Ohio's Birding Network: Bird Blogs

The Weedpicker Blog: Glade tidings of great news...

Weedpicker Cheryl — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Not a half day's travel from Ohio, but an ice age removed from the rest of West Virginia lies a botanical location that has fed my imagination for numerous years. Being long overdue for some pleasure travel, this is the place I chose to spend some time.

The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area in Pocahontas County West, Virginia is well known to birders and botanists alike.

Sure it has all my wetland favorites, like Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus (as in fetid smelling) and the always lovely Marsh Marigolds, Caltha palustris. Both are common enough in my favorite Ohio woodlots.

The Glade also offers up a carnivorous vegetable- the Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea. Woe to the insect who checks into this hotel. But, this plant too can be found in Ohio, although not in my own county.

These unfurling leaves were something altogether new to me: False Hellebore, Veratrum virde. It has several other common names (which is why we try to post the Latin bi-nomenclature as well) like American White Hellebore, Bear-corn, or Duck-retten. What the heck is a "Duck-retten"? I know not, but I do know this plant is in the Lily family. Wouldn't it be grand to see it in bloom?

A bit up the road from the bog, or glade as it is called, there is the very attractive Cranberry Glade Nature Center. It has many excellent displays inside and some very active bird feeders on the outside. It is popular with all the visitors to the area, especially birders and reptile-ophiles.

Around back of the building is a nature trail with an excellent display of native flowers. This Large-flowered Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum in a shade of petal pink was a real show-stopper.

The Painted Trillium, Trillium undulatum blooms a bit later and is found predominately in the glade, but a few scattered samples grow along the nature trail as well. This stunner was an unexpected pleasure, which I have not seen since childhood. Hello, old friend!

As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a life sedge! This rarity, Frazier's Sedge (or Lily-leaf Sedge) is not even known from Ohio; it is strictly a southern and central Appalachian endemic. The Latin name has bounced around a bit, but an animated conversation on Facebook's Ohio Sedges group has it pegged as Carex fraseriana. Only a fellow Sedge-head might understand what it means to find this unusual plant, and to know intuitively that it was going to be something good.

This alone made the trip worth while, and we haven't even gotten to the birds!

Greg Miller Birding: 2013 Biggest Week in American Birding – part 4

greg miller — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:13:46 +0000

Throngs of birders came to Northwest Ohio to catch a glimpse of the magical spectacle of birds on their epic journey from as far away as South America on their way to their breeding grounds in Canada. Birders here are on the famed boardwalk at Magee Marsh near Oak Harbor, Ohio.

The last day of Biggest Week was chilly with winds out if the North–not prime migration conditions. But, the cold wind kept the insect-eating warblers low and conditions for photography were excellent. This Cape May Warbler looks like it could have used an extra layer of clothing.

I was lucky to capture this Black-throated Green Warbler buzzing just inches past people's heads!

Prothonotary Warbler showing off for photographers and birders.

The Prothonotary Warbler entourage.

You can keep a list of warblers you see “on” the boardwalk like this pretty Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Magnolia Warblers always dazzle me. I can't seem to quit taking pictures of them.

Even the empidonax flycatchers were close. This Least Flycatcher is fluffed up to keep warm.

A little Common Yellowthroat popped up out of the marsh to check out what all the commotion was about. Oh. It's Biggest Week. And it dropped back into the reeds.

A rare Blanding's Turtle also made an appearance.

I could almost reach out and touch this female Black-and-white Warbler.

Speaking of close! I could not even use full zoom on this tiny Black-throated Green Warbler. Head shot!

It stuck around and posed as if it knew it was part of a photo shoot.

Birders were all bundled up in layers. But the birds have the same “clothes” on whether it is 35 degrees or 85 degrees. Nature is pretty amazing!

Even though numbers of birds were lower, the variety was good and the closeness of the birds made for a truly special experience.

I see birds. They're everywhere. (A movie reference–no, not The Big Year–for my movie-going friends)

A Pine Warbler shows in front of me and seems to say, “Hey, don't forget about me!”

A Wilson's Warbler gets in on the action, too.

This Chestnut-sided Warbler just barged right in front of the Wilson's Warbler. I'm working hard to keep up with the action!

Yellow-rumped Warblers are so numerous they get under-appreciated. This male is a stunner.

My favorite warbler (Blackburnian Warbler) doing some gymnastics in front of me. It wouldn't have to–it is an AWESOMELY BEAUTIFUL bird.

See what I mean? Just. Wow.

Another Magnolia Warbler. I couldn't resist another shot.

Just two colors, but a sharp-dressed bird (a music reference? Haha). This Black-and-white Warbler is singing.

Yet another Black-throated Green Warbler at point blank range.

And a puffed up American Redstart. Aww. I would give it my coat if it would help.

And to top things off, a charming Black-throated Blue Warbler.

You know what this day was? Christmas in May! The trees were decorated with these brightly-colored sprites. They were sparkling gems in an overcast chilly day. But their beauty brought warmth and joy to my heart. I love birds…

Posted with Blogsy

Red and the Peanut: Black Rat Snake in our side yard...

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:22:00 +0000

Saturday afternoon Matty and I were walking in the side yard when we both saw a Black Rat snake alongside the rock path. He froze as soon as he saw us, and we watched him for a while. When I realized he was in frozen mode, I ran in to get the camera, hoping he would stay put for a few more minutes. He was in the same place when I returned, so I took a few photos. Eventually he figured out we weren't going to try to eat him or pick him up, so he slowly slithered away under a large bush...

A Black Rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta) in our side yard. I'm glad this fellow is living here. I hope he comes out and says hi more often.

...as you can tell, our Black Rat snake isn't all that black! He has a beautiful pattern with copper, brown and yellow showing through. Unfortunately, this pattern sometimes gets him killed when uninformed homeowners confuse him with a venomous snake. The round pupil on the Black Rat snake lets you know he is nonvenomous. Venomous snakes have elliptical pupils. Having a Black Rat snake living close by is beneficial...

...someone is full and happy. I wonder what he ate...mouse, vole, chipmunk? If you look at the left, you can see the scales are close together, but in the middle prey has stretched out the skin, which separates the scales.

...freezing in place is a good defense when you are camouflaged as well as our snake is. He blended in so perfectly, it would have been easy to walk right past him. Black Rat snakes are the largest snakes found in Ohio, and they are often found in suburban neighborhoods. You might have one in your yard and not even know it.

...with his head tipped up a little, you can see the rostral groove in his upper lip, which is the small hole the tongue protrudes through. In the next photo...you can see the tongue!

Snakes flick their tongues in and out of their mouths through the rostral groove without every having to open their mouths.

To learn more about the rostral groove and how snakes use their tongues and the Jacobson's Organ to smell, click here.

The pattern on a Black Rat snake, when visible, is distinct. The dark spots on the dorsal side lay across his back like saddles.

Black Rat Snake slithering from Kelly Riccetti on Vimeo.

This video shows how beautiful and graceful a Black Rat snake is when it moves.

I wonder if this is the baby Black Rat snake we found in our basement last autumn and released into our back yard? He's not fully grown, so he might be...

p.s. This post is for my niece, Maria, my son, Matty, and my neighbor, Chet...all of whom love snakes.

Married to a Birder: Flower Power Alaska 2013 - Crossing the Great Plains

mrsbirder — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:35:00 +0000

Now that the container is on its way to Alaska, we were ready to pack up the truck and head on up ourselves.

We said goodbye to Taylor

and waved goodbye to Rafael, who will be staying at the house and taking care of the dogs and cats for us.

On the first week of our journey to Alaska we crossed the great plains of the US. First stop was in St. Louis to see the Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

Then we shot over to Kansas City for dinner at my favorite steak house,The Golden Ox. The steak house is in the old cattle stockyards and has a rustic, old west atmosphere and the best steaks I've ever had! I took this photo of Dave with my cell phone, and I know he looks really stoned, but he was just smiling!

The next day we turned north and headed up to Sioux City, IA,

where we saw a Hudsonian Godwit

in a puddle along the side of the interstate.
We stopped at a lake on the side of the road that had a little park and pond

and stretched our legs a bit.

We found a tree full of Cedar Waxwings eating apple blossoms. So cool!

At Sioux City, we turned West and headed toward the Badlands of South Dakota.

