Well, it's been a busy spring. The migration is well underway at this point with the waterfowl having already moved through and the first Warblers hitting the scene. About a week ago the trees in my area came alive with new voices. Where once was only Blackbirds, Robins and Cardinals now were Eastern Towhee, American Goldfinch, Field Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow. May is known as the greatest month in American birding. Just 2 days into it and I know why... new birds almost daily! So here's the data on the last two months (including year birds - lifers in bold):
March 16th - Township Rd. 363
* Hooded Merganser
March 9th - Beach City Dam
* Bufflehead
* Pied-billed Grebe
* Eastern Phoebe
- Rt. 93
* Northern Shoveler
March 20th - Wright Marsh
* Great Blue Heron
* Blue-winged Teal [#142]* American Coot
* American Wigeon [#143]March 26th - McQuaid Rd.
* Eurasian Wigeon [#144]
* Northern Pintail [#145]
* Redhead Duck [#146]April 3rd - Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area
* Wild Trukey
* Tree Swallow
* Lesser Sandhill Crane
April 4th - Shreve Lake
* Double-crested Cormorant
* Red-breasted Merganser [#147]* Barn Swallow
April 11th - I took a trip home to New York. My backyard runs right up against the Binghamton University nature preserve. Saw thirty species on one hike. Highlights...
* Black-capped Chickadee (saw it sing so I know for sure!)
* Brown Creeper [#148]* Golden-crowned Kinglet
* Swamp Sparrow
* Ruby-crowned Kinglet [#149]This was an amazing, rewarding hike. It was my first time back home in the woods I grew up in... but this time as a birder! Brown Creeper was a target bird for the hike and I had one of those wonderful moments of rewarding discovery, following it's song through the woods for ten minutes before finding it in the treetops. This was also the best view I've ever had of a Golden-crowned Kinglet. Their acrobatic tumbling flight while hunting insects is truly amazing!
A drive downtown also gave us views of a local favorite:
* Peregrine Falcon [#150!!!!!!!]
My hundred and fiftieth bird with my bird watching mom. Really fun!
April 16th - Willow Rd.
* Yellow Warbler
April 18th - Funk Bottoms
* Greater Yellowlegs
* Lesser Yellowlegs
- Willow Rd.
* Yellow-rumped Warbler
* Great Egret
April 23rd - Stingy Lane Rd.
* Field Sparrow
* Broad-winged Hawk
- Beach City Wilderness Area
* Osprey
April 24th - Beach City Wilderness Area
* Gray Catbird
* Common Yellowthroat
* House Wren
* Purple Martin
April 25th - The Wilderness Center
* White-eyed Vireo
* Yellow-throated Vireo [#151]* Spotted Sandpiper
* Forster's Tern
* Blue-gray Gnatcatcher [#152] - Bear Hollow Rd.
* Pine Siskin [#152]
- County Highway 1
* Western Meadowlark [#153] (Thanks to Greg Miller for the guide!)
* Palm Warbler [#154] - Norma Johnson Center
* Green Heron
April 26th - Mohican State Park
* Yellow-throated Warbler [#155]April 28th - Beach City Wilderness Area
* Scarlet Tanager
April 30th - MY OWN BACKYARD!!!
* Orchard Oriole
May 2nd - Beach City Wilderness Area
* Wood Thrush (Best views I ever had. Fully visible and singing!)
* Carolina Chickadee (First time observed singing it's four note song)
* Hooded Warbler
* Kentucky Warbler [#156]* Red-eyed Vireo
* Baltimore Oriole [#157]Well there ya have it! Up-to-date and in the groove. Time to kick this Migration into full speed... I'll be in the lake Erie migrant traps in 3 weeks. Where will you be??
Photo Credit:
Baltimore Oriole - Joby Joseph
MY OH MY! What an amazing thing is Spring migration. I've just had the privilege of birding my first Spring, and in the Lake Erie migrant traps no less! Last weekend was my first time at Magee Marsh and it truly is a fantastic place. Birds that you'd normally spend hours tracking in the woods or marsh are just feet from you and in full view.
Well, it's been a busy spring. The migration is well underway at this point with the waterfowl having already moved through and the first Warblers hitting the scene. About a week ago the trees in my area came alive with new voices. Where once was only Blackbirds, Robins and Cardinals now were Eastern Towhee, American Goldfinch, Field Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow. May is known as the greatest month in American birding. Just 2 days into it and I know why... new birds almost daily! So here's the data on the last two months (including year birds - lifers in bold):
1) Ring-necked Duck. Not a new bird for me, but a year bird
So today I set out for the Wilderness Center near Wilmot, Ohio because I heard tell that a life bird for me was visiting the feeders there. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon at the center. The day was winding down and their heating system hasn't been working too well so I was the only one there, other than staff. I waited at the windows watching a sizable collection of birds furiously pecking away at the last scraps of birdseed for the day. 
