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March 1997

Red-breasted Merganser numbers are building in the northeast with a remarkable tally of 4000 from Lake Rockwell on the 23rd - . New arrivals include an expected Louisiana Waterthrush in the southwest (Cleves, Ned Keller) on the 29th and leap-frogging couple of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers in the northeast (Trumbull County) on the 28th. (Dave Hochadel). Two Trumpeter Swan (1ad. 1 imm.) were among a party of 14 swan at Mosquito Creek W.A. the same day.

The first American Bittern report comes from Spring Valley on the 26th. A belated report of a male Black Scoter on the 23rd from C.J. Brown Reservoir is also apparently the first of the season. - Dayton Area RBA

An early Osprey was noted on Catawba Island on the 24th. Another lingering Snowy Owl was present at the intersection of 1st St. and Nantuckett Dr. in Sandusky on the 27th. Vesper Sparrow and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker are now reported from the northwest. - Toledo RBA

Greg Links reports a Eurasian Wigeon at Metzger Marsh yesterday

Magee Marsh Bird Trail :
Eastern Phoebe - 2
Brown Creeper - 13
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 36
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2
Winter Wren - 10
Hermit Thrush - 3
Brown Thrasher - 1
Eastern Towhee - 1
Fox Sparrow - 8
Field Sparrow - 5
Dark-eyed Junco - 28

Elsewhere: Magee Marsh causeway, 1800 American Coot | Chipping Sparrow in Tiffin yard | Purple Martin from MM Hawk Tower | - V.W.F. III

Neither myself or Tom Bartlett were able to locate the Red-throated Loon at Beaver Creek Reservoir this morning.

Pine Warblers had arrived at Greenlawn Cemetary yesterday - Mark Skinner

Tom Bartlett reports a Red-throated Loon at Beaver Creek Reservoir today.

The Eurasian Wigeon at Alliance was reported through yesterday morning (John Sniveley) but one attempt today failed to locate it (Joe Hammond).

Bob Royce had a remarkable day at Killdeer Plains WA yesterday with 22 Short-eared Owls and 25 Northern Harrier

Diurnal Migration from Big Hill at Maumee Bay State Park (7:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.):
American Robin - 1030+
Red-winged Blackbird - 9000+
Common Grackle - 4200+
Lapland Longspur - 59

Diurnal Migration from Magee Marsh Hawk Tower (9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.):
Turkey Vulture - 412 (seldom do counts exceed 400)
Bald Eagle - 17 (conservative; possibly new high count for spring migrants)
Northern Harrier - 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 63 (somewhat high for March)
Cooper's Hawk - 32
Red-shouldered Hawk - 3 (already past the peak)
Red-tailed Hawk - 85
American Kestrel - 11 (a good number within the context of the past few springs)
Northern Flicker - 4
Tree Swallow - 110
- V.W.F. III

Today's warm SW winds [Ed. 75 degrees in the shade on the Magee Marsh Hawk Tower] brought good birds to the western basin. On the bird trail we had Tree Swallows, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, a Hermit Thrush, a Brown Thrasher, an Eastern Towhee, Fox Sparrows and tons of Rusty Blackbirds.
Metzger [Marsh W.A.] has tons of ducks, groups of swans (didn't make out which) and we saw an Eastern Phoebe. [Ed. late p.m. light allowed ID of 1600 Ring-necked Duck and 24 Tundra Swan among others].
With all the high water, we wondered where we could ever find shorebirds and so were very pleased with Medusa Marsh at Rtes 2 and 269 where the area is drawn down and we saw 9 Greater Yellowlegs and a Pectoral Sandpiper. We were impressed with the numbers of Ring-necked Ducks here. Canvasbacks were still along the causeway across the bay. - Dick and Jean Hoffman

Robin Miller reports two Common Loons from the Ottawa Reservoir on Rt 81 - possibly the first bird report I have ever seen from that body of water - V.W.F. III

A darkly marked Snowy Owl perched on one of the light posts at the east end of Burke Lakefront Airport; rather late sighting. 50 Bonaparte's Gulls sitting and flying around in the Edgewater Yacht Club marina - Jean Hoffman

Brown Thrasher reported from Greenlawn Cemetary on the 22nd (B. Masters) and 10 Common Snipe from Bolton Field on the 23rd (Paul McSweeney)

Two Long-eared Owls in a row of pines west of parking lot at Lakeshore Metropark on the 19th.

