Red Knot Conservation Effort
Ohio Nesting Red-breasted Nuthatches
April 2008 Rusty Blackbird Survey
Urban Big Day Birding
Birding by Radar
Ohio Bird Records Committee
Wildwood Metropark Hybrid Warbler
Crane Creek State Park Land Transferred to ODNR
Apr 10, 2008 Toledo Naturalists message board comment about the North Coast Open birding competion : "... was crazy enough to walk from Maumee Bay State Park to Crane Creek last year - he figured he walked about 20 miles - and finished with 109 species."
External links :
- Black Swamp Bird Observatory
- Toledo Area Rare Bird Alert
- Ohio Birding Listserv
- Ohio Ornithological Society
- Northwest Ohio Nature
links to my birding-related articles
Brand new, ODNR - Warblers of Ohio and Eastern North America CD and booklet!
NW Ohio summer birding places to visit
Winter gull ID info
U.P. birding
U.P. birding trip Feb 2007
Nov 26, 2007 - Looking for finches
Nov 2007 reports
NW Ohio Birding
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:47:04 -0800
... made a swing through northwestern Ohio
yesterday, November 18.
Our first stop was the quarry pond on Rt. 33 about 3 miles west of New
Hampshire in Auglaise County. The mixed flock of geese reported by Troy Shivley
last week remained.
ROSS'S GOOSE - 2
Snow goose - ~25 mostly blue morphs
Canada - ~150
The Lima reservoirs were a bust. We found large flocks of ruddy ducks, a few
bufflehead, and a single red-breasted merganser.
We realized our path northward along I-75 to Oak Openings would take us by
Blufton. We whipped off the interstate, drove across Blufton catching all the
lights green, rolled in front of Linda Houshower's home and found the RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD sipping from the feeder. (With luck like this, maybe we should try
a big day.)
At the Nature Center at Oak Openings, we found a good mix of winter birds. We
lingered for a while, then headed back to the car. As we were half-way across
the parking lot, Dan ran out and yelled "Red-Crossbill"!. We ran back in
and were able to get remarkable looks at an immature male drinking from the
pool. It disappeared after a minute, but a post on Rarebird.org indicates it
was back later in the day.
Highlights at Oak Openings:
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3
Purple Finch -2, one of each sex
RED CROSSBILL - 1 immature male
Our final stop was Maumee Bay State Park, where we spent a great deal of time
beating the weeds in the northwestern quadrant of the park looking for the
previously reported common redpolls. We dipped on them and snow buntings. The
feeders at the closed nature center were drawing only the expected backyard
birds. At the beach and "lagoon", a flock of about 80 Canada Geese included one
snow goose and one very distinctive CACKLING GOOSE, about half the size of the
Canadas with a very stubby bill.
Notable Species at Maumee
CACKLING GOOSE
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
American Tree Sparrow
We ended the day having missed three of our target species: Common Redpoll,
Pine Siskin and Snow Bunting. On the other hand, it was the only time I've seen
three review list species (Cackling Goose, Ross's Goose, and Rufous
Hummingbird) in a single day. Oddly enough, the best bird of the day, Red
Crossbill, was not among them. Such is Ohio birding.
---------------
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:48:35 -0500
... went exploring the NW part of the state
yesterday, with some pretty good finds. Our first stop was the recently
decommissioned gravel pit operation outside of New Hampshire along US 33 in
Auglaize County, where *** had reported Cackling and Ross's Geese
in with Canada and Snow Geese. We found the flock on one of the ponds, but
it got up before we could sort through them and landed in a nearby field.
Fortunately, this probably afforded us even better looks at the birds. We
weren't able to pick out any Cackling Geese from the Canadas, but amongst 25
Snow Geese (both blue and white phases) were three white phase ROSS'S GEESE.
The Canada Geese included some darker and smaller than usual individuals
that people better versed with the subspecies of Canada Goose might want to
look at. A Northern Harrier flew over the pond, but didn't seem to faze any
of the Mallards and Green-winged Teals still there.
Our next stop were the Lima Reservoirs, which featured Ruddy Ducks as the
main bird. Also present were some Bufflehead and Hooded Mergansers. We
looked for Snow Buntings along the dikes but did not see any. Curiously, we
saw another Northern Harrier flying quickly over the reservoirs.
On our way to the Oak Openings, we stopped at Bluffton to see the Rufuous
Hummingbird, which was on the feeder as we rolled up, then flew off. We then
observed a kettle of about 8 Red-tailed Hawks and a single Turkey Vulture at
the Monclovia exit off 475.
Our stop at Oak Openings was great. It was the first visit to this metropark
for me, and Dan Sanders pointed out all the spots where good birds had been
observed in the past. Our goal was the nature center feeders, where we spent
about 45 minutes. The feeders were very lively, with a male and female
Purple Finch, numerous American Goldfinches, several White-breasted
Nuthatches, at least 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches, a Blue Jay, Red-bellied and
Downy Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?), and
Dark-eyed Junco. After about 45 minutes, we had decided we'd seen all that
we'd likely see there and headed out of the nature center back to the car.