Married to a Birder: FLOWER POWER ALASKA 2013 - Loading Up Gear

mrsbirder — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:56:00 +0000

Today begins the first day of heading up to Alaska for the Summer 2013. The 40ft container arrived at our farm in Liberty, Indiana and we will be shipping our large equipment for the Alaska farm in the container. It will leave Indiana on a tractor trailer on Friday, May 3^rd, go to Chicago, be put on a train to Seattle, then barged to Anchorage, back on a train to Fairbanks, and by truck out to the farm in Two Rivers. It should arrive on May 24^th. Amanda looks small inside it.

Michael and Dave spent most of Wednesday afternoon loading fenceposts and equipment.

A neighbor came over with his forklift and helped out a lot!

The new plow we got to build our raised beds arrived and it just fit inside the container.

I can't believe how much stuff we have! Loading the trailer was like playing a game of Tetrus, lots of contemplation and re-arranging.

Neighbor Marc came over and helped us quite a bit with his little loader!

Dave and Marc loaded the posts that will be part of the fencing around the farm as well as boards used in building a shed.

Here's Jay helping load the mower

Cooperi, Rafael, Dylan and Jay stopped over later in the day and did most of the heavy work moving equipment and supplies into and around inside the trailer. Loading continued well into the dark, and we had to pull out some flood lights and light up the place to see what we were doing!

After two exhausting days, we got her filled, sealed and she is on her way. 38K pounds of stuff!

The Weedpicker Blog: More Fun from Biggest Week

Weedpicker Cheryl — Sun, 12 May 2013 15:43:00 +0000

So what do eco-tourism guides do on their day off? Go birding of course!

We enjoyed the Window on Wildlife at Pearson Park so much, Greg Miller and I decided to return for more photos.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Note the rose colored patch on male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. They are surprisingly variable in size and shape. This one is rather jagged and "lighting" like!

Red-bellied Woodpecker

BEHOLD! The belly is red!

One of the great mysteries of life: why did they call them "Red-bellied Woodpecker"?

In this rare shot, you can actually see the red on the woodpecker's belly. Another birding mystery: solved.

Screech Owl

Does anyone else think this Screech Owl closely resembles Oscar-the-Grouch? I took this picture from the boardwalk behind the Nature Center at Maumee Bay State Park.

Woodchuck, or Whistle-pig?

In Pearson Park, a Woodchuck (A.K.A. Whistle-pig) was feeding on the seed beneath the bird feeders. It was fun to have a mammal present, besides the usual feeder-crashing squirrels. Although technically, a Woodchuck is the largest member of Ohio's squirrel family.

Eastern Chipmunk

Showing those chippy colors: yipes, stripes! We could safely say Chippies are the smallest of Ohio's squirrels. Somehow this blog has become the Biggest Week in American Squirrels. I am prepped to be a guide for that event!

Raccoon taking an afternoon snooze.

All this birding (and squirreling) wore me out. I was pretty jealous when we found this raccoon taking an afternoon snooze at Maumee Bay. We can only hope there were no Wood Ducks, past or present, inhabiting that box. I fear the outcome would not be so good.

It was wonderful to see so many friends and spend time with fellow eco-freaks in northwest Ohio. For now, I bid you good-bye and plan to get caught up on a little rest myself.

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

Greg Miller Birding: 2013 Biggest Week in American Birding – part 3

greg miller — Sun, 12 May 2013 03:00:28 +0000

Time is zooming by here at Biggest Week! This Mourning Warbler and I shared a “moment” this evening on the Magee Marsh boardwalk before it resumed its normal Ninja Skulking habits.

Notice how this secretive bird hides behind a mere twig. It is laughing at me I think.

A number of us got to enjoy this beautiful Black Tern at Metzger Marsh today.

This Common Nighthawk (a bird that hunts insects by night) was seen perched in a tree today above the Black Swamp Bird Observatory's tent.

And even though I'm a birder, I still am entertained by a sight like this–a raccoon snoozing on top of a wood duck box at Maumee Bay boardwalk.

This red Eastern Screech-Owl didn't look too happy. Although all the onlookers were delighted with its presence.

Mallards are so abundant they don't get proper respect. This stunning male was just perfect in the partial sunlight

Everyone knows I'm a lister–I list birds even for competition. But sometimes I can't help but see some unique behavior of birds. This American Goldfinch seems to be having a lively conversation with a White-crowned Sparrow. Captions anyone? <grin>

And sometimes I just pause for snapshot experience like this gorgeous American Goldfinch in a crabapple tree.

Or this male Rose-breasted Grosbeak taking a bath.

A richly colored male Northern Cardinal in a crabapple tree.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Pearson Park. Incredible.

Wow. What a sight! Hello spring!

An Indigo Bunting–what can I say? Birds totally rule!

Yet another delightful gallery brought to you by the awesome birds of Biggest Week in Northwest Ohio.

Posted with Blogsy

Red and the Peanut: Northern Leopard Frog at the Spring Valley Freshwater Fen

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Sun, 12 May 2013 02:27:00 +0000

It's easy to see where this Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) got its name. It's covered in spots just like a leopard. I photographed the cute little frog two weeks ago at the Spring Valley Wildlife Area when Paul Krusling and I were there searching for Spotted Turtles. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had no luck finding the Spotted Turtles, but spotted frogs were a whole other story...

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) at Spring Valley Wildlife Area. This frog and several others were at the freshwater fen.

I had never seen the small freshwater fen at Spring Valley. It's beautiful...hidden and off the beaten path, it was a haven for these little Northern Leopard Frogs.

Northern Leopard Frog hiding in the leaf litter in the freshwater fen at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.

...closeup of a Northern Leopard Frog's face.

The Weedpicker Blog: Biggest Week and Beginning Birders

Weedpicker Cheryl — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:45:00 +0000

Wednesday morning was bright and beautiful along Lake Erie. We are visiting with friends and meeting folks at the Biggest Week in American Birding. Les Payton and I must have pulled the lucky straw, as we were offered one of the best gigs around: the beginning birders' trip.

A "Birds and Blooms" moment with Blue Jay.

Too often we long-time birders forget to enjoy the "common" birds. It is wonderful to spend time with folks who are happy to look at the real stunners, like a Blue Jay.

Les Payton (wearing gold guide's hat) and our group of birders.

We started off at Pearson Park's window on wildlife. Les gave a little information on binoculars and we started looking at everyday birds: Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, and Blue Jays. We got lucky with some unusual birds: Eastern Phoebes, White-crowned Sparrows and Purple Finches.

A female Purple Finch gives us a modeling session.

There were a number of female Purple Finches coming into the feeder and this apple tree. This was an excellent opportunity to note the white eye-line that most easily sets them apart from the more common House Finch.

A Pheasant Back fungus.

Next we walked the trails of Pearson Park, which offered a wonderful wildflower display, and we also enjoyed a bird of another sort- a Pheasant Back fungus.

Weedpicker Cheryl drives the BSBO bus.

We loaded up the troops and headed to Pearson Park's wetland area to get a good look at a few other species.

Female (left) and male Red-winged Blackbirds

Unpredictably, the most difficult bird to get for the group was the female Red-winged Blackbird! The males were numerous and conspicuous, but the females were quite shy. Perhaps they were already tending to nesting chores. We tried (and failed) to get the females in spotting scopes, but finally this pair came out to wave good-bye as we left the marsh. Go figure.

Off again to Metzger Marsh, where we studied two egrets, the Great and the Snowy Egret.

Snowy Egret dancing in the marsh.

Les commented on the feeding differences between Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. Snowys hop and dip, chasing about in a frenzied manner. The Great Egrets hunt with more dignity and reserve.

This is Les. No he is not hiding from our group, he was trying to get enough shade on his cell phone screen to file a twitter report on the Snowy Egret.

Thanks to all the great guides, and support staff (Rob Ripma, Kim Kaufman, Delores Cole, and Ryan Steiner) who make these trips possible. The new and old birders alike are enjoying the Biggest Week in American Birding. Thanks to Black Swamp Birding Observatory in their efforts to educate and conserve birds. They are doing incredible work!

Greg Miller Birding: 2013 Biggest Week in American Birding – part 2

greg miller — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:42:50 +0000

Sunrise this morning in NW Ohio.