More spring arrival news: Bonaparte's Gulls appeared at locations in south-central, central, and northeast Ohio last week. Another Great Egret from the 23rd near Castalia. Tree Swallows at L.Rockwell the 22nd. Last Friday's Lapland Longspur flight was mirrored by an easterly movement at Lakeshore Metropark with 328 noted. A large Turkey Vulture movement was also noted along with 3 Merlins. The 22nd saw some interesting waterfowl off Lakeshore with 15,000 scaup, 8,000 Red-breasted Merganser, and a Pomerine Jaeger reported. A Glaucous Gull was reported from Mentor Marsh on the 22nd and an Iceland Gull over the weekend at Avon Lake. I have a belated report of a California Gull from Wildwood Park near Cleveland on the 20th. Savannah Sparrow at Maumee Bay S.P. on the 22nd was new for the northwest. An elusive Northern Shrike was again reported from Killdeer Plains W.A. by Marcus England on the 22nd.

The Eurasian Wigeon may have returned to Castalia as Cynthia Norris reported one male there on Friday the 21st. I checked there again yesterday with no luck. - V.W.F. III

A male Eurasian Wigeon was reported from a pond on the west side of Carnation Mall on SR 62 in Alliance (Stark county) , 3-24-97. A good place to park is in the lot of the Comfort Inn. The bird, discovered by Ed Heise of Alliance, was in the company American Wigeons, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, and several other species. - Dave Hochhadel

Matt Anderson and Elliot Tramer and others found a Western Grebe on March 22 at about 10:30 am just off the dike at Metzger Marsh. Subsequent efforts on Sunday and Monday failed to locate the bird.

The Glades in Pike Co. on Saturday held eight Short-eared Owls. Spring arrivals this past weekend included Greater Yellowlegs and Great Egret at icy Ottawa N. W. R. (m.obs.). It was also a Golden Eagle weekend as a group noted one over Conneaut during a hawk watch there on Friday. They also recorded Merlin. On Sunday, March 23,1997, one possibly two Golden Eagles were sighted by William Bosstic. A probable bird sighted in a field in the vicinity of 23 South and Eastern Avenue, Chillicothe was flying away, but the other was sighted in the vicinity of Prairie Road located approximately five miles south of Waverly in Pike County and studied at length. He also observed 18 Common Snipe in this same area. fide Gladis Garver and Joe McMahon

As you might have guessed today was a day to be on the Lake in the path of pent up migration. The fury had started by 7:00 am when I stood at the lakeshore at Mallard Club Marsh immediately across from Maumee Bay S.P. in Lucas Co. In the next two hours I was to enjoy a westward diurnal flight overhead reminiscent of my days as a migration monitor at Long Point Bird Observatory, Ont. Particular highlights included 1540 Lapland Longspur, 630 American Robin, 550 Horned Lark, 55 American Pipit, 27 Mourning Doves . Although not the density of a flight I recorded last year at Killdeer Plains, the LALO flight was exciting when I realized that they were moving across a broad front (340 passed by in minutes back on the road well out range of the lakeshore movement). This suggested another 1000+ missed inland during those early morning hours. I spent the next 90 minutes circling several sites further east testing the limits of the passage ending up back at Maumee Bay S.P. where I found Bruce Glick and company ensconced and duly counting the passage migration including Lapland Longspur since 9:00 am. So how many had they counted since I ceased counting at Mallard Club a few hundred yards away - 2200!. Over the next 90 minutes we were to see several hundred or so, giving a mornings total exceeding 4200 Lapland Longspur. This becomes the second highest day total for Ohio less only the 10,000 in Lucas County on 1 May 1949 (Peterjohn 1989).

I couldn't stay for the hawk flight but the beginnings suggested it was heavy for a March flight, especially for Turkey Vulture. Other notables included a flyby Sandhill Crane at Maumee Bay and several Tree Swallows at multiple locations. The Little Cedar Point N.W.R. Tundra Swan flock has grown to 240 - they depart for surrounding fields around 8:30-9:00 a.m.; park at the east parking lot of Mallard Club Marsh and you will just about be able to reach up and touch them as they pass over. - V.W.F. III

Five Greater White-fronted Geese remain on Acton Lake as of 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. - Joe Hammond

Killdeer Plains - late p.m.: very little on main ponds. 820 Ring-necked Ducks were on Pond 3. Two Common Loons and 280 Lesser Scaup were among the waterfowl on the reservoir. A single immature light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 4 Bald Eagles were among the raptors. - V.W. F. III

Reading the lastest Wilson Bulletin today I note a paper (Ferral et al. 1997) reporting a new dispersal record for Red-cockaded Woodpecker, that of 287 kilometers; far surpassing the 2nd and 3rd longest of ~160 and 90 km. previously reported in the literature. I wondered how far Ohio's only modern record had to travel to make its way to Old Man's Cave (Hocking Hills) from the nearest possible source population in the spring of 1975. If measured from the historically closest site, Red River Gorge KY, appx. 190-195 km straightline but this site has apparently not been occupied for decades (Monroe 1994). If measured as a straight line from the next nearest locale in southeastern Ky then Ohio's recent individual must have traveled 250-255 km approaching the published record. By the way the two records from Ohio, Franklin Co. and Hocking Co.s, were 15 March and 22 April - 4 May. If you're in the area watch for white-cheeked Hairy Woodpeckers - V.W.F. III

