OutdoorSignal
Waterfowl intelligence

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

Answers field/weather and mapped habitat context; it does not predict migration or bird presence.

81/100Good
Evidence completeness: 100/100. Derived conditions help with planning; official alerts, rules and local conditions always take priority.
THE DECISION

Today and tomorrow are broadly similar

The difference is only 2 points (81/100 today, 83/100 tomorrow), so there is no strong conditions-based reason to postpone solely for the forecast. The main forecast change is that maximum wind rises from 6 to 14 mph.

Today81/100
Tomorrow83/100
ConfidenceMedium

Most important: Mapped wetland habitat: The surrounding area has a substantial mapped wetland footprint. That supports habitat context, but it does not prove birds are present today.

Temperature68°F
Wind2 mph
Rain chance21%
ForecastSlight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
INTERPRETATION

What the numbers actually change

Good

Mapped wetland habitat

15,563 acres within 10 mi

The surrounding area has a substantial mapped wetland footprint. That supports habitat context, but it does not prove birds are present today.

Context

Wind / field setup

6 mph max

Very light wind may make some setups feel static, but this does not predict migration.

Official recreation record

Source: Recreation.gov / RIDB. Verify current reservation, closure and facility details on the official service.

Much of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding lands were once part of the Great Black Swamp. The 1,500 square mile Great Black Swamp was a vast network of forests, wetlands and grasslands. Established in 1961 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act for use an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds, the refuge manages about 8,100 acres of wetland, grassland and wooded habitat. It provides valuable…

RIDB record1547
ReservableNo

Official directions: The entrance to Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is located 15 miles east of Toledo, Ohio or 16 miles west of Port Clinton, Ohio on State Route 2. The entrance road is located on the north side of State Route 2.When using GPS to navigate to the refuge, some will direct you to Krause Road on the…

Terrain context

Center elevation580 ft
Sampled low568 ft
Sampled high582 ft
Elevation range14 ft

Sampled terrain is planning context, not a survey or route assessment.

Wetland context

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory. Mapping is not a regulatory wetland determination or property-boundary survey.

15,563 mapped wetland acres were returned within the 10-mile query area.

WHAT THIS PAGE DOESN'T KNOW YET

Important gaps

  • Regional snow/freeze progression, crop/food context and live bird observations are not yet part of this score; do not treat it as a migration forecast.
Condition-aware gear

Gear justified by these conditions

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Waterproof field bag

The mapped wetland footprint makes waterproof storage more relevant than on a dry-land outing.

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