The very rare Lakeside Daisies are in full bloom on Kelleys Island in NW Ohio. They are delightful to view.

We got to see the Glacial Grooves on Kelleys Island, too.

Here is our group on the shores of Lake Erie. It was a beautiful day out, but the birding was a bit slow. A strong system is blocking song bird migration. When it breaks the birding should be outstanding again.

I got lots of rest last night but I am pretty tuckered tonight. I didn't carry my big camera today. I actually had a relaxing day out. Even so, I am still gonna call it an early evening. I'm on a Big Day Van again tomorrow.

Posted with Blogsy

Red and the Peanut: Yellow-throated Vireo at Spring Valley Wildlife Area...

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:33:00 +0000

Last Tuesday I spent the day at Spring Valley Wildlife Area. It was beautiful and warm, and newly arrived spring migrants were singing in the bright sunshine. We were looking for Spotted Turtles, hoping one would pop its head out of the water and swim around, but unfortunately, none obliged. This sunny yellow Yellow-throated Vireo, however, put on a nice show...

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) singing along the Little Miami River at Spring Valley Wildlife Area.

Yellow-spectacled Vireo would have been a good name for this guy too...

Bill of the Birds: Happy Earth Day 2013!

Bill of the Birds — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:44:00 +0000

Happy Earth Day!

Yeah, I know that Earth Day has already passed for this year...I guess I feel like there's a little bit of Earth Day in EVERY day. Or there should be.

I'm not going to get too heavy here. Just want to share some images and thoughts that remind me of Earth Day and how much I love being connected to nature. Like the plant fronds above. That's a shot I took on an island in the Philippines, where the natural resources are being exploited at a stunning rate. The endemic species there are disappearing... This image reminds me of a fossilized plant, which reminds me of coal and oil...and our consumption of same.

A double rainbow in fall, shot from our birding tower in southeast Ohio. Being up high like this lends us a perspective that we don't get from the ground. It shows the vastness of the habitat in some views, but it also reveals fragmentation and all the things that come with it. In our part of the world we're beginning to experience the impact of hydraulic fracking for oil and gas. I wonder if our beautiful vistas will be the same in 10 years.

Each spring I get to experience the miracle of the songbird nesting season on our farm. Monitoring our nest boxes is such a treat. To watch birds such as these Carolina chickadees go from eggs to hatchlings to flying tots in just a few weeks—well, it boggles the mind.

I took this image of Phoebe on Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine. It wasn't posed. She loved climbing out on the rocks as the tide came in and I couldn't resist the image. Maine may very well be the place that my kids connect most closely with the natural world because it is so very different from the habitat and landscape (or seascape) where we live. I'm just happy they're connecting.

And speaking of young people...one of the best things about Earth Day is all the various activities that are available for youngsters to experience—and to connect with—nature. But we don't have to wait to do that until Earth Day NEXT year. Why not invite a young person (or a whole classroom!) to go outside with you and your birding/nature club or companions. It's the very best way to keep the spirit of Earth Day alive.

Tomorrow morning I'll get up before dawn to lead a passel of people on a long hike down the New River Gorge in West Virginia. There will be nature fans of all ages—a few youngsters and a many young-at-heart bird watchers. I'll do my best to show them a good time and to let them know why I think this area is so wonderful and special. But, you know, that's true of anywhere, as long as it's outside!

Happy Earth Day!

NorthNW Blog: SMITH’S LONGSPURS, Mercer County, OH

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:30:32 +0000

DG and Lynn Gesualdo and I set off wicked early on Saturday (27th) morning, headed west to Mercer County, Ohio, bordering the state line with Indiana. Target: Smith’s Longspur. The past few years, intrigued and adventurous birders have followed Smith’s Longspur spring migration through their usual corridor – Illinois and west-central Indiana – convinced that surely some of these incredibly striking birds move annually through the westernmost counties of Ohio. The past several years have proven, yes, indeed. In 2009, 30+ individuals were found on Manley Road in Mercer County, and in 2010, 13 were found as far east as Washburn Road in Killdeer Plains WMA (!) (Richard Crossley & Jen Brumfield).

We pinpointed Manley Road (closest town is Rockford) as the epicenter, while knowing that we’d likely have to do plenty of searching for the right type of Smith’s fields: cornstubble (around a foot high) with grass and weeds in-between the rows, and foxtail grass (key). There is plenty of turnover as far as field types, since farming practices change annually.

We arrived at Townline Road, off of 707, and immediately found a VAST and PERFECT field with all the right ingredients. 1100 Lapland Longspurs were wheeling around and dropping to the ground, wheeling some more, and calling, singing and putting on a show. After a bit, four SMITH’S flew directly over the road, calling, with two males showing white covert patches (they appear as circular white patches on the shoulder). They dropped to the east in another cornfield, too far to track down. We noted the location and pushed northwest towards Manley Road. The Manley fields were bare earth – no habitat. We looked to the north and saw a cornfield in the distance. Arriving on Hill Road, we hit the jackpot.

A vast cornfield with the PERFECT ingredients was immediately bordered to the south by a another large field – “shortgrass” winter wheat. Heaven. We asked the home/landowner for permission to walk the field. Immediately, 450 Laplands were bursting everywhere and wheeling around overhead, some as close as 10 feet away on the ground. Pressing on towards the middle of the cornfield, a male Smith’s burst in front of me and I screamed to DG to get on the bird. Then 6 more, then 14 more, then 24 more…then a total of 88, which is just mind-boggling. I nearly passed out standing up from sheer joy and shock. We spent 2 hours in the field, photo documenting as many as possible. Most of the Smith’s were seen in flight. Finding them on the ground takes great luck and much persistence and patience, and a very keen eye. Their flatter (then Lappie) calls alerted us to their presence and many males were in full song. They exhibited an incredible range of plumage, since nearly all were molting. Many astoundingly gorgeous males were seen/photographed.

This is a new recent record number for Smith’s in Ohio. Today (28th) Jerry Tallkington and Dave Slager scored around 40 Smith’s in the same field. Horned Larks, pipits, 500+ Laplands, and Vesper and Savannah Sparrows are present. Birders must be patient and highly alert and fast to get on birds in flight. It’s not a cakewalk.

Location: Hill Road (TR33B) and Rockford West Road (CR236). Hill Road makes a 90 degree bend shortly after the intersection. The road is VERY narrow, so park as best as you can at the bend or near it. The cornfield/winter wheat field lies to the east. Some Smith’s were coming in and out of the winter wheat field. *You CAN see some birds from the road, but entering the field will increase your chances greatly*

CLICK ON MAP & PHOTOS FOR LARGE VIEW

Bill of the Birds: Christmas in April: Arrivals Pouring In!

Bill of the Birds — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:41:00 +0000


Blue-gray gnatcatcher.

This spring every new day feels a little bit like Christmas morning.

It was a brutal, long, gloomy winter here in southeastern Ohio and springlike weather has been slow to arrive. But now that the insect-eating songbirds are beginning to make their spring appearances, I awake each morning full of anticipation about what gifts may have flown in from the south on the night breezes. This is why it's Christmas-like. Just like every Christmas Day morning for the past five decades, I'm rearing to go and full of "Can't wait!"

Often, these last few weeks, my very first thought—before my eyes are open—is: "I'll bet today is the day that the hummingbirds (or tree swallows, or blue-winged warblers, or wood thrushes) get back." The little, brightly feathered "presents" that Nature brings us each spring—in dribs and drabs at first, then in a marvelous gush of song and color as migration reaches its peak.

Oddly our current spring migration has been somewhat inconsistent with our records for returning dates of migrants. Hummingbirds are several days late. Tree swallows are back all around us but ours have not appeared, making us worry about their fate. Only a few warblers have come back—so far no tanagers or orioles.

Male yellow warbler.

It's all right. Let them take their time. After all, the anticipation is almost as wonderful as seeing and hearing an old familiar friend, returned from a winter away from this old ridgetop farm.


White-eyed vireo.

My first vireo of the spring was a male white-eyed vireo that was singing in our orchard on April 11, several days early according to our records. [We've been keeping arrival, departure, and nesting records here on Indigo Hill for 20 years. White-eyed vireos usually arrive each spring on April 15 or 16.]

Singing male ovenbird. Photo by Julie Zickefoose.

