Long-distance birding for the Audubon Ohio team

Board member Alan Dolan has been birding diligently for us from Salt Lake City, Utah.

So far, the species he's seen are: Black Billed Magpie, Yellow Warbler, Starling , Robin, House finch, Rock pigeon, Mallard, Gambel's Quail, Towhee (western race), Blue Grosbeak (1st spring) Cliff swallow, Western Kingbird, Coot, Ruddy duck, American Avocet, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Barn swallow, Kildeer, Black Necked stilt, Brown headed Cowbird, Canada Goose, California Gull, Snowy egret, Redhead (puchard), Red tail Hawk, Willet, Turkey vulture

Afternoon Slow Down

Have added but a single species this afternoon and that being a Crow. Still ten species short of my target 70 -- will need a big push later today to find some birds waking up after siesta. Out in the woods, I took a brief siesta myself. With a smooth and flat, but having a strategically placed indentation, chunk of gneiss as my pillow, I allowed a few minutes of rest. Funny how a rock from Canada or other parts North and left behind by a glacier thousands of years ago can feel just right for a pillow at the right time.

Mid-afternoon in Clintonville

Robin Brunotts (not to be confused with Robin Mullet, who is reporting separately from Coshocton County) and I had a very slow afternoon in Northmoor and Whetstone Parks. We added only five new species: Turkey Vulture, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Crow, Chipping Sparrow and Cowbird. This brings us to 38 species all within a two-mile radius of my house in Clintonville.

Sharon split off this morning to put in a few hours of work at COSI, but just called in from the bike trail on the way back home to report a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird and a Scarlet Tanager - just north of Spring Street downtown! She and I plan to work the bike trail to the north later this afternoon and, as previously reported, visit Greg Cunningham's house for the owl this evening.

For the record, we started our Birdathon at 7:40 am today, which means we can still get up early and work the OSU wetland again tomorrow morning for at least another hour, ending at 7:39. We carbon-conscious Birdathoners never give up!

Return from Hoover

I just returned from my bike ride to Hoover Reservoir where my biggest sighting was an osprey on the nesting platform seen from the boardwalk at Galena. Pretty cool. I took a walk into the woods as well and ran into a group with spotting scopes who pointed out a "nesting" Prothonotary as it flew past me. If I make them part of my team, can I count it? Other sightings included Ring-billed gulls and Tree swallows at the reservoir, and Starlings and Goldfinches enroute.

Off to the shower and another tick check.

This is probably not allowed according to the rules of Birdathon...

I'm not an expert, but I think this Scarlet Tanager is a bit outside of its usual habitat.

Technically, I think in order to count it would have to be a live bird. But since at least one of our groups today has already seen one, maybe we can let it slide.

It might only be plush, but at least it was sighted in a carbon conscious fashion! (I walked to the Audubon Ohio office, in order to bring everyone all the news from the front.)

Continuing bird saga

Mid-morning sightings were slower and harder to come by, but the turkey vultures were finally up on the thermals.  At my neighbors hayfield, I spotted the ubiquitous redwing blackbird and a field sparrow.   Across the field was an indigo bunting - my first one ever. What a treat!  On my way on our wooded lane, I had scared up a pileated woodpecker, and later saw a downy.  On the edges of the field and road, I heard a distinctive song several times, but could not see the bird making it.  I went home and played by Ohio Birds CD and I am pretty positive it was a prarie warbler.  Then, while Dick and I were enjoying lunch on the porch, a group of tree swallows flew in circles briefly, eating their lunch on the fly!

 

Robin Mullet

Rare flower on the Birdathon

One doesn’t run across this mint everyday. It is called Synandra, but I don’t know if it has a common name. (Posted for John Ritzenthaler, who took a few minutes away from birding to stop and smell the roses. So to speak.)

Lunch Break

Time for lunch and reporting in. I had some wonderful encounters -- deer, people, and of course birds. I found myself within about 20 feet and at eye level with a Red-tailed Hawk before she took off...at least from her size, I'm assuming it was a female. And a very shaggy deer was escaping my approach and that of a couple coming from the oposite direction. What a beautiful morning. My sightings: Mallard, Turkey vulture, Red-tailed hawk, Killdeer, Eastern wood-pewee, Black-capped chickadee, White-breasted nuthatch, Gray catbird, Yellow warbler, Eastern towhee, Field sparrow, Red-winged blackbird, Brown-headed cowbird. I found myself really wishing I knew the calls better!

Phoebe nestlings

Eastern Phoebe nestlings, photographed by John Ritzenthaler at the start of Birdathon 2007. They didn’t pledge but they do count!

Lunchtime Report from Clintonville

Ellen Armstrong did a fine job of posting the morning sightings by Robin, Sharon and me -- see her posting below. The only addition since has been a House Sparrow, which brings our species count to 33. All of these were at the OSU Research Wetland. We also spotted a hawk about halfway up the huge OSU TV tower in the distance, but it was too far away to identify the species. Our best guess was a Cooper's Hawk. Hopefully we will get a close-up look at a Cooper's this afternoon.

Attached are three photos from this morning. One shows a Great Blue Heron and a Mallard out on the wetland; one shows what we believe is an Oriole nest; and one shows a male Wood Duck that we spotted just before lunch.

I must say that birding at the Wetland requires a lot more work than birding at Magee Marsh. I know our species count would be a lot higher if we were up there, but on the other hand we have not released any CO2 (other than by exhaling). We also should step back and appreciate the fact that a small wetland in the heart of a major metro area is capable of producing 33 species on a lovely spring morning.

