Editing Lake Erie (section)

====Insects and birds====
In 1999, a local TV station's [[Weather radar|Doppler weather radar]] detected millions of [[Mayfly|mayflies]] heading for Presque Isle in blue and green splotches on the radar in clouds measuring {{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=on}} long.<ref name=twsX24 /> These insects were a sign of Lake Erie's move back to health, since the mayflies require clean water to thrive.<ref name=twsX24/> Biologist Masteller of [[Pennsylvania State University]] declared the insects to be a "nice nuisance" since they signified the lake's return to health after 40 years of absence.<ref name=twsX24/> Each is {{convert|1.5|inch|abbr=on}} long; the three main species of mayflies are ''Ephemera simulans'', ''Hexagenia rigida'', and ''H. limbata''.<ref name=twsX24/> The insects mate over a 72-hour period from June through September; they fly in masses up to the shore, mate in the air, then females lay up to 8,000 eggs each over the water; the eggs sink back down and the cycle repeats.<ref name=twsX24/> Sometimes, the clouds of mayflies have caused power outages<ref name=twsX37 /> and caused roads to become slippery with squashed insects.<ref name=twsX24/> [[Zebra mussel|Zebra mussels]] filtering extra nutrients from the lake allows the mayfly larvae to thrive.<ref name=twsX37/>

[[File:Cygnus buccinator -Lake Erie, Michigan, USA-8 (1).jpg|thumb|right|[[Trumpeter swan]]s (''Cygnus buccinator'') on Lake Erie]]

Incidents of birds dying from [[botulism]] have occurred, in 2000<ref name=twsX31 /> and in 2002.<ref name=twsX26 /> Birds affected included [[grebe]]s, [[Common merganser|common]] and [[red-breasted merganser]]s, [[loon]]s, diving ducks, [[ring-billed gull]]s, and [[herring gull]]s.<ref name=twsX31/> One account suggests that bird populations are in trouble, notably the [[wood warbler]], which had population declines around 60% in 2008.<ref name=twsX312a/> Possible causes for declines in bird populations are farming practices, loss of habitats, soil depletion and erosion, and toxic chemicals.<ref name=twsX312a/> In 2006, concerns arose of possible [[avian influenza]] (bird flu) after two wild swans on the lake were found diseased, but they did not contain the [[Influenza A virus subtype H5N1|H5N1 virus]].<ref name=twsJanY311 /> Sightings of a [[magnificent frigatebird]], a tropical bird with a 2 m wingspan, happened over the lake in 2008.<ref name=twsZ34 />