I was giddy to hear an ovenbird on Monday of this week. His song is so loud and percussive that it's hard to miss. I'm sure he was not back sooner. He was drifting around the old orchard to the west of our house, singing half-heartedly. By early May our woods will be ringing with the songs of ovenbirds and a dozen other warbler species.

Like the song says: "Springtime, you know it is my songbirds' sing time." And that's music to my ears.

Bill of the Birds: They're Baaaaack!

Bill of the Birds — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:19:00 +0000

Uggh! One sure and early sign of spring around these parts is the return of the parasitic nest pirate: the brown headed cowbird.

I looked out at the freshly filled bird feeders this morning and there was a male cowbird, all shiny black body and chocolate-brown head. The male cowbirds return first in spring and the females follow a week or so later. Once everyone is back, they begin their traditional business of courting and making whoopee. The male emits (because it can't really be called "singing") a burbling sound that rises in pitch, ending in a piercing squeak. As he vocalizes, he raises his bill to the sky, trying his best to look at once handsome, regal, fierce, and ready for some lady action. In the next week or so, our farm will become a noisy cowbird singles bar.

When the songbird nesting season starts in about a month, the female brown-headed cowbirds will spend their time watching and waiting. They are very clever at finding the nests of other bird species: warblers, thrushes, tanagers, sparrows, vireos, and many others. Once she spots a nest, a female cowbird will inspect it to see if it has eggs in it. If it does, and if she has a fertilized egg ready to go, she may drop it right there in the nest.

Then she simply flies off to look for another male cowbird, another nest of an unsuspecting songbird into which she can deposit an egg. This nest parasitism evolved from the nomadic lifestyle of the cowbird. Cowbirds traditionally followed the large herds of bison as they roamed across the continent, eating the insects the herds kicked up. As the herds moved, so did the cowbirds, a lifestyle which did not leave any time for nest building or young rearing. So the brown-headed cowbird figured out a way to reproduce successfully by having other birds raise their offspring.

My lifer summer tanager was a handsome adult male, sitting on my parents' platform feeder in our small-town backyard. It was feeding a fledgling brown-headed cowbird.

Each spring I have slight urge to do something to help our songbirds avoid being parasitized by cowbirds. And each spring I realize just how futile this would be. We do cut back on ground feeding, especially on offering cracked corn, when the cowbirds are around. Secretly I'd like to ask for a week-long visit from the Fish & Wildlife Service folks who "control" cowbird populations in the Kirtland's warbler's nesting range. They have large, baited cages where cowbirds check in but they don't check out. A cowbird Hotel California.

Alas they are native birds, so, as much as I despise them, I accept them. And sometimes I even sing about them.

Married to a Birder: Birding the Rio Grande Valley - Spring Break 2013 - Day 4

mrsbirder — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:10:00 +0000

This morning we decided to start our day at the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park and World Birding Center.

It was a beautiful morning, and the forecast was for temperatures to be in the lower 80's F by 5pm. We got great looks at Altimura Oriole at the Nature Center (old Visitor's Center for you old guys).

We also saw a few Clay-colored Thrushes (Robins) hanging out at the feeder along with Plain Chachalacas and Great Kiskadees. We wandered down to the boat ramp looking for the Red-naped Sapsucker,

but, no luck. At the Hawk Tower, we got good looks at Verdin, Gray Hawk, hundreds of Turkey Vultures (probably thousands) and one Swainson's Hawk. After lunch we went next door to the National Butterfly Center where I got this photo of the robin, kiskadee and a Green Jay.

Jan has really surprised me on this trip. She has only been birding seriously for about a year, and her ID skills are spectacular. You go girl!

After not seeing anything new at the Butterfly center, we headed over to Anzadoulas City Park and that is where we saw the woodpecker. Both Dave and Bob got really good photos of the bird, and I'll post them later. Another looooong day of birding. I think I crashed at 7:30pm. LOL

NorthNW Blog: East 72nd gulls: photos & more photos

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:05:34 +0000

*CLICK ON PHOTOS TO VIEW LARGE

East 72nd street in Cleveland is absolutely incredible for gulls right now. That is an understatement. Lake Erie is frozen and Cleveland Public Powerplant is pumping warm water underneath I-90 and out into the lake, drawing thousands upon thousands upon thousands of gulls to East 55th and 72nd. Views are point-blank at the warm water outflow. East 72nd street is part of Cleveland Lakefront State Park. Access is easy and viewing is astounding. Upwards of 7 different Glaucous Gulls, 12 different Iceland Gulls, and 4 Thayer’s Gulls, amongst throngs of Herring, Great-black-backed and Ring-billed plus daily high-counts of 13 Lesser Black-backs are possible for birders. Most days see between 2 and 4 Iceland Gulls, between 2 and 6 Glaucous Gulls, 2 to 3 Thayer’s. Photo opportunities and prolonged studies are mind-blowing. Today a PURPLE SANDPIPER – exceptionally rare this time of the year, showed up (found by Steve Borgis) at 72nd and was seen to 5 feet away as it foraged along rocks and out along the ice floe. 72nd is the hottest spot in CLE now. Eastlake Power Plant is off and on fantastic as well but 72nd is really showing its colors.

Photos should be titled. First cycle Glaucous Gulls. First cycle Icelands. Adult Iceland. 2nd cycle Icelands. Second cycle Thayer’s – two individuals. And. Purple Sandpiper.

NorthNW Blog: East 72nd is hot – Icelands and Glauc

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:24:57 +0000

A brief stop at East 72nd street warm water outflow turned up three Iceland Gulls – an adult and two 2nd-cycle birds, plus an adult Glaucous Gull, 6 Lesser Black-backs, a few dozen Great Black-backs, and thousands upon thousands of Ring-billed and Herring Gulls. An apparent adult Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gull hybrid was present. The ice shelf continues off of Cleveland, even with 55 degree temps and rain today. A cold snap should keep some of the ice present, which gives a good “arena” for watching gulls at the hot water spill. Views are incredible as birds are close in.

Photos below: 2nd-cycle “Kumlien’s” Iceland Gull

Nomadic Birder: Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), Belize & Guatemala (Part 4)

Nomadic Birder — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:23:00 +0000

After an incredible day birding the Caracol ruins deep in the Chiquibul Rainforest, we made our way back to the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Taking advantage of our high clearance vehicle, we drove down a horrible track to an area known as Big Rock Falls – an ideal place to set up camp for the night

Rio Frio Cave - en-route to Big Rock Falls

The following morning we rose just before sunrise, broke down camp, and birded the immediate area on foot. A sharp contrast from yesterday’s tropical rainforest, the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve was predominately pine forest (Honduras Pine) with a significant amount of mixed broadleaf forests. As flocks of Mealy Parrots screeched overhead, we walk around some prime open habitat which proved to be quite birdy. Acorn Woodpeckers and Yellow-tailed Orioles were joined by our first Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Baltimore Oriole of the trip, Azure-crowned Hummingbirds zipped by and both Brown and Green Jays called ahead of us in the distance. This area was particularly scrubby yielding a nice variety of warblers and sparrows including Rufous-capped Warblers, Rusty Sparrows and the distinctive call of a Gray-crowned Yellowthroat which was soon followed by a rewarding view. When we got back to the 4x4, we set off for Thousand Foot Falls.

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve

Thousand Foot Falls

If you’re thinking it looks a bit taller than a thousand feet, you’re absolutely correct – it actually measures 1,600 ft and is Central America’s tallest waterfall! Although the view is worth the trip alone, we were also here for a specific bird – the Orange-breasted Falcon. We parked ourselves at the overlooked waiting for the falcon but it never showed. We passed some time and birded the surrounding area – it was mid-day, getting hot and birds were inactive. Two Hepatic Tanagers were the most interesting. We headed back to the overlook and asked the gate keeper if he knew when the falcon would be around. We didn’t expect him to know but sure enough, he told us wait 15 minutes. He called it – soon enough we were watching one make several passes across the valley and in front of the waterfall and it was soon followed by a second individual!

The rest of the day was spent driving the gravel roads back to San Ignacio periodically stopping along the way to get out and explore the surrounding area. Arriving back at the main junction in the reserve, we ran into a nice feeding flock consisting of the typical species along with two new trip birds – Plumbeous Vireo and Grace’s Warbler. Interestingly, it’s not that often you get to see a Yellow-throated and Grace’s Warbler in the same tree!