The Greater White-fronted Goose previously reported at Acton Lake in Hueston Woods SP near Oxford is still there as of 4:00 pm today, 3/19, and has been joined by four relatives. A total of five were present and one is a first winter bird. The birds were in the same general area as previously reported, but could not actually be seen from the parking lot near the office. We were able to see them easily by driving around the end of the lake (over the bridge crossing the incoming creek) to the second (?) pull off on the right,taking this gravelled lane to a parking lot, and walking a few hundred feet toward the lake. - Bill Heck [The Cincinnati RBA for 15 Mar. had reported 6 GWFG at Acton Lake].

Belated news from the southwest: Two Peregrine Falcons and 300 Lesser Scaup were highlights last Sunday from East Fork S.P. A banded Peregrine Falcon was noted near Elizabethtown. Newtown Gravel Pits hosted 2 Snow Geese on the 9th. Itinerant Trumpeter Swans added Mehdahl Dam to the growing list of Ohio locations for this species when 3 immatures set down last week. - Cincinnati RBA

Miscellaneous: A Northern Shrike was reported at Ottawa N.W.R. on Mon. the 17th. Yet another Common Loon was noted on the 16th, from Eastwood Lake, dramatizing this species abrupt statewide arrival. A Gray Catbird also on the 16th at Eastwood Lake is so early as to suspect overwintering rather than a remarkably early migrant. Eastern Phoebe are now widely noted in the south and finally reported from the Toledo area on Monday. - Toledo and Dayton RBAs

Cece Johnston failed to locate the Eurasian Wigeon at Castalia yesterday and I had the same result this morning. Cece also had a better count of bay duck from Bayview than my cursory attention allowed.

5000 Canvasbacks, 750 Lesser Scaup and 500 Redheads.

- V.W.F. III

The Greater White-fronted Geese previously reported at Acton Lake (3/15) were still present as of 3PM today (3/18). They were at the north end of the lake across from the park office on one of the small islands, and can also be seen from the group camp area. Acton Lake is located in Preble and Butler Co. in Hueston Woods S.P. - Maynard Schaus

There were two Common Loons at Lake Logan in Hocking County today, March l7, my earliest date in 31 years of keeping Ohio migration records, except for birds that overwintered. - Jim Fry. Jim also reports the first Pine Warbler near his home in the Hocking Hills.

NW marshes Mon. 17 March ; Visiting :

Mallard Club Marsh WA (Lucas Co.)
Metzger Marsh WA (Lucas Co.)
Magee Marsh WA (Ottawa/Lucas)
Little Portage WA (Ottawa)
East Harbor S.P. (Ottawa)
Medusa Marsh (Erie)
Pickerel Creek WA (Sandusky)

Trumpeter Swan - 2, Tundra Swan - 179 (most MCM), Snow Goose - 14 (Metzger) Canada Goose - XXX, Mallard - 4400, American Black Duck - 600, Green-winged Teal - 500+ (most Metzger), Gadwall - 730 (most Metzger), Northern Pintail - 725 (most LPWA), Wood Duck - XX, Blue-winged Teal - 7, Northern Shoveler - 70, American Wigeon - 2170 (1550 at Metzger), Redhead - 1000 Canvasback - 1700 (Bayview), Lesser Scaup - 4000,Greater Scaup - 1, Ring-necked Duck - 5030 (3100 at Metzger), Common Goldeneye - 200+, Bufflehead - 30+, Common Merganser - 450+, Red-breasted Merganser - 900+, Hooded Merganser - 31, Ruddy Duck - 9
Am. Coot - 1450, Common Snipe - 1 (MCMWA), Iceland Gull - 1 1st yr (East Harbor S.P. causeway), Short-eared Owl - 1 (Magee Marsh Bird Trail), Snow Bunting - 2

No hawk migration of note. - V.W.F.III

Rob Harlan reports a Glaucous Gull from Cedar Point Causeway on Sunday

16th: Edgewater Park behind Sewage Treatment Plant - 1 imm. Thayer's Gull and 1 imm. Glaucous Gull. Also on the 16th a variety of waterfowl at the Akron lakes including Common Loon. 700 Ring-necked Duck at Mogadore. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker had reached the lakefront at Sheldon's Marsh by the 16th. Mosquito Lake hosted 15 Tundra Swan on the 14th. - Cleveland RBA

