John's Plans for the Rural View

Thursday promises to be a day with birds aplenty if they don't all wing north on the good south winds. My route will traverse hill and dale with a bit of stream-side meandering thrown in for good measure. I will be afield in northwestern Clark County generally on the former acreage of the original European settlers of this area, the Black family in 1809. The watershed of Honey Creek is my target with ample woodlands (think Screech Owl, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush) interspersed by hay fields (think Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow) and shrubby edges (think Indigo Bunting, Song Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat) all inclined toward the riparian corridor of Honey Creek (think Baltimore Oriole, Wood Duck, Great-blue Heron).

Coffee. I will be checking for owls early as Venus wanes in the western sky, then listen for the pre-dawn chorus of new arrivals mixed with those resident birds already on territory. Coffee. Next it will be checking out the close known individuals to fill the list. Coffee. Then on to whatever feels right, checking for morels underfoot and birds overhead. Good birding to all.

Christie's plans...

Twas the night before Birdathon and I am strategizing and planning. Those who know me well, know that I am such a great birder...I shouldn't admit that out loud. So if I have photos of wildflowers instead of birds, well I hope you'll understand. Look for me in and around my neighborhood, the Genoa Twp. bike path, and Hoover Reservoir. I'll keep you posted!

Jerry's Birdathon Preview

'Twas the night before Birdathon ....

Tomorrow (Thursday) is our "carbon-conscious" Birdathon. Our ground rules are simple. We have to look for birds in places we reach without using a car. This means we are walking, cycling or using public transportation.

The weather forecast is dicey, with a growing chance of thunderstorms. This has been exacerbated by my discovery last Sunday that the Olentangy bike trail between Bethel Road and Antrim Park is going to be closed between 8 am and 5 pm - and maybe more - for construction. This is the key north-south bike route for accessing Antrim and points north on the trail, including Highbanks Metro Park. On the other hand, two consecutive days of warm weather with the wind out of the south suggest that a new wave of migrants may be passing through.

I will do my best to post results during the day. Just to get the juices flowing, I've attached a nice photo of two Sandhill Cranes that I spotted up in Lorain County a few weeks ago. I'm sure we won't see this species tomorrow, but it provides some inspiration nonetheless.

Keep your fingers crossed!