4x4 came in handy

Continuing on we made several more stops in broadleaf forested patches picking up a an interesting trio of Plain Xenops, Northern Royal Flycatcher, and Worm-eating Warbler in one flock and several Golden-hooded Tanagers further up the road. Upon arriving in town, we settled down in a hostel for the night and prepared for our trip into Guatemala the following morning.

Once again, sorry for the lack of bird photos – the others in the group focused more on the photography! Some of the next posts will certainly have more bird photos as I start talking about Rio Lagartos and all of the birds of the mangroves.

Nomadic Birder: Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), Belize & Guatemala (Part 3)

Nomadic Birder — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:28:00 +0000

After a successful day birding along Vigia Chico Road, we spent the entire following day traveling. Our first bus took us from Felipe Carrillo Puerto to the border town of Chetumal. After a quick, uneventful border crossing into Belize, we hopped on a second bus towards Belize City. Unlike Mexico’s clean modern buses, Belize uses retired school buses from the U.S., which remind me of Panama’s ‘Red Devils’, though a lot more modest.

Belizean buses

Although it was great to be able to practice my fading Spanish in Mexico, it felt even better to be back in an English speaking country, which really makes logistics a whole lot easier. Unlike the rest of Central America, the official language of Belize, a former British colony, is English. Only 4% or so speak English at home though as the majority speak Spanish or Kriol.

Eventually we started seeing Magnificent Frigatebirds circling overhead - a good indication that we were arriving in Belize City. Due to the notoriously high crime, we were glad to spend very little time here and quickly boarded our next bus. The trip west towards San Ignacio offered quite a different setting than the tropical broadleaf forests of the Yucatan. Leaving the mangroves of the coast behind, we entered extensive savannah-wetlands which provided a different array of birds including Vermilion Flycatchers.

By late evening we arrived in San Ignacio – the base point for exploring some of the top birding spots in Belize. There were two focal areas that we wanted to check out – the isolated, infrequently visited Caracol Ruins and the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. In order to get to these areas, our only option was to rent a car. For those who know me, I enjoy the challenge of spending practically nothing at the same time as seeing incredible birds. I thought about it for a good two seconds and deciding that renting a car is a must. There was no way I wanted to pass up the chance. We picked up our 4x4 in town and drove into the night along terrible mountain roads into the heart of the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Before setting up camp, we made a quick stop at a nearby lodge known for hosting Stygian Owls. Sure enough, we heard a single Stygian call a couple times from the parking lot – not a bad start! We never did get a view of one for the duration of the trip.

The rental car

The following morning we got up at first light and birded the area around D’Silva Forest Station as we waited for the guards to wake up. In order to drive the 60kms to the isolated Caracol Ruins, you need to be escorted by armed military personnel due to past issues of birders/tourists being robbed by Guatemalan thieves. Seeing that they only escort people once – 8am, we had to wait. It was lightly raining and unproductive around camp. Amongst the obnoxious Brown Jays and Melodious Blackbirds, we picked up several Azure-crowned Hummingbirds, Acorn Woodpeckers, Swainson’s and Wood Thrushes, and a half-dozen species of warblers among others.

We didn’t feel like waiting any longer so after a quick chat with the guards, we had permission to go early on our own. Never hurts to ask! Seeing that it was a two hour drive, we ‘tried’ to make good time to get to the ruins early but driving along a deserted road through pristine rainforest proved to be a difficult task. Flocks of Mealy Parrots screeched overhead, Gartered Trogon, Keel-billed Toucan, Stripe-throated Hermit, Violet Saberwing, Crimson-collared Tanagers…then we came to a sudden halt. A bird we didn’t expect to get on this trip – Scarlet Macaw! Four individuals teed up across the forested valley in a tall tree offering excellent looks. Although not a lifer, it was great to see them again!

Along the way to Caracol

We continued onwards ticking more trip birds including our first (of many!) Ocellated Turkey of the trip as it ran across the road into the thick vegetation. We came around another bend and came to another halt – sitting right in front of us in top of a tall tree were two King Vultures!

One of two King Vultures

Eventually we made it to Caracol and aside for a few workers, we had the entire place to ourselves. Before even leaving the parking lot, we started picking up several trip birds including two Red-lored Parrots that were sitting out on an exposed branch. After sifting through a decent sized mixed flock working the edge of the parking lot, we headed down the trail to the ruins.

Main structures at Caracol

What a sight…this was our first (of three) Mayan sites that we visited during the trip and certainly my favorite. It offered an excellent combination of good birds, lack of people, and isolation. Most of our time was spent sitting on top of the largest structure enjoying distant views of a Great Curassow and a couple mixed flocks conveniently moving through at eye level. These flocks contained countless birds including Squirrel Cuckoo, Blue-crowned Motmot, White-whiskered Puffbird, Emerald Toucanet, Black-cheeked and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Wedge-billed and Streak-headed Woodcreepers, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatchers, Yellow-olive, Least, and Brown-crested Flycatchers, Black-crowned and Masked Tityras, White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, numerous Lesser Greenlets, the attractive Band-backed Wrens, Tropical Gnatcatchers, several species of warblers, Crimson-collared and Yellow-winged Tanagers, Yellow-throated and Olive-backed Euphonias and so many more. On our way back to the car, it was great to watch a Kentucky Warbler skulking in the undergrowth – a different perspective than watching them in Southern Ohio!

View from the tallest structure

I think it's safe to say that Caracol was my favorite part of the entire two weeks. Seeing that I didn’t expect this blog post to be so long, it looks like I will finish Belize in another post.

Nomadic Birder: Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), Belize & Guatemala (Part 2)

Nomadic Birder — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Back on the mainland, we took a bus 2.5 hours south (picking up a Jabiru along the way) arriving in Felipe Carrillo Puerto a couple hours before sunset. Originally the plan was to make a quick stop at a supermarket, stock up on foods, and head straight to the famed Vigia Chico Road. However, we were stalled for nearly two hours as we huddled under the supermarket overhang as it poured. The rain eventually ceased, we caught a taxi to the road and continued walking a couple kilometers in the dark. With our headlamps, we examined several milpas until we found one that looked good and set up camp.

Rain in Felipe Carrillo Puerto

At first light we headed back down the footpath towards the gravel road – the morning chorus was dominated by Yucatan Jays and the screeches of Olive-throated Parakeets and White-fronted Parrots overhead. Vigia Chico Road was by far one of the best areas we visited. We spent the entire day birding along the road and various paths leading into milpas and prime forests.

Track off Vigia Chico Road

I don’t even know where to begin on describing all of the highlights. With roughly 90 species, there’s just not enough time to type everything out! For those interested, you can find our counts for the day on eBird here (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12366328). Some of the highlights include: Keel-billed Toucans, Long-billed Gnatwrens, Rose-throated Tanagers, Gray-throated Chats, and five species of orioles. Of course, there were all of the peninsular endemics such as Yucatan Woodpecker, Yucatan Flycatcher, Yucatan Vireo, Yucatan Jays (everywhere) and without a doubt – the best bird of the trip, Yucatan Poorwill (SEEN!).

Yucatan Poorwill

Yucatan Jay

Stumbling upon a Yucatan Poorwill was out of pure chance. Behind our camp, we heard this odd noise…perhaps a frog or insect. I was creeping around very slowly in thick vegetation trying to track down the culprit. Just before turning around and giving up, I noticed two eyes staring at me – Yucatan Poorwill! I could care less what that thing was making that noise, it led me straight to the poorwill! Not many birders get a good view of one in the middle of the day…let alone, get a photo.

After a successful day, we laid down in our tents and listened to Thicket Tinamous and a Collared Forest-Falcon calling not too far away. In the morning we’d bird the road back into town and head into Belize.

I also wanted to apologize for the lack of photos. My camera isn’t that great and since the others had good camera equipment, I decided to focus on audio recording instead.

Ohio Birds and Biodiversity Blog: Lights Out for Birds

Jim McCormac — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 21:06:00 +0000

Photo: Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative

Indigo Bunting, tower-killed in downtown Columbus, Ohio

Turning out skyscraper lights saves migrating songbirds

Columbus Dispatch
NATURE

Sunday September 2, 2012
Jim McCormac

More than 420 species of birds have been found in Ohio, but most aren’t permanent residents. More than 300 species show up annually; the rest are rarities with few recorded sightings. This core group of 315 or so species is of greatest conservation concern within Ohio. These are the species that breed here or depend on Ohio’s habitats as way stations on much longer journeys.