About halfway there, *** came rushing out of the center yelling
"CROSSBILL!!!" We looked at each other and sprinted back into the center,
where a male RED CROSSBILL was drinking from the water station. I'm not
certain about this, but it seemed like the bird was completing a molt from
juvenile to adult plumage - I don't know anything about molt timing in
crossbills, so maybe it was just the fact that this was the closest look
I've ever had at a Red Crossbill! A photo of the bird is up at the
rarebirds.org website -
http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2447
After that bit of excitement, we hit Pearson Park's nature center, which was
House Finch central, along with goldfinches and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. No
irruptive finches were seen here, but it looks like a good spot for them to
show up.
We finished the day at Maumee Bay State Park, where we tramped around
looking for Common Redpolls and Snow Buntings, which we were unable to find.
A great consolation prize was a single CACKLING GOOSE in with a flock of
Canada Geese and a single white-phase Snow Goose. The geese were on the
sheltered beach near the pavilion, and we had very good looks at the bird,
which was about a third the size of the Canadas it was with, and had a
stubby bill and short neck.
All in all, a satisfying day in NW Ohio!
Botulism E update
Subject: FW: Botulism E update - Lake Michigan
From: "Vincent Ste-Marie" <v_ste.marie AT sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:45:06 -0500
Birders � passing this on from UP Birders. Thought some may be interested.
Vince
-------------------------
To: UP Birders; birder-l AT mtu.edu
Subject: Botulism E update - Lake Michigan
Dear Birders,
In response to the recent appearance of many dead birds along the Lake
Michigan shoreline, for the past three weeks our research group has been
surveying beaches in both the Upper and northern Lower Peninsulas.� As of
November 18 we have recorded just over 2000 dead birds on 93 miles of
shoreline stretching between Peninsula Point in Delta County and Cathead
Point in Leelanau County, an average of 21.6 dead birds per mile.� As a
conservative estimate of the total shoreline distance between these
endpoints is roughly 350 miles, 7500 birds have potentially perished within
this region alone.� It is worth noting that the die-off has been reported
further to the west in the Upper Peninsula (Menominee), to the south in the
Lower Peninsula (Frankfort), and on islands such as Beaver and the Manitous.
The top five species that we have documented are Common Loon [n=508],
Long-tailed Duck� [n=505], White-winged Scoter [n=207], Red-necked Grebe
[n=166] and merganser sp. (primarily Red-breasted) [n=127].� Other recorded
species include Red-throated Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Ring-billed and
Herring Gulls, Horned Grebe, and Bald Eagle.
The most notable Common Loon among our recoveries was a banded adult from
Seney NWR who had been monitored on the refuge for 14 years and during this
time had produced 17 chicks - including one this season.� His discovery
stands as the first evidence that a portion of the very high Common Loon
numbers represent birds breeding in Michigan, where the species remains a
Threatened Species.�
Carcasses from a wide variety of bird species collected along the lake have
tested positive for botulism E at the Michigan DNR's Wildlife Disease Lab.�
This current outbreak on Lake Michigan follows a trend of increasing
botulism-related mortality on the Great Lakes; only Lake Superior has thus
far remained exempt from the problem.� To learn more about botulism E
consult the Michigan Sea Grant website at�
www.miseagrant.umich.edu/habitat/avian-botulism-faq.html
We would be interested in any update on the location and/or density of bird
carcasses along the Great Lakes shoreline, and would greatly appreciate
being contacted if a banded loon is discovered by any birder.� Additionally,
birders can submit unusual numbers of dead birds to the DNR's Wildlife
Disease Lab a using the following web site:�
http://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/0,1607,7-186-25805-75891--,00.html
Thanks,
Joe Kaplan
Common Coast Research & Conservation
Boreal Birds Update
Subject: Fwd: [BIRDCHAT] Boreal Birds - Ontario Updates
From: tallerpat AT aol.com
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:43:34 -0500
-----Original Message-----
From: Jean Iron
To: BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Sent: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:15 pm
Subject: [BIRDCHAT] Boreal Birds - Ontario Updates
Don Sutherland of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) tells me
that the abundant meadow vole population last summer in the Hudson Bay Lowlands
has almost certainly crashed. OMNR biologists did not see meadow voles in
October and early November in areas where they were abundant in August. Newton
(2006) states that microtine crashes often happen quickly following high
populations.?
?
Owls: The high small mammal populations last summer in central and northern
Ontario meant that most owls had an excellent breeding season with abundant
prey to feed growing young. Note that most northern forest owls are rarely if
ever affected by cold temperatures and deep snow unless they are starving.
Small mammal populations (mainly voles) drive their breeding, abundance and
movements.?
?
Northern Saw-whet Owl: A red-backed vole (preferred prey in Ontario) and deer
mouse crash likely account for the very large flight this fall with hundreds
recorded at banding stations.?
?
Boreal Owl: I'm not aware of any Boreal Owl sightings this fall in Ontario, but
the heavy flight of Saw-whets and low vole numbers suggest some may come south.
Boreal Owls can take larger prey than Saw-whets such as Northern Flying
Squirrels. Two Boreal Owls have been banded so far this fall at L'Observatoire
d'oiseaux de Tadoussac northeast of Quebec City on the north shore of the St.
Lawrence River. The observatory is situated along the migratory route of the
Boreal Owl. This cyclic owl often moves only short distances so it is best
monitored by northern observatories.?
?
Great Gray Owl: One was seen on 19 November near Peterborough in central
Ontario and another possible recent sighting in Muskoka. The crash of meadow
voles (preferred prey in Ontario) in northern Ontario may cause more to show up
farther south. However, Great Grays have the uncanny ability to find areas with
high vole densities. They stop moving when they find abundant voles.?
