Well, it's been quite a birding marathon today! We started out at the covered bridge in Mohican State Park. This is really one of the most beautiful areas in the whole park and also a hot birding spot, even for this time of year. I have often fly-fished here as the Clear Fork river that runs beneath the bridge is stocked with Brown Trout by Trout Unlimited. We arrived at around 6:30AM and were immediately dazzled with half a dozen Veery sightings! The Veery is a beautiful thrush with a flute-like cascading song which it sang in plain view for us. We were able to get surprisingly close and take in all their details.Veery, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Further down the river we briefly viewed a female Wood Duck with young, slipping into the tall grass along the bank. I am hoping to get a better view, especially the male, with it's spectacular plumage. Still, it was wonderful to see them today! Yet further down the river-side path, drawn there by its distinctive call, we finally laid eyes on a Hooded Warbler. It took some patience and a lot of neck craning before we saw him, but what a worthwhile sight.Wood Duck, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Hooded Warbler, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
From the covered bridge we drove the short winding road up to the gorge overlook. Just to be at the overlook is wonderful. I so enjoy the feeling of rising above the treetops and the gentle warmth of breeze and summer sun. In the pine forest, to the left of the overlook, we plunged beneath the canopy (dodging poison ivy as we went) to track down the Ovenbird, singing proudly in the trees. We did eventually get a solid view of this familiar songster but failed to see the Black-Throated Green Warbler who was singing nearby- a prize for another day.Ovenbird, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The crown jewel of our trip was both hearing and seeing one of the truly talented singers of the bird world: the Winter Wren. A rare bird for our area at this time of year, he was just off to the right of the overlook itself in a band of evergreen. It took us about 30min, listening to the beautiful music all the while, before finally seeing the bird itself, singing a final few phrases before flying off down the gorge.Winter Wren, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
View Mohican Birding Trip 7/10/2010 in a larger map
By now it was time to leave the park and for Greg to head home. I couldn't resist going to one more spot after we got back to Sugarcreek, so off to Dundee I went! I spent about two hours in the grasslands hearing but never quite seeing Prairie Warbler and Grasshopper Sparrow. I will just have to go out there some morning and try again. Not to be dismayed, and since I was so close, I jumped over to the Beach City Wilderness Area to see what I could see. No disappointment... I finally both heard and saw my Wood Thrush! This has been a target bird of mine for awhile and one of my favorite singers. I didn't get the full body view that I still crave as he was right behind a few leaves, but nevertheless there he was.Wood Thrush, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The day wrapped up with a walk down a trail that leads to a large area of open water. I've often fished these waters and caught a few Fish Ohio crappie down there in one year. Today I had the pleasure of seeing my first Prothonotary Warbler. My previous post also shows a fledgling of the same who was stranded on the path. I only had a brief glimpse, but what a spectacular color.Prothonotary Warbler, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
View Dundee birding 7/10/10 in a larger map
Unfortunately the mosquitoes and biting flies in that swampy place did not share my love of the birds, nor did they seem to fear at all my heavy coating of bug spray. And so, I end today with a full heart and several itchy bites.
Photo credits:
Hooded Warbler - The Lilac Breasted Roller
Wood Duck - Just chaos
Ovenbird - Cephas
Prothonotary Warbler - DominicSherony
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