Ohio every spring, including numbers of yellow-rumped warblers like this one. They are a highlight for birders visiting the spacious marshes and wildlife areas along the Lake Erie shoreline. (Photo by Dianne Rozak)

Kelly Schott of the Ohio Division of Wildlife will be presenting a free program on birding on Monday, April 11 at 4 p.m. to the Catawba Island Township Trustees, the Catawba Island Township Parks Board and the general public. The program will be held at the Catawba Island Community Hall, 3307 Northwest Catawba Rd., Catawba Island Township.

Schott is a communications specialist for the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and has been with the Division of Wildlife for more than 19 years, said Vicki Wheatley of the Catawba Island Parks Board. Schott works closely with birders and is fluent in bird migration facts, including the Biggest Week in American Birding to be held May 6-15 at the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and throughout Northwest Ohio.

The Biggest Week in American Birding (www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com) spotlights Northwest Ohio as being a premier location in the world for bird watching, and is the Warbler Capital of the World in springtime. The festival hosts a wealth of birding activities and seminars. It is based at Maumee Bay State Park and attracts more than 100,000 birders from around the country and the world.