?
Barred Owl: They are moving, with several reports along north shore of Lake
Ontario, away from their normal habitats. This movement is likely linked to a
crash of red-backed voles, deer mice and other small mammals in the Great Lakes
- St. Lawrence Forest and southern Boreal Forest.?
?
Northern Shrike: The big southward movement this fall is probably resulted from
the meadow vole crash in the boreal forest. Although Northern Shrikes eat small
birds; they are mainly a vole specialist in winter. Birds are a buffer and form
a greater proportion of Northern Shrike prey when voles are scarce.?
?
Boreal Chickadee: Indicators of a small movement include Bob Knudsen's report
yesterday from Sault Ste. Marie to Ontbirds, a flock of 13 seen recently by
Erwin Meissner near Massey west of Sudbury, and a report from Stephen O'Donnell
of more sightings than usual near Sundridge north of Huntsville. A few may get
as far south as Lake Ontario. Boreal Chickadees prefer thick conifers
especially spruce. Listen for their husky calls among flocks of Black-cappeds,
which had a significant southward movement this fall.?
?
Common and Hoary Redpolls - Subspecies: This year's big flight is providing an
opportunity to study two subspecies of the Common Redpoll and perhaps two
subspecies of Hoary Redpoll. Check link below to Tommy Thompson Park Bird
Research Station in Toronto http://www.ttpbrs.ca/ This site has recent photos
of two subspecies of the Common Redpoll (flammea and rostrata) and photos of a
Hoary Redpoll (subspecies exilipes). They call the rostrata subspecies the
"Greenland" subspecies of the Common Redpoll, but the common name used in most
of the literature for rostrata is "Greater" Common Redpoll. The name Greenland
Redpoll was normally restricted to the nominate subspecies hornemanni of the
Hoary Redpoll. Sibley (2000) adds to the confusion by using Greenland for the
northern subspecies of both Common and Hoary Redpolls. I suggest not using
Greenland Redpoll because it is now used for the subspecies both species. In
fact, both rostrata Common Redpoll and nominate hornemanni Hoary Redpoll have
extensive breeding ranges in Canada so why even mention Greenland, which is
misleading.?
? The "Southern" Common Redpoll (flammea) is the commonest redpoll in southern
Canada. It breeds as close as northern Ontario. The "Greater" Common Redpoll
(rostrata) breeds on Baffin Island and Greenland. The "Greater" Common Redpoll
is normally a winter visitor in small numbers. Rick Poulin (reported by
Pittaway 1992)) banded hundreds of redpolls in the 1980s near Ottawa and found
"Greater" Common Redpolls more common than Hoarys during some winters.?
? The "Southern" Hoary Redpoll (exilipes) breeds in the low Arctic south to
extreme northern Ontario. It is the usual Hoary seen in southern Canada in
winter. "Hornemann's" Hoary Redpoll is the rarest redpoll in southern Canada.
It breeds in high Arctic Canada and Greenland. Classic adult males are very
large and overall much whiter with less streaking on the sides, and immaculate
undertail coverts. Adult males have less pink with some having a mere trace of
a pink suffusion on the breast. Not all redpolls will be identifiable to
subspecies or even species, but most individuals can be distinguished with
considerable confidence.?
?
Acknowledgements: I thank the following for keeping me informed: Ken Abraham
(OMNR), Michel Gosselin (Canadian Museum of Nature), Jean Iron (Toronto), Erwin
Meissner (Massey, Sudbury District), Marty Obbard (OMNR), Stephen O'Donnell
(Sundridge, Parry Sound District), Don Sutherland (OMNR), Ron Tozer (Algonquin
Park), Mike Turner (Haliburton Highlands) and Kirk Zufelt (Sault Ste. Marie,
ON).?
?
Literature Cited and Websites?
Newton, Ian. 2006. Advances in the study of irruptive migration. Ardea 94(3):
433-460. This is the most informative paper on irruptive species by a winter
finch and raptor expert.?
Pittaway, R. 1992. Recognizable Forms: Redpolls. Ontario Birds 10(3): 108-114.?
Sibley, D.A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.?
Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station, Toronto, Ontario. Website
http://www.ttpbrs.ca/?
Winter Finch Forecast 2007-2008. Archived at
http://www.ofo.ca/reports%20and%20articles/winterfinches.php?
?
Ohio Statewide RBA Nov 23, 2007
Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:07:29 -0800
- RBA
* Ohio
* Statewide
* November 23, 2007
* OHST0711.23
- Species Mentioned (Caps denote a review list species)
ROSS'S GOOSE
CACKLING GOOSE
Long-tailed Duck
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe
NORTHERN GANNET
Golden Eagle
Franklin's Gull
Little Gull
Glaucous Gull
Sabine's Gull
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
Northern Shrike
BOHEMIAN WAXWING
Brewer's Blackbird
PINE GROSBEAK
Red Crossbill
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
Common Redpoll
- Transcript
This is the Ohio Rare Bird Report for November 23, 2007.
Compiler: Paul Gardner. Email: godwit AT sbcglobal.net
ROSS'S GOOSE: Scott Myers reported that the one found last week at
the Thomas Wetlands outside the village of Antwerp, Paulding
County, along County Roads 176/61, aka Harmann/Gonser Rds,
remained on the 18th. Andy Sewell reported three remained on the
18th among Canada and Snow Geese at a quarry pit in Auglaize
County along SR 33 about 2-3 miles west of New Hampshire where
they were reported last week.