After 45 minutes I still had no sign of my quarry and was just about to pack it in. One of the staff swung by to ask about the birds. We chatted about the recent highlights: Pine Siskins had been there on and off and a verified Sharp-shinned Hawk had been making the feeder birds jumpy lately. No sooner had the words, "well I guess if it hasn't been here by now, it's probably not showing up" come from his mouth when who should pop up? Life bird #135, the Fox Sparrow. Very handsomely attired in rufous-striped plumage and doing his own version of the "two-step".
This was the third time I've visited the park recently, looking for both of these birds. I've never seen or heard a sign of the Nuthatch but on the two previous occasions I've stirred an owl from it's perch without a good ID. As I said, I'd been told there was a Barred Owl there but on my first visit I heard the owl calling and it didn't sound like a Barred Owl to me. I had to know for sure. So this evening I hunkered down on a plastic chair in the middle of the woods and waited until the sun started going down. I was rewarded for my wait as, not one, but two owls started calling back and forth in the trees... a deep, mellow hooting. Moving slowly along the trail I strained my eyes at the thick treetops hoping to see one of the birds before the light was gone. And then: The Moment. Right over my head flew and then perched atop a broken tree, framed by pine boughs and catching the last few rays of light was a Great Horned Owl. I gazed at the bird in my binoculars and it gazed back at me circling its head clockwise in that classic owl fashion. Breath-taking. I drove home on a cloud. I hadn't seen a Great Horned owl since I was a kid and one landed on an old dead tree along the woods in my back yard. It was a bird I was longing to see again. So... mystery solved. The Great Horned pair kicked out the Barred Owl and I saw my bird, official lifer #136. Feelin' warm and fuzzy (now that I've defrosted... did I mention over an hour in the woods...) Go see something beautiful.
Winding my way along 241, Kidron Rd. and 250 I evenyualy found my way to Bear Hollow Rd. on the chase for the Harris Sparrow that's been listed on the Bobolink Rare Bird Alert for quite awhile now. I wasn't disappointed! The Troyers at 9041 were so gracious to invite me right in and tell me the good news. It's been about 4 days that they hadn't seen the bird and thought it might have left. But the sunny weather brought it back and it was showing itself all day. I got a great look at the young bird amidst White-crowned Sparrows, Tree Sparrows, Hairy, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. A really nice family and a great bird... if ONLY I had a camera! One day soon, I hope.
The drive home was no let down either! I added another lifer to my list as well as two other decent birds. Thanks to Levi Yoder for letting us tromp around his property until we could find my life bird #133, the Common Redpoll! A really good looking bird. We heard more calling from the woods, but only one was venturing out to the feeder at the time.
1) Wilson's Snipe
2) Rough-legged Hawk
Yet another great day of birding around the Shreve and Funk areas. Greg Miller and I left about 7:45 in the hopes to spot some Sandhill Cranes. It turns out more was on the menu!! Our first stop was Shreve lake. We set up the scope and scanned the area: Hooded Merganser, Great-blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebe and a lifer for me - Ruddy Duck.
We got turned around a bit on the way to Funk Bottoms, but it turned out to be a God direction. Just outside of Blachleyville at the Church of Christ church, stood a group of 26+ Sandhill Crane. They were close enough for me to fire off some photos through my binoculars, one of which turned out OK. Awesome birds. How cool to think that we get birds this size in Ohio every year.
The Funk observation platform served up a real treat too. As we scanned the fields beyond, another flock of 86+ Sandhill Crane flew in and circled a few times, trumpeting before landing. What a majestic sight! But that's not all, hunting in the same fields, lazily gilding in flight, was a female Northern Harrier.
Well I obviously haven't managed to post for awhile - sorry! Never fear however, the chase continues. I was able to get out five times n October and once so far in November and saw new birds every time. The first two October outings I already posted so we continue with door number three...
Had a great day with my whole family on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We went on one of those treasure huntin' trips you find online, and of course I brought along the binoculars! We just happened to be walking along what is known as "beaver marsh" and were rewarded for our exploration and daring dodging of the abundant cyclists, hikers and joggers (oh my!) with some great family time and great birds.
