You described it perfectly. It was started by an Ohio birder, Ken Ostermiller, years ago. It has grown because birders support it and contribute. Ken eventually expanded it to other states and handed over the website management to the Ohio Ornithological Society. (Ken is getting up there in years.) But, he wanted a place where birders could get more information on Hot Spots. There have been suggestions over the years for eBird/Cornell to expand their Hot Spots pages for this information. But, I think this is better because local birders contribute their information. I have contributed to this website myself especially when I suggest a Hot Spot. I have also tried to take photos of places so birders can get an idea of what a place/park looks like. I have also tried to send changes to Hot Spots when they change.
I checked the website out itâs very cool!
I like how it shows you photos of the area.
I saw a deleted post on another thread about wanting to see more duck species. The inlets at the south end of Puget Sound (Olympia area) get a diversity of overwintering ducks beginning right about now. All three Bucephala species, two merganser species, and scoters tend to be frequently seen. Marbled murrelets (in their more typically Alcid-like winter plumage) are occasional. If you can find the right spot, you may come across harlequin ducks.
In the summer, all these disappear. This is very much a winter waterfowl area.
Speaking of winter waterfowl, one of my most memorable birding experiences was at Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina, on a bitterly cold day. Thousands of tundra swans.
About 35 miles off the coast of North Carolina.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2023-06-01&d2=2023-06-03&user_id=chipperatl
Yes! I think it really helps one get some idea about a spot before one visits. One of the people who manages the pages in our area said that they use Google Maps Street View unless someone sends them photos. Since Google Maps can lag behind changes in an area, photos from birders are important references.
The San Francisco Bay Area is good overall. I live there, so I have a bias, but it seems to be a good jack of all trades. During migration there are usually at least a couple rare birds to chase. There is a lot of varied habitat in such a short distance. Outside I that, I liked the Salton Sea in terms of California. I havenât really been to peak birding hotspots out of state, just wherever I could within the limitations of a road trip, or just not planned out well enough to optimize my experience. Alaska overall was great for birding, but I missed a lot of good birds I shouldnât have.
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