CACKLING GOOSE: Andy Sewell found one at the beach at Maumee State
Park, Lucas County, on the 18th. Brian Zwiebel reported that it
remained on the 22nd. Matt Anderson had seven fly over as he
waited at the Pine Grosbeak spot at Obee Road and Rt. 295, Lucas
County.
Long-tailed Duck: All in Lake County this week. Joe Hammond saw
seven at Perry Park on the 18th. Suzanne Wagner saw one at
Headlands Beach State Park on the 20th and 21st. On the 22nd one
flew by John Pogacnik's Lakeshore Reservation home, North Perry.
Red-Necked Grebe: Bob Lane found one in the harbor at Conneaut,
Ashtabula County, on the 19th and 20th.
Eared Grebe: Robert Jackson reported one from Rocky River Park,
Cuyahoga County, on the 17th.
NORTHERN GANNET: John Pogacnik observed one flying by his
Lakeshore Reservation home, North Perry, Lake County, on the 17th
and the 23rd.
Golden Eagle: John Blogett saw one flying by the intersection of
State Route 590 and State Route 163 in Ottawa County on the 19th.
Franklin's Gull: John Herman found one at Clear Fork Reservoir,
Richland/Morrow County, on the 16th. Joe Hammond had one at the
Eastlake Power Plant, Lake County, on the 18th. John Pogacnik
reported one flew by his Lakeshore Reservation home, North Perry,
Lake County, on the 22nd.
Little Gull: On the 22nd one flew by John Pogacnik's Lakeshore
Reservation home, Lake County, and Mike Busam found two at the
mouth of the Huron River, Erie County. On the 23rd Brad Wilkinson
observed five cruising around Headlands Beach State Park, Lake
County.
Glaucous Gull: One flew by John Pogacnik's Lakeshore Reservation
home, Lake County, on the 17th. One flew over Tom Kemp's Bowling
Green home, Wood County, on the 22nd. Tom suggested the landfill
west of Bowling Green on Route 6 as the bird's likely destination.
Sabine's Gull: On the 22nd Mike Busam spotted one among the horde
of gulls at Huron, Erie County, at the mouth of the river.
Long-eared Owl: Ryan Steiner found one at Killdeer Plains Wildlife
Area on the 21st. By approaching cautiously, Paul Chad was able to
find two skittish birds west of the parking lot at Maumee Bay
State Park, Lucas County, on the 22nd.
Short-eared Owl: Bob Lane reported on the 17th that one was struck
by a vehicle and fatally injured near Rogers, Columbiana County.
There was a second-hand report of short-ears at Killdeer Plains
Wildlife Area, Wyandot County.
Northern Saw-Whet Owl: Phil Chaon spotted one at Headlands Beach
State Park, Lake County, on the 18th and managed some remarkable
photos with a cell phone camera. See them at Rarebird.org.
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD: The immature male visiting a garden and
feeders in Bluffton, Allen County, remains through the 20th. The
bird was captured and banded on October 29th. Pictures are at
Rarebird.org. Birders are welcome. Linda Houshower, the homeowner,
provided these directions: Bluffton is off I-75, 18 miles north of
Lima or south of Findlay. Take either Bluffton exit, east on Main
St. to the Fire station on one corner, and East of Chicago on the
other corner, the street is Washington. Turn left(north),3 stop
signs(Jackson, Lawn, Spring), the house is a tall brown with red
roof on the right, where the street dead ends. Park on the side of
the street or at the dead end. Come up the sidewalk towards the
house, can't miss the feeders and activity.
Northern Shrike: Ryan Steiner found one along CH 68 at Killdeer
Plains Wildlife Area, Wyandot County, on the 21st. On the next
day, Brian Zwiebel found a juvenile bird in the campground at
Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas County.
BOHEMIAN WAXWING: Leidy Gabe observed one or two amid a flock of
Cedar Waxwings at Elmwood Park, Cuyahoga County, on the 18th.
Brewer's Blackbird: On the 21st Jay Stenger found at least 20 of
them in a mixed species flock in southwestern Butler County. An
increasingly difficult bird to find in Ohio, these were feeding in
fields along both sides of Chapel Road just south of Rt. 129
PINE GROSBEAK: On the 21st Matt Anderson found one along Obee Road
just east of its intersection with Rt 295. This is just east of
Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County. A metal gate on the north
side of Obee Road and a sheep pen on the south are good landmarks.
There seem to be at least two immature male birds frequenting the
area through the time of this report. Photos at Rarebird.org.
According to the Ohio Bird Records Committee Checklist, the last
documented sighting in Ohio was about 20 years ago.
Red Crossbill: Dan Barda reported an immature male from the nature
center at Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, on the morning of
the 18th. It was seen later in the day, but apparently there have
been no reports since. Photos at Rarebird.org.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL: Tom Barlett reported that a flock of at
least 15 were seen and heard flying over Kelly's Island on the
16th. John Pogacnik reported one investigating a feeder at his
Lakeshore Reservation home, Lake County, on the 22nd.
