Tonight's outing lasted about an hour and a half. I left from Winesburg at about 8:30 and headed east on Co. Highway 97 (Chestnut Ridge) toward the Beach City Wilderness Area. On the way there I came up on an increasingly familiar sight: that mystery falcon! I scared him off a power line as I drove by, but it returned to it's perch behind me. Stopped the car and turned around, but I couldn't get a clear view as it was backlit by the setting sun. Drove past and turned around again (he spooked and landed again behind me). Heart pumping, I approached slowly, every foot bringing it's field marks into clearer view. Right when I thought I was finally going to get the ID I've been looking for, a horse buggy came trotting up the road and (sigh) off went the bird.... maybe next time.
On a positive note, the Wilderness Area was just beautiful tonight. A walk along the tracks turned up my 55th life bird: a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. What an amazing red vest it had, blazing through the canopy! Plenty of other great fair as well: Towhees, Buntings, Herons, Sparrows, Finches, Kingfisher, Waxwing, Chickadee and more.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
A last word of advice: when you walk 20min away from your car down a railroad at dusk, give yourself enough time to get back before lights out ;)
Goodnight!
Photo credit:
Ken Thomas
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