Our annual avian visitors include 125 species strictly passing through the Buckeye State. About 170 species nest here but spend the rest of the year elsewhere. By far the smallest core group of Ohio’s birds is the permanent residents. Only about 22 species are largely nonmigratory and with us year-round. This latter group includes familiar feeder birds such as the Carolina chickadee, downy woodpecker and white-breasted nuthatch.

Ohio plays host to vast numbers of migratory birds, and during spring and fall, the passage of feathered journeyers spikes into the millions. The largest group of long-haul migrants is the songbirds: flycatchers, thrushes, warblers and others. Their ranks include colorful favorites such as the Baltimore oriole, indigo bunting, scarlet tanager and rose-breasted grosbeak. The songbird species that travel through our state winter in the Caribbean, Central America and South America and breed as far north as Alaska.

If they make it.

A songbird’s journey is fraught with peril. Most species migrate at night, for several reasons. Predators such as sharp-shinned hawks aren’t active; winds are often calmer; celestial objects play a role in many species’ orientation; and nighttime passages leave the day free to forage.

One of the greatest manmade hazards to migrant birds is the proliferation of skyscrapers that rise into their flight paths. New York’s 1,454-foot-tall Empire State Building was topped out in 1931 and remained the world’s tallest building for the next 40 years. Its construction sparked a boom in high-rises, and today North America’s largest cities bristle with behemoths. In Columbus, 17 buildings exceed 300 feet — well into the flight paths of migrant songbirds.

Night-flying birds now must run a gantlet of big buildings. One of the big problems is the lights that are either left on or used to illuminate the structures. Birds are disoriented by artificial lights and tend to fly toward them and strike the building. An estimated 550 million birds die annually from building strikes. Such incidents are a major contributor to the diminishing numbers of many songbird species. To put this carnage into perspective, 550 million birds equals the entire collective populations of our 14 most common warbler species. Exact numbers aren’t known, but scores of birds perish from building strikes in Columbus each year.

The solution is simple: Turn out the lights! The Lights Out campaign began in the 1990s in Chicago and has been embraced by most managers of tall buildings there. Lights Out coordinators recommend dimming the lights during spring and fall peak migratory periods. Doing so has drastically reduced bird deaths. In Columbus, the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative and the Grange Insurance Audubon Center are spearheading Lights Out and have secured the cooperation of managers of several of Columbus’ tallest buildings. It would be great to see even more tall buildings go dim when songbirds are passing through.

To learn more about Lights Out Columbus, contact Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative coordinator Amanda Conover at 614-432-8489 or send email to LightsOutColumbus@gmail.com.

Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first and third Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at www.jimmccormac.blogspot.com.

Photo: Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative

Baltimore Oriole, tower-killed in downtown Columbus, Ohio

Ohio Birds and Biodiversity Blog: Pipe Creek Wildlife Area: waders galore

Jim McCormac — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:26:00 +0000

The perimeter dike at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area separates the site's marshy impoundments from the open waters of Sandusky Bay. Click the photo to enlarge, and you'll see some of the giant rides at Cedar Point in the distance.

I found myself near Sandusky, Ohio yesterday morning, and took the opportunity to stop in at the always interesting but not heavily birded Pipe Creek Wildlife Area on the eastern edge of the city. Pipe Creek juts into what is essentially the easternmost edge of Sandusky Bay, and the much better known landmark of Cedar Point Amusement Park is just a stone's throw northwest of the wildlife area. Inveterate twitchers will recall Pipe Creek as the scene of Ohio's second Black-bellied Whistling-Duck record (read about that HERE), found by Larry Richardson almost exactly two years ago.

I was delighted to discover some superb shorebird habitat at Pipe Creek, and have marked the best impoundments on this Google Earth map. The red line is a suggested walking path for those interested in the most expedient route to the good stuff. I ended up walking the entire perimeter, heading counterclockwise, but didn't see a lot for my efforts until reaching the wetland units marked with the stickpins. The two impoundments on the easternmost side are largely grown up with marsh vegetation, but are still worth a look if you have time.

Pipe Creek does require some hoofing. You'll be in more a mile or more of walking, and you'll definitely want a scope along. But as long as the habitat remains as it currently is, the hike will be well worthwhile.

The 97-acre Pipe Creek Wildlife Area is entirely manmade; the pie-shaped wetland complex was constructed about 20 years ago as mitigation for wetlands that were destroyed elsewhere. Think what you may about wetland mitigation, but if well devised and placed properly, artificial wetlands can be very productive. Pipe Creek is an excellent example of a wetland mitigation site that has become a valuable stopover site for long distance migrant birds, and a raft of other flora and fauna.

This is the wetland marked as "2nd Best Flats" on the previous map. A lot of aquatic vegetation, such as that big bed of American lotus, Nelumbo lutea, are encroaching on the open shallows. Nonetheless, lots of shorebirds were foraging here and if you visit, you'll definitely want to scope out this unit.

Acres of mud and shallow water - manna from heaven for birders. I was thrilled to see the condition of the northwesternmost impoundment and as might be expected, it was full of birds. Shorebirds were evident everywhere, and the loudmouthed killdeer and yellowlegs vociferously announced my presence as soon as I wandered into view. Birds are coming and going constantly, and as Pipe Creek lies along the shore of Lake Erie, there will be lots of turnover among birds migrating through the region. Who knows what might pop up here in the coming weeks; maybe Ohio's second record of Red-necked Stint or something equally exciting.

While rarities are always great, these big mudflats are more important as migratory stopover and refueling sites for the regular cast of characters that have moved in large numbers through the Great Lakes since the last glacier. While I found no great rarities on this visit, I tallied plenty of common shorebirds, as follows:

Semipalmated Plover - 2
Killdeer - 55
Spotted Sandpiper - 2
Solitary Sandpiper - 4
Greater Yellowlegs - 6
Lesser Yellowlegs - 95
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 14
Least Sandpiper - 60
Pectoral Sandpiper - 15
Stilt Sandpiper - 5
Short-billed Dowitcher - 25

The most conspicuous birds were herons. This wetland takes on a Floridian look, with all of the big white waders standing about.

Great Egrets were the most frequent of the herons; perhaps 50-60 were present. Second in terms of abundance was the Great Blue Heron; I saw maybe 30-35. Adding to the heron total was a Green Heron, and a Black-crowned Night-Heron that flushed from a tree.

This has been a boom year for Little Blue Herons in the north, and I was not surprised to find three of them at Pipe Creek, All were immature birds, such as the one above. Little Blues are white for their first year of life, and it can be easy to miss them if they hanging out in a crowd of white egrets. They especially resemble Snowy Egrets, but lack the prominent yellow feet and brighter yellow lores of that species, among other differences.

Little Blues tend to be somewhat sluggish and methodical in their hunting. A bird on the hunt in shallow water will frequently stir its foot in the substrate, spooking prey from the bottom. Animals flushed in this manner are quickly spotted and snapped up by the heron.

Twelve Snowy Egrets were present - a good number for one locale in Ohio. Even though this species is slightly larger than the Little Blue Heron, they usually appear a bit more diminutive to me. That impression may be due to the egret's habitat of keeping its neck hunched in an S-shape, and its slighter bill. Note the prominent yellow lores (skin at base of bill and around eye). The bird on the right has its foot raised, showing its striking golden "slipper". The Snowy Egrets are dwarfed by the Great Egret in the background.

Snowy Egrets tend to be hyperactive hunters, often dashing madly about and whipping their feet around in the mire. This video gives a taste of their frenetic ways, and offers a brief panorama of the Pipe Creek heron fest.

Ohio Birds and Biodiversity Blog: OOS Conference - be there!

Jim McCormac — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:39:00 +0000

The Ohio Ornithological Society's 8th annual meeting takes place September 28 - 30, and you won't want to miss it. These conferences are tops for birders, and this year's event is all the better in that it will take place at the beautiful Lakeside on the shores of Lake Erie, where the past two Midwest Birding Symposiums were held. Lakeside is an oasis for birds and birders, and as fall migration will be in full swing, you're liable to see plenty of good stuff right on the grounds. Walk out Lakeside's pier, which juts far into Lake Erie, and who knows - you might tick some mega, like a Long-tailed Jaeger. Stranger things have happened...