Common Redpoll: John Watts found one at the northeast corner of
Lakewood Park, Cuyahoga County, on the 18th. One was reported from
a feeder about two miles northeast of Lindsey, Sandusky County, on
the same day. John Pogacnik reported them from his Lakeshore
Reservation home, Lake County, on the 17th, 20th and 23rd. He
reported a flock of at least 70 flying over Painesville, Lake
County, on the 21st.
For snowed-in birders, a Peterjohn index
From: Bill Whan
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:11:49 -0500
As I often point out, Peterjohn's "The Birds of Ohio" is an essential
reference for Ohio birders. Unfortunately its 30-page index is not very
convenient. I have made up a quick index as a MS Word file that you can
print off and paste inside the back cover to make finding species
accounts much easier. Every year or two I offer to send it as an
attachment to anyone who writes to request it, so let me know if you'd
like one.
Winter Bird Atlas 2008
Subject: Ohio Winter Bird Atlas in January needs your assistance
From: Julie Shieldcastle <julieshieldcastle AT BSBO.ORG>
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:33:06 -0500
Hi,
For the past 6 years, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, in partnership with the
Ohio Division of Wildlife, has been coordinating the Ohio Winter Bird Atlas
during the month of January. The objectives of this project are to document
Ohio winter bird distribution, species use of special areas, and provide an
index of abundance for species. Many thanks to those of you who have spent
many hours assisting in covering over 684 of the 784 existing Delorme grid
blocks!
This January is our final year of field work before the information is
analyzed and assimilated into a final product similar to the breeding bird
atlas. There are many blocks which have zero or less than 20 species
documented. Now, I know there should be more than 20 wintering species in
any 50 square mile block of Ohio, and with the active and talented birding
community in the state, I know that we can fill in the empty blocks or low
species blocks during 2008.
Helping out is simple as recording your sightings from each block you pass
through anytime you're out and about anywhere in the state. Or, why not
get your birding friends together and plan a "Block Busting" field trip.
Our Ohio Young Birders Club "busted some breeding bird blocks" with Aaron
Boone this summer and had a blast! Any observations can be of great help.
You can send your sightings directly to me via e-mail or mail the forms to
the Observatory.
Details about the Ohio Winter Bird Atlas project, including a list of the
areas needing more coverage and an Ohio map highlighting those areas are
available at www.bsbobird.org . Directions and
field forms can be downloaded from the website and are available in PDF
form. You may want to check the list of observed species for blocks of
interest to you as well. Common species are still missing from some blocks.
Can anyone think of a 50 sq. mile area that doesn't have at least one
cardinal? Selected species maps are available on the website for your
viewing (ex. American Crow, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Black Duck,
and others).
Be sure to visit the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas website (another great
opportunity to make your birding count) for additional information about
these blocks.
Why not make your birding count and help with this important project while
you are out and about in January!
All the best to you in the New Year!
Julie Shieldcastle
Ohio Winter Bird Atlas Coordinator
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Dec 29, 2007
Sat, Dec 29, 2007 Ohio listserv posting:
We arrived at 8:00 AM. Highlights were: 11 Evening Grosbeaks including 2 males. About 10 minutes after we arrived a Sharp-shinned Hawk scattered them. Dennis and Martha later told us that the grosbeaks came back about 20 minutes after we left to go to the feeders at the nature center. There we found 30 Pine Siskins. We then went to Woodlawn Cemetery where we found 25 Common Redpolls.
Dec 30, 2007 C Redpoll info
Subject: Re: Common Redpoll Invasion
From: Victor Fazio
Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2007 06:05:56 -0800
The type of question Rick poses is a frequent one
on listservs. Understandably, birders have an interest
in how widespread a particular phenomenon may be.
Usually, this elicits a large number of emails
offering some input, although here Ethan has stayed
on top of the redpoll movement and has provided a
fairly comprehensive list.
I would like to point out that this is the very function
(among others) of Project eBird. I would like to point out
that were more than 10-15% of the Ohio-birds listserv
members (or at least its contributors) were participating
in Project eBird, that Rick could have answered his question
with just 3 mouse clicks from the eBird main page.
1. go to http://ebird.org
2. click Ohio
3. click Common Redpoll
4. click map
doing so now will give a nice visual representation of the
current invasion, only one hampered by a lack of data
as the county list for eBird presently only includes
Clark, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Ottawa,
and Seneca.
Only Seneca adds to Ethan's list below.
Of course, the point of eBird is to go farther with distribution
than geography, but ultimately it may allow one to delve into
finer scale issues such as habitat use, as well as to be
able to map movements across time. As such, a database
such as eBird has the potential to be an important tool
for conservation.
cheers
Vic Fazio
Shaker Heights, OH
Ethan Kistler wrote:
Hi all,
With some research, here is a list of counties I came up with reporting Common
Redpolls this winter. I�m probably missing a county or two but it should give
you a pretty good idea.
1. Allen
Ashtabula
Clark
Cuyahoga
Delaware
Erie
Geauga
Holmes
Huron
Lake
Logan
Lorain
Lucas
Mahoning
Ottawa
Paulding
Scioto
Stark
Summit
Trumbull
Tuscarawas
Wayne
Wood
Wyandot
Ethan Kistler
Newton Falls, Ohio
Richard Counts wrote:
Hello All,
As the redpoll reports keep pouring in, I'd be interested to know how many of
Ohio's 88 counties are effected by this invasion.
