(Oak Harbor, OH) Northwest Ohio's economy may get soaked by bad weather with the start of the Biggest Week in American Birding.
Hundreds of hotel rooms are booked and ten days worth of tours and events scheduled, as birding enthusiasts flock to the Lake Erie shoreline to watch migratory birds pass through the area.
Organizers of the Biggest Week in American Birding estimate the tourist trap nets about $30 million annually. But up to three inches of rain and cold may keep some bird-watchers away from the events scheduled at Maumee Bay State Park, Magee Marsh, Pearson Metropark, and the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
However, the Black Swamp Bird Observatory says most bird-watchers pre-booked their itinerary and the only way to take part now is through walk-in registrations.