Of course, there'll be excellent birding in nearby exotic locales such as Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Meadowbrook Marsh, and East Harbor State Park. Expert birders will be stationed at all of these places, and whether or not your blogger fits in that category or not I'll still be manning East Harbor. I've got a long history with that place, which might be termed Magee Marsh East, and fabulous birds can turn up here. Not to mention rare plants, but we'll try to keep our eyes on the sky...

The OOS has managed to snare the legendary birder/photographer Kevin T. Karlson, and plans on shipping him all the way to Lakeside from his - and Bruce Springsteen's - home state of New Jersey. Kevin's imagery is stunning, and scores of books and publications have featured his stuff, including his newest book, Visions: Earth's Elements in Bird and Nature Photography. Kevin is an entertaining and engaging speaker, and he'll be keynoting Saturday night, in addition to offering a photography workshop.

Photo: Wildside Nature Tours

Providing the Friday night keynote address is Lukas Padegimas, seen here addressing an Ohio Young Birders Conference. Many of us in Ohio have known Lukas since he was just a wee lad, and he has morphed into one of the Buckeye State's rising ornithological stars. He spent last summer in the wild's of Alaska's Arctic tundra, assisting with a shorebird census and gathering ecological data on declining species. He's going to tell us all about that and it's sure to be interesting.

Photo: Dr. Bernard Master

There's much more - there always is at an OOS conference - including the chance to meet your fellow birders from far and wide. And meet plenty of birds, too. Late September offers a rich blend of avian species along Lake Erie's south shore. Shorebirds, such as this artfully photographed Long-billed Dowitcher, are winging through, as are plenty of songbirds. You'll rack up a healthy list, guaranteed.

I hope to see you up at Lakeside in late September, and pass the word - the more, the merrier. For complete conference details and registration, just CLICK HERE.

Heather of the Hills: Michigan landscapes

Heather — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:50:00 +0000

It seems like it's been a lifetime since I was up in Michigan to attend the Nettie Bay School of Birding. Much has happened since then, and it turns out that Life has taken precedence over my blog. It lingers in the back of my mind, and I often think to myself "Maybe tonight I'll get a blog post done," only to realize that before I know it, bed time is upon me with nothing to show for my mental nod toward blog-land. I admire those who can keep a steady blog regardless of the bumps and curve balls that life might throw at them.

But I digress. I'll take you back to late May, when spring migration was just falling off its peak, and I was falling in love with Michigan landscapes all over again. Dramatic sunsets, birch bark, pristine lakeside beaches... all nostalgic memories of that great state up north. Enjoy.

Heather of the Hills: Porcupine encounter

Heather — Mon, 28 May 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I recently spent a week up in Michigan, and the primary purpose of my visit was birding. And bird I did, along with a small group of several other folks who signed up for the Birding School hosted by Nettie Bay Lodge in Presque Isle County. But as is often the case when I participate in nature expeditions like this, we often tend to veer off-topic and turn our attention to anything that might turn up and catch our fancy. The leader of our group, Jim McCormac, had been informed of the location of some porcupine dens during his time leading the birding group at Nettie Bay in 2011, and he was eager to share the dens with us this year. You can read more of what Jim had to say in 2011 about the dens and their residents HERE.

I've never seen a porcupine den other than in Jim's photos, so I was excited to make this trip. There were 2 trees within walking distance of each other, but we were satisfied to examine the tree that was closest to the road. The easiest way to find a porcupine den, I would say, is to look for a developing mound of poo at the base of a tree. This indicates a den that has been used for a good number of years. My National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mammals seems to indicate that the tree dens are used primarily during winter months, but if you read Jim's post about the tree den they encountered last year (in late May), there was indeed a porcupine in residence. In addition to using trees for shelter, they will also use crevices and caves.

Most scat I choose to poke at with a stick. This stuff, however, was so dry that I had no qualms holding it in my hand.
Porcupines are strict herbivores, so there's not really much that would make their poo smell bad. In fact, this scat had no real odor to it at all. I have no idea how fresh it was, though, so it's possible that any smell it may have given off had faded long ago.

Yessir, this is what being a naturalist is all about. Not only holding the poo in your hand, but being willing to go on record with a picture that shows that it is, in fact, YOUR hand that is holding it! No snide remarks from the peanut gallery, okay? It doesn't show up well for some reason, but please note the "No Trespassing" sign on the tree. The porcupine, if it was in there, may have been annoyed by us rooting around in its toilet, but we did have permission from the property owner to be there.

Nina got in on the poo exploration, too. Have you ever seen two ladies so happy to be surrounded by scat?

Here's Jim sticking his camera into the entrance hole of the den, in hopes of finding someone home (I haven't yet heard the verdict on that photo), while Nina examines the pile of excreta.
As I mentioned above, porcupines are herbivores, and in addition to feeding on leaves, twigs, and plants such as lupine and clover, they are also fond of tree bark, especially the inner layer of the bark (known as the cambium). Here's an interesting fact presented by the aforementioned Audubon guide to mammals:

"Fond of salt, the Common Porcupine has a great appetite for wooden tool handles that have absorbed human perspiration through use."

Better keep your wooden-handled trowels and shovels locked safely away in the shed if you live in porcupine territory, which covers most of the western United States, almost all of Canada, northern Michigan, and most of Pennsylvania, New York and New England. (Interestingly, there was no mention of how they otherwise work salt into their diet.)

After we had thoroughly exhausted our exploration of the mound of excrement, we set off to look for other things. As luck would have it, though, perhaps our greatest find of the evening was a real live porcupine located in the up-most portion of a small, spindly aspen tree. This quilled creature was nowhere near the den we had investigated, so we did not find the resident of that specific den, but this was still a great sight to behold.

I spotted this "porky" up in the tree, and as we edged closer, we fully expected to see the tree simply bend over under his weight. The tree was smaller in diameter than my arm, and the tree - along with the porcupine - swayed easily in the breeze. After reading up on them, I learned that they are adept climbers, and actually spend a lot of their time in trees, sometimes even resting there during the day (they are primarily nocturnal, or active during the night). They are slow and deliberate in their climbing, as our small group observed. This porcupine would back down the tree a few feet, and then inch back up and return to the spot where he was when we found him. He seemed a bit baffled by our presence at first, but soon forgot about us and began foraging on the leaves of a neighboring aspen tree. He would used his long claws to hook onto a nearby branch and then draw it towards him, at which point he commenced stripping the leaves from their stalks.

We watched him feed for at least 15 minutes, wondering if he would ever come down. He never showed any inclination to descend while we had our eyes on him. Dusk was coming on quickly when we found him, so he was probably just beginning his nightly routine. We were very lucky, indeed, to be able to observe him like this. It's certainly an experience I won't soon forget!

Julie Zickefoose on Blogspot: Chet Baker on Patrol

Julie Zickefoose — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:45:00 +0000

He's getting a little gray around the eyebrows. Chet's most Frequently Asked Question: "How old is he now?"

I answer, "Seven. Eight in December." And can hardly believe I'm saying the words. How did that happen? How did my 2005 model puppy turn into a silvery gentleman?

I've thought about taking a Sharpie to the gray, sort of a Grecian Formula for dogs, but I know he'd hate the stink of the marker, so I don't.

It's been hard, not being able to run any more. This dog loves to run. He couldn't love it as much as I love watching his neat little thighs scissoring along in front of me. I've had to find other things to do. It hasn't been hard to find other things to do.

Chet's gone into summer mode, which is when he runs hourly chiptymunk and bunneh patrols around the house. There's always a chance he'll surprise something quick and furry as he burns around the corners on two wheels.

He watches for small disappearing cinnabar tails in the holey back patio stones.

Chet Baker! Are there any snakes?

I will check.

I find snakes by smell.

I have found them in these cracks before.

Chet Baker! Are there any deer out in the meadow?

I will check. I cannot see over the grass now. You should mow it. I have to climb the top deck to see durr anymore. But when I see a durr, I streak out after it, yes I do.