Wyandot Co. A maximum of 4 inds. at my feeders with 3 inds. yesterday.
Answers to Gull Questions
I just want to answer a few questions I have been getting.
In regards to Robert Royce's gull photo at
http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2643, I have seen numerous
birds like this through the years and have tried to turn them into something. I
have come to the conclusion that they are just herring gulls. Herring gulls
show a tremendous amount of variation throughout North America. The wingtip
patterns of the West Coast birds are different from our birds. There is a
difference between birds around the Great Lakes and the Northeastern part of
North America. When I saw these pale-tipped birds I initially wondered whether
they were the Scandinavian race of the European herring gull, as these birds
show a considerable of white in their wingtip. They however are said to have a
darker mantle color. In the northeast part of North America some of the herring
gulls are said to have similar wingtips to these Scandinavian birds. Maybe this
is one of those Northeast herring gulls. If anything, I think these birds fall
within the range for herring gull. I really don't see anything that appears to
make it a hybrid or leucistic.
Next time you're at somewhere like East 72nd Street where there are a lot of
herring gulls, look at the variation in 1st winter birds. Some are so dark they
look black from a distance while others are fairly pale. Some birds have all
dark bills and others have pale bases. In adult birds look at the wingtips.
Some have two white spots at the tips and others have one. There is a variable
amount of black. Some have a considerable amount of white at the bases of the
tongues of the wingtips giving them a string of pearls look as in slaty-backed
gull. The one year we had several with yellow legs! There is a tremendous
amount of variation in the herring gulls.
The Nelson's gull is merely a name for the hybrid between glaucous gull and
herring gull. As Brewster's warbler is what we call the hybrid between
blue-winged and golden-winged warbler, someone has come up with the name
Nelson's gull for this hybrid. It is a good hybrid to be aware of, because some
of them look amazingly like huge Thayer's gulls. They are pictured in some of
the field guides.
People have asked me what are the best gull guides to use. The best two are the
new Dunn an Howells (2007), "Gulls of the Americas", and the slightly older
"Gulls of Europe, Asia, and North America" by Olsen and Larsson (2004). The
Dunn guide is all photographs and covers North America. The other guide has
photos and drawings and covers the Northern Hemisphere. Both are great guides
with lots of information.
Gulls are very challenging with lots of variation which leads to lots of
confusion, but that's what makes them fun. Just remember, unlike warblers they
are sitting right out in the open giving you plenty of time to get a good look.
Learn the common birds first (all the different age plumages) and rest will
come easier.
John Pogacnik
Ohio Winter Bird Atlas blocks
There has been some e-mail traffic on the Ohio Winter Bird Atlas blocks and
which ones have been spoken for on the atlas blocks with no coverage/little
coverage list.
Check out the WBA blocks that need covered on our website to see where you
can help www.bsbobird.org
Here are the blocks that have someone willing to cover this January and this
leaves many more to do so if you have time please help out!
27D5
34D2 34D3 34D4
38B1 38B2 38B3 38D1 38D2 38D3
44A2 44A3 44A4 44B2 44B4
45A5 45A6 45A7
46B1 46B2 46B3 46C1 46C3
51B5 51C7
52B1 52B2 52D1 52D3
54D4
57A5 57B5
60D4
61A5 61B6 61C5 61D5
62A3 62A4 62B1 62C4 62D1 62D4
64A1 64A2 64A3 64A4 64B4
67A6 67B6 67C5 67C6 67D6
69C7
74A6 74D1
Winter Bird Atlas and Mapping Resources
As if there wasn't enough excitement from participating in all of Ohio's
great Christmas Bird Counts, the excitement can continue through January by
helping out with the Ohio Winter Bird Atlas. As previously mentioned on
this list-serve, participating in the Winter Atlas is great fun. If you're
birding in Ohio during January, you're automatically atlasing!
I just wanted to mention to everyone that if you're atlasing or planning on
it, you can take advantage of some of the mapping tools available at the
Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas website to help organize a survey route or remotely
investigate habitat possibilities for your winter surveys. The Ohio
Breeding Bird Atlas followed in the Winter Bird Atlas' footsteps by taking
advantage of the commercially available Ohio DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer to
organize a survey grid. PLEASE NOTE: there is one main difference between
the two project's survey grids. For every 1 Winter Bird Atlas block there
are 6 Breeding Bird Atlas blocks. For example, Winter Atlas Block 62A3
equals Breeding Bird Atlas block 62A3NW, 62A3NE, 62A3CW, 62A3CE, 62A3SW, and
62A3SE.
Besides drawing lines in your DeLorme, here are some other mapping options
available:
#1 Go to http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/blockmap/statemap.php to access
interactive maps of each Breeding Bird Atlas block. You can simply combine
the 6 blocks printed out to make up the one Winter Atlas block.
#2 Individual breeding bird atlas blocks in topographic format are
available on OBBA2's data entry website
http://bird.atlasing.org/Atlas/OH/Main/. Go to view Regions and Blocks and
navigate to your blocks of interest and you will be brought to a view
showing 6 OBBA2 blocks, which basically equals the 1 Winter Atlas block. By
clicking on each of these 6 blocks, you can generate PDF topographic maps
that show considerable detail for the landscape. Click "Block Map" once you
access each block's profile. These maps can be printed easily and taken
into the field.