Senecaville Lake on Sunday. one Black Vulture - Scott Albaugh

Sat. 15th Mar. : At Castalia, Paula Lozano found a Eurasian Wigeon on the pond. There weren't that many ducks on the pond, and all seven of us on the field trip saw the bird quite well. [Ed. seen again Sunday 16th Mar.]
Two Common Snipe at Pickerel Creek WMA. and a couple of Blue-winged Teal. On Sunday, Tom LePage found a Harlequin Duck in the northwest corner of the lead to the inner harbor between the Lakeside Yatch Club and the Cleveland Munilight Station on North Marginal Road. That afternoon, Paula and I found the duck from N. Marginal; it was close to some concrete blocks on shore a considerable distance away, and was not easy to see even with a scope. Even so, we could see well enough to identify the duck as a Harlequin, and the three of us pretty much agreed that the Harlequin looked like a first winter male. - C.R. Finklestein

3/15/97 :Funk Bottoms [Wayne County] flooded, about 100 yards of Wilderness road under water. Waterfowl in good numbers; Wood Ducks, Mallards, Northen Pintails, Northern Shovelers, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Mergs, Green-winged Teal, American Black Ducks, coots, Tundra Swans plus two green banded Trumpeter Swans west side of Funk road about 3/4 mile north of Funk.
[Ed. - Also Sandhill Crane - Jeff Krause]

Charles Mills Lake-a 1st year and 3rd year Bald Eagle, 3 species of merganser, Horned Grebes and one fluffed up Eastern Phoebe seen during a snow squall. - Cece Johnston

The Dayton Audubon trip to Spring Valley Wildlife Area on March 15 produced a nice variety of waterfowl, including Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, N. Shoveler, Gadwall, Am. Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, and Ruddy Duck. Passerines of note included a flock of six Tree Swallows flying among the snowflakes, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and at least a dozen Brewer's Blackbirds. - John Rakestraw

Wellington Resevoir - Horned Grebe, American Wigeon, Canasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Northern Pintail
Lorain Hooded & Red-breasted Merganser (many), Horned Grebe and no unusual gulls
Avon Lake - Thayer's Gull, Red-breasted Merganser
Huron - Very little except common gulls
Sheldon Marsh - Green-winged Teal, Rusty Blackbird, Purple Finch and 1 banded Trumpeter Swan by the golf course
Medusa Marsh - Bald Eagle, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck
Bayview - nothing!
Crane Creek - Blue Winged Teal (by hawk watch tower), Common Goldeneye, Northern Shoveler, Coot (many), Wood Duck, Black Duck, Lesser Scaup
Boardwalk at Crane Creek - 1 Winter Wren, Rusty Blackbird, 2 Fox Sparrow
- Doreene Linzell (Avid Birders Group - Columbus).

Despite less than ideal weather raptors, especially Turkey Vultures, have been moving in surprising numbers through the state each day this week. Coots have also started to build in numbers. I only made a few incidental observations this week. Little to be seen along the lakeshore in Lorain County although gull numbers are still high including 59 Great Black-backed Gulls on Wed. The mass of duck on the bay between Johnson Island and Sandusky remains as of Wed. and included many more merganser and goldeneye but still dominated by scaup. That male Wood Duck at Castalia remains part of a triad keeping himself between a male and female Mallard - now that will be interesting progeny. The 'Oregon' Junco remains at the feeder as of today - V.W.F. III.

SOUTHEAST: The Wilds, 3-9-97, produced 6 American Kestrels, 10+ Northern Harriers, 3 dark and 5 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 6 Turkey Vultures, 4 Red-tailed Hawks all from the front gate. Elsewhere there there was a smattering of waterfowl in the surrounding ponds. - Ron Cass.

NORTHEAST; see Youngstown tape.

NORTHWEST: Sandhill Crane were reported from western Lucas County and O.N. W. R. - now is good time to be watching for the species overhead. Common Loon was a new arrival at Magee Marsh over the weekend. Fox Sparrows continue to be reported from the M.M. Bird Trail. The tremendous waterfowl show continues. - Toledo RBA

CENTRAL: From Killdeer Plains WA on the 10th; 2 Long-eared Owl and 10 Short-eared Owl, along with a common mix of waterfowl - Ruth and Joe Motts. A Northern Goshawk was a flyby at Greenlawn Cemetary on the 10th - Dan Sanders and Don Burton; also seen there Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Fox Sparrow - m.obs. Just a sample of the waterfowl at Hoover Reservoir on the 8th include

300 Red-breasted Merganser
300 Lesser Scaup
200 Ring-necked Duck
75 Common Goldeneye
150 Hooded Merganser
25 Bufflehead
- Charlie Bombassy [sp.?]

SOUTHWEST: Blue-winged Teal on the 8-9th at Spring Valley is the first report I have. Other birds at Spring Valley included Eastern Phoebe and Tree