He loved his WVU basketball, even after he popped it (eight minutes) and tore a huge gash in its side.

That was about a dollar a minute.

Worth every penny just to see him race around the yard pushing it with his nose, then gnashing his fangs against it until it finally gave up with a sigh. GNARF GNARF GNARF GNARF ppppfffffffftttttt

This little dog, so dear to me

who lights up my heart with his smile.

There. There's your Chetfix. I needed one, too.

Julie Zickefoose on Blogspot: The Mighty Mighty Bluet

Julie Zickefoose — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:40:00 +0000

There is great power in a tiny flower. The common bluet, Houstonia caerulea, triumphs over drought, frost, neglect and active persecution. It's a member of the Rubiaceae, a very cool family that includes partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), quinine (Cinchona), gardenia (!) and coffee (!!) Oh my!
How all those plants fit in one family beats me--tiny wildflowers and economically important shrubs that dictate land use all over Latin America.

There is a barren hillside on Rte. 821 not far from our house that blooms in early spring with blue. Misty blue, running down like water.

It's barren because the man who lives in the house above it takes a weedwhacker to the wildflowers that try to grow there. He has weedwhacked the Trillium grandiflorum and Solomon's seal into extinction. I see him, balancing on the rocks, whacking away, and I want so badly to stop and talk to him, but I don't. I think it wouldn't go so well. Besides, I find it interesting that someone would object to bluets. I'd rather watch than intervene, because the bluets are winning.

He prefers daffodils and variegated hostas, his close-mown lawn, to bluets. These rocky steep dry ledges are no doubt his despair. He can't get the grass to take on them, no matter how he cuts and whacks.

But the bluets don't mind. They don't listen to him and his machines. They go on growing there anyway.

You see, by eliminating everything else that once grew there, he's creating a monoculture of bluets. And they like that just fine.

And though I mourn the trillium, I like it, too. It's a little victory. He can't kill the bluets. They're too little to bother with. They bend their slender necks and let him have at it. They sing of life and springtime.

Take that! And thank you for your help, Sir!

Ta-DAAAAA!

Julie Zickefoose on Blogspot: What's Become of Sluggo?

Julie Zickefoose — Sun, 13 May 2012 03:05:00 +0000

Wildlife rehabilitation is often a long road. Especially with box turtles. Sluggo is a longterm client. You may remember that he was hit in the spine by a lawnmower blade last summer. I couldn't do anything for the injury with its jumbled pieces of shell bone, so I gave him shots of Baytril, a strong antibiotic, to prevent infection, then just fed him and supported him in the ensuing year.

He won't use his back legs. He has feeling in them, and he pulls them strongly into his shell when you try to pull them out, but he doesn't use them to locomote. He drags himself with his strong orange front legs.

Lisa Fosco of Ohio Wildlife Center in Columbus believes that that's because it hurts to use them. Will that get better? We can't say. But like anyone who has a loved one who's suffering, you cling to hope.

He's a strong, beautiful gentleman with great color and a nice personality.

I took him in for evaluation at OWC. Lisa immediately set to picking and chipping at the dead shell and bone around Sluggo's injury.

The black part looks yuckky but it's actually a sign of healing. It's good, it's what you want.

Lisa cleaned him up really nicely using her fingers and a forceps. I was wincing but Sluggo couldn't feel it as the bone she was removing was long dead. She pointed to a deeper triangular divot at the bottom of the wound and said she thought that was probably what was keeping him from using his hind legs. Sigh. He's not done yet. The hard part is not knowing if he'll ever be releasable.

To be honest, I thought I'd be leaving him in the care of someone who knows more than I do about such injuries, but Lisa wanted me to hang onto him. She made a good point, that he'd do better with individual attention such as I can give him (when I'm around, that is...) than as one of a bunch of patients in a rehab setting. So she sent him back home with me.

I took him out to see how he was doing.

He was tired of being in a cardboard box, that's for sure. I set him on the concrete and he peed in excitement. And then one hind leg came out.

He was making for the spiderwort tangle, and he really, really wanted to get there. And the other hind leg came out, the one I never get to see.

Truly, he more just dragged them than anything, but they were out and moving, and that's a huge start.

I thought that going forward I should try to get him to walk on concrete, because the second he got into the soft mulch he tucked them back in and dragged himself with his front legs.

Lisa showed me how to massage his legs, how to stroke his feet "so he knows he still has feet, knows that they're still there."

I hope he comes to trust me enough to let me massage him every day. Right now he remembers getting injections there and he pulls his legs in when I go to touch them.

I never visit the Ohio Wildlife Center without marveling at the job these good people face. Over 4,000 animals are admitted every year, the vast majority coming in right now through July. Rehabbers call it baby season. There were bunnies everywhere, little blind ones and ones that were big enough to nibble on dandelion greens and clean their faces with quick paws.

And there were baby ducks, standing in their food, dreaming of their mamas.

If you've any extra resources, please think of OWC. The people I saw hurrying around the clinic were so tired they were reeling and punchy, warmly accepting box after box of rabbits and thanking the kind folks who had brought them in. I left, resolved to keep working with my one little case, and in awe of the volunteer network the Ohio Wildlife Center maintains. And wishing I had a few lotto millions to shunt their way.

Heather of the Hills: When the Grackles descended

Heather — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:30:00 +0000

A few weekends ago I started to see Common Grackles in large numbers in a few spots in this corner of southeast Ohio. Around this time I also started to see Red-winged Blackbirds reliably. American Woodcocks have been doing their display flights since the beginning of February. With each passing day, the bird song becomes more melodic and beautiful, ushering in spring in such a magnificent way. And every few days, I come across a new sighting for the season - Eastern Phoebes and Wood Ducks are now seemingly everywhere, and I saw my first Field Sparrow of the season yesterday. Spring is on the wing!

Following is an account of one of my grackle encounters, which I posted to the Ohio-Birds listserv (one of several "virtual" online birding communities for Ohio birders). Enjoy!

Greetings, Ohio birders! This weekend has been a bit of a Grackle-fest for
me here in Athens County! It started when I was leaving work on Friday,
when a flock of approximately 50 birds landed in a couple of trees in a
residential neighborhood in Athens. I heard at least one Red-winged
Blackbird singing among the group, so I assume it was a mixed flock. That
was the first large gathering of Grackles that I had seen so far this year.

Turns out that was nothing compared to what I would experience yesterday and
today. A group of several hundred birds caught my attention yesterday
afternoon (Saturday) when I was out filling bird feeders at my home in rural
Athens County (Albany). I could hear a rustling noise off in the distance,
quite a ways across the road actually, and even though it was windy, I knew
there was no way it was leaves blowing in the breeze. After a few squeaky
gate sounds reached my ears, it dawned on me that there was a large pack of
Grackles in the neighborhood. They were too far away for me to get any good
views even with my binoculars, but I could make out movement well enough to
estimate that there were probably 100-200 birds in the flock.

This morning, a similar event happened on the hillside right next to our
property, and I was able to observe the birds much better. Again, it was
several hundred Grackles, probably about 300 of them, with at least a few
Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in, but I was never able to spot one of them - I
could only hear them. I'm guessing they were on the outer edges of the
group? I felt very lucky to have them so close and to be able observe them
so well. They spent a large amount of their time rooting through the leaf
litter, stirring up whatever insects they could find. The noise was quite
amazing: we all know what it sounds like when one person walks through the
woods in fall or spring, kicking up dried leaves as they go - well, imagine
that you and 50 friends are doing that all at the same time, and that's what
these Grackles sounded like. Every once in a while they would all take off
from the ground together, making a fantastic whooshing sound with their
collective wings, and then land mere feet away from where they had just
been, only to begin the whole rooting in the leaf litter process again.

They were, of course, calling and vocalizing to each other during all of
this, but it wasn't until they ascended into the trees that they became
really loud. They were on our property by this time, and as I looked
through the trees with my binoculars, I could see that many of them were
preening. So it seems they had a quick breakfast, and then were off to hit
the showers, so to speak, and making plans for the day. At least I imagine
that was what all the raucous conversation was about.

I uploaded a short video to YouTube that tries to communicate the din
surrounding me. Even though you can't see the birds (my iPod Touch doesn't
take great video), you can at least hear them pretty well.

Good birding!
Heather Aubke
Albany, OH