#3 You can also use Google Maps to create customizable maps that show
complete Winter Atlas blocks without having to combine 6 different maps from
OBBA2's blocks. Here's a link to a map I quickly generated in Google.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=p&om=1&msa=0&msid=11833923897
1239494586.00044324c1d6df2b3d450&ll=40.442505,-81.066055&spn=0.181334,0.3213
5&z=12.
You do need to have a Google account to do this but it's just a matter of
creating a user account and you're good to go. Email me offline and let me
know if you're interested in using Google Maps and I'll email you with more
details.
Also keep in mind, if you hear Great Horned Owls during your winter Atlas
activities, these observations could likely count as territorial records for
the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II. Please let me know if you come across this
great species during your surveys. Oh, and Rock Pigeons can be recorded for
OBBA2 any time of year!
East72nd ICELAND, THAYERS, GLAUCOUS
Led a Cleveland Metroparks walk today at East 72nd. From 9:30 a.m. until 12:00
p.m. we were treated to phenomenal looks at "white-winged" gulls, under PERFECT
conditions. Cloudy gray skies (NOT sunshine...sun=bad viewing) allowed for the
gray and white shades to show true. The ice shelf is in bigtime, with open
water only around the power plant outflow, drawing gulls in CLOSE. There are
thousands (emphasis on that) of gulls sitting out on the ice by the far
breakwall. The birds we studied were those in the immediate hotwaters area.
Here is the run-down on gulls: 8 species total (including Great Black-backed,
Herring, Ring-billed, and Bonaparte's Gulls)
ICELAND GULL: 9
First winter (or first-basic or first-cycle) birds were easy to find and viewed
so well, with FIVE found: including one fairly dark individual (bordering on
typical 1st year Thayer's), three light mocha-brown birds, and a very pale
whitish individual. A spectacular near-immaculate 2nd-year Iceland was a real
treat to see. Two third-winter birds were in the mix, and a single adult was
seen.
THAYER'S GULL: 3
In the immediate hotwaters area I briefly found one first-winter bird. The real
treat was prolonged looks at a single adult in flight and sitting (bathing) in
the water. Incredible in-flight and perched views of a 2nd-winter Thayer's was
the highlight for me. This bird had a bi-colored bill, light brown tail band,
dusky brown secondaries, dark mocha primaries, and overall the upper body was a
fine almost unicolor blend of gray mantle and light brown head and underparts.
GLAUCOUS GULL: 11
Five adults, two 2nd-winter birds, and four 1st-winter birds. Three of the
first winter birds were creamy fawn-colored, and the fourth was very very clean
white.
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL: 10
In the immediate hotwaters area (without scanning far out onto the ice): 4
adults, two 2nd-winters, three 1st-winters, and one 3rd-winter.
At one point we had a single scope view consisting of TWO 1st-winter Icelands,
a 1st-winter Glaucous, and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.
At another point, had 4 different Glaucous Gulls in the same view: 2 adults,
two 1st-winter birds.
Absolutely great day. NOW is the time to find the rarest species.
Feb 10, 2008
I was in Northwest Ohio over the last couple days and had a chance to do a
little birding. Saturday was interesting. A lot of birds were moving ahead
of the the front that passed through last night. I saw a lot of horned
larks, American crows, and snow buntings migrating along the lakeshore
yesterday. It seemed that horned larks were everywhere. I also saw a
number of high flying Canada goose flocks that were heading north over the
lake. At Metzger Marsh I saw a group of 4 red-tailed hawks in a small group
that appeared to be migrating. I also had 1 killdeer. I'd imagine its a
little surprised today. I probably saw just under 1,000 snow buntings
yesterday. A pretty lofty total until I was leaving the area this morning
and in a 4 mile stretch of roads in southwest Ottawa County I had in excess
of 5,000 snow buntings, including one flock of over 2,000 birds. One flock
also had about 30 Lapland longspurs. There were not many blackbirds or
ducks moving yesterday. I did run into a few flocks of redheads,
ring-necked ducks, scaup, and northern pintail.
Some of the birds of note on Saturday was a ROSS'S GOOSE along Howard Road
in Lucas County. Single CACKLING GOOSE and GREATER WHITE FRONTED GOOSE
along Krause Rod just west of Ottawa NWR. Also in that area were 600-700
tundra swans. There was a NORTHERN SHRIKE laong the causeway at Magee
Marsh. At East Harbor there was a lesser black-backed gull and a large
black-backed gull with bright yellow legs. More on this bird later.
Today, there were snow buntings and horned larks everywhere. I saw very few
geese or swans in the air today. I think this was due to the high wind.
AVIAN FIELD TECHNICIANS
(2-3) needed for songbird breeding research on
the southwestern shores of Lake Erie in northern Ohio on the Ottawa
National Wildlife Refuge property. Positions run for 9 weeks from late
Apr through Jun 2008. Responsibilities will include intensive
nest-searching and monitoring, target mist-netting and banding,
color-banding and resighting, and feather sampling. For more information
on the project (URL: http://twel.osu.edu/projects/Lindsay.html). A
strong work ethic, the ability to work alone and with others, and the
ability to handle cold morning temperatures, early morning hours and
long field days is essential. Significant prior experience in
nest-searching and monitoring, as well as strong background in
identification, mist-netting, and ageing and sexing North American
passerines is required. A valid driver’s license is also required. B.S.
in wildlife ecology or related field is preferred, but not required.
