SWANTON, Ohio (AP) -- Bird enthusiasts have been flocking to northwest Ohio to catch a glimpse of a bluebird normally not seen east of the Mississippi.

For more than a week, there have been numerous sightings of a mountain bluebird around Toledo Express Airport and the nearby Oak Openings nature preserve. The news has spread via birding Web sites, drawing watchers from Detroit, Cleveland, Akron and even as far as Cincinnati.

The nature park’s former director, Tom Duvendack, says the last time a mountain bluebird was seen at Oak Openings was more than 100 years ago. It’s only the second time a member of the species has been officially sighted in Ohio.

Cornell University bird specialists say the mountain bluebird is typically seen around the mountains of western North America.

Posted 4/13/2009