The plan this afternoon is to work Northmoor and Whetstone Parks and nearby ravines. I know of an active Red-Tail Hawk nest in Northmoor, and we still have a few common birds to pick up, such as Crow and Turkey Vulture. We will end the day in the back yard of our board member, Greg Cunningham, who has an active Eastern Screech Owl nest there. Wish us luck!

Stork Stopped By

Just checked the Bluebird boxes and this morning two nestlings hatched in one, leaving two blue eggs still to go. Unfortunately, we can't count the stork for our birdathon list as it must have left by the time I visited the boxes.

Birding on the Whittier Peninsula

Audubon staff members Heather Starck and Doreen Whitley spent the the morning on the Whittier Peninsula, future home of the Grange Insurance Audubon Center.

They saw a total of 25 species, including: Barn Swallow, Summer Tanager, Blue Gray Gnat Catcher, Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, Great Blue Heron, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Coot, Song Sparrow, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Northern Flicker, Laughing Gull, Yellow Warbler and House Wren.

Birdathon Lunch Break

Time for lunch and a bit of sitting and listening in the late morning. So far, no misses for expected birds with the exception of Rough-winged Swallow which I had seen by the bridge over Honey Creek for a couple of days and Acadian Flycatcher in the woods. Warblers are scarce--only the expected ones on territory (Yellow, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, and Common Yellowthroat) and migrant Tennessee, Magnolia, and Black-throated Green. I have seen four members of the thrush family so far including American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Trhush, and Swainson's Thrush; still looking for Hermit and Gray-cheeked. Similarly, I've seen seen four of the five woodpeckers I might expect, watching a pair of Downy Woodpeckers copulate for a timed 14 seconds! They did not seem embarrassed. The male flew off and the female ducked back into her nest hole in a small dead elm about 8 feet up.

The sun is out, the woods are green, and the birds are singing. Let's go.

From the OSU Research Wetlands

Audubon Ohio staff members Jerry Tinianow and Robin Brunotts were joined by Jerry's wife Sharon at the OSU Research Wetlands this morning. They have been busy sighting birds and enjoying the weather. They've seen 32 species so far!

So far, the species they've seen include: Red-Winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, Carolina Chickadee, Double-Crested Cormorant, Mourning Dove, Rock Dove, Mallard Duck, Wood Duck, Blue Gray Gnat Catcher, American Goldfinch, Canada Goose, Common Grackle, Great Blue Heron, Blue Jay, Baltimore Oriole, Northern Parula, East Wood Pewee, Song Sparrow, European Starling, Rough-Winged Swallow, Tree Swallow, Chimney Swift, Warbling Vireo, Blackburnian Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Downy Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, House Wren and Swainson's Thrush. Stay tuned for more news from the field!

My first Birdathon

At 6:30 am, my first bird appeared in the misty rain outside my kitchen window while I was making coffee - my ruby-throated hummingbird friend who visits me daily.  From seven to nine, I walked from the cabin to the valley and saw the following: Red-bellied woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, robin, crow, canada goose, cardinal, chickadee, chipping sparrow, what I am 99.9% sure was a Tennessee Warbler migrating through, and several gray catbirds - one of which chased me for several yards!  I think they might be nesting.  Now that I have had a second cup of java, I hit the neighbor's fields.  I think I lost five pounds walking this morning! 

 

Robin Mullet

From my back porch in Galena

Good morning! With coffee and binoculars in hand, I started the morning on my back porch and path with birds singing all around. Here are my sightings as of 8:00 a.m.: Canada Goose, Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Common Grackle, and House Sparrow. All of the usual suspects. More later!

Screech owl

Never one to fail me, my female screech owl is peering out of her nest box, wondering why I'm staring at her on this muggy morning. What better way to start the day than with a shot of stink-eye from a screech owl :-)

Misty Morning Bird Song

Back in for breakfast. Many species are awakening. Loudest and most persistent is the Scarlet Tanager -- singing interspersed with his diagnostic "chip-burr" call. Also Eastern Phoebe, Wood Thrush, and American Robin nearby, with American Goldfinch, Eastern Towhee, and Brown Thrasher singing from the edges over there. Overhead, the Chimney Swifts have taken wing from the chimney looking for any insects that may be flying in the 58 degree air above the woods. Now I'm off for a proper Birdathon bird hike.

Under the Moon

Time -- 05:early. Under the beautiful waning gibbous moon, I listened as the dew literally fell from the air onto the woodland leaves. It sounded as if it were a gentle rain, but the stars were shining dimly through the thin haze overhead. In the dark with coffee mug in hand, I whistled softly the downward whinny call of the Eastern Screech-Owl. In less than a minute, I got a soft reply...then two. I stopped and the pair called back and forth for a couple of minutes, then went back to business. As I post this, a Great Horned Owl puts in his last two-cents of the night. Hope he isn't hunting up a Screech Owl morsel. By the way, the first bird song of the morning was at 05:17. What was it? A lone Northern Cardinal. Almost 6:00, now and many birds are starting up. Off to listen.

The 5-Minute Birdathon

Unfortunately I'll be behind bars on May 10 (a.k.a. at work), but will add my speed-sightings to the birdathon effort. Between the screech owls nesting in my back yard and the warblers and thrushes passing through, I hope to add to the list!