Salary $8.00/hour ($1400/month with h ousing provided. Northern Ohio and
the study area offer exceptional birding opportunities during spring
migration and the breeding season. Applications will be accepted until
mid Feb 2008. TO APPLY: Please send a cover letter, current resume, and
contact information for three (3) references via email (preferred) or
snail mail to ANNIE LINDSAY, (Email preferred--EM: lindsay.80 AT
osu.edu), Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural
Resources, 2021 Coffey Road, 210 Kottman Hall, Columbus, OH 43210-1085.
March 2008 Kelleys Island Census
Subject: Kelleys Island Monthy census - 3/17/2008
From: Tom Bartlett
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:13:21 -0400
The eleventh annual March census was conduct today on Kelleys Island.
Weather was cloudy to partly cloudy, 31-41 degrees F, winds 3-10 mph SW then
NE; beautiful day! Over the last 10 years we have averaged 55 species and
4911 individuals on a March census. This year we had 56 species and 12,194
individuals. Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Iceland Gull, and Tufted Titmouse
were new to the March census list. The Snow Goose was also a first on any
census route done to date. In addition, American Pipit and Snow Bunting are
uncommon on a March census. This was our highest count of individuals in
eleven years on a March census. The highlight of the day was the discovery
of a new Bald Eagle nest on the SE side of the island. A pair of nested
unsuccessfully at the North Pond for the last several years. Maybe this
nest will have better luck.
1 Snow Goose (Blue morph)
172 Canada Goose
19 Tundra Swan
2 Wood Duck
2 American Black Duck
32 Mallard
10 Canvasback
9 Redhead
8 Ring-necked Duck
1117 Greater Scaup
4730 Lesser Scaup
2450 Scaup species?
249 Bufflehead
856 Common Goldeneye
* Hooded Merganser
123 Common Merganser
345 Red-breasted Merganser
800 Duck species? (Divers)
2 Great Blue Heron
2 Bald Eagle (1 adult, 1 immature)
2 Red-shouldered Hawk
* Rough-legged Hawk
11 Killdeer
16 Ring-billed Gull
99 Herring Gull
1 Iceland Gull (second year)
7 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Mourning Dove
* Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
16 Downy Woodpecker
1 Northern Flicker
1 Blue Jay
73 American Crow
9 Horned Lark
35 Black-capped Chickadee
3 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Tufted Titmouse
7 Brown Creeper
3 Carolina Wren
5 Golden-crowned Kinglet
2 Eastern Bluebird
5 Hermit Thrush
124 American Robin
27 European Starling
2 American Pipit
1 Cedar Waxwing
8 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Eastern Towhee
9 American Tree Sparrow
7 Song Sparrow
11 White-throated Sparrow
4 Dark-eyed Junco
8 Snow Bunting
46 Northern Cardinal
389 Red-winged Blackbird
9 Rusty Blackbird
273 Common Grackle
23 Brown-headed Cowbird
* Purple Finch
15 House Finch
* Common Redpoll
9 American Goldfinch
1 House Sparrow
- = observed on the island but not during the census
56 Species
12,194 individuals
Easter brought Hawks galore!
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:08:30 -0400
Anyone that was out driving around yesterday in NW Ohio should have been
shadowed by hawks flying overhead. Light winds turned southerly by 11 AM and
kept the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) volunteers busy on the tower at
Magee Marsh W/A. Hawks were flying on all sides of the tower and by late
afternoon the Turkey Vultures were tree height. Close to 500 birds were seen
from the tower. I received early this morning a report from another BSBO
volunteer who counted at the site at Maumee Bay Sledding Hill yesterday. He
counted over 600 birds in less than 3 hours. The birds were moving in a
broad band north and west. Late March is the peak for raptor diversity and
peak time for Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks. BSBO's Hawk Count
numbers can be found on www.bsbobird.org upper right corner.
hawk watch at Conneaut 3-25
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:22:29 -0700
Hawk-watchers have always been a bit crazy. Today we proved it again by
watching all day at Conneaut with the temperature about 38, and the wind chill
must have been in the teens. But the wind was from the south and it didn't rain
-despite the 70-80% prediction. We found shelter on the north side of a
building since the wind blew over scopes and made it very difficult to hold
binocs steady.
We were glad to see that when hawks and vultures have been bottled up for
weeks, they will definitely move in cold weather with a south wind and no rain.
Turkey Vulture 1826
Bald Eagle 1
N. Harrier 15
Sharp-shinned 47
Cooper's 6
N. Goshawk 1
Red-shouldered 111
Red-tailed 98
Rough-legged 4
A. Kestrel 35
Merlin 1
at the park on the west side of Conneaut, near the Pennsylvania border
Conneaut hawk watch report for Monday 3/31
Once again we lucked out - 70% chance of rain - it never developed at all. The
wind was 10-20 from the south and we even got a little sun in the afternoon
when things picked up. It was our second best day for Rough-legged Hawks (best
day was 12 and was also on March 31), and quite good for this late in the
season for Red-shouldered Hawks. The Peregrine circled over our heads on its
way to Pennsylvania and New York.
TVs 461
Harrier 25
B.Eagle 1
Sharpies 62
Coopers 16
Goshawk 1
Red-sh. 68
Red-tails 120
Rough-leg 10
Kestrel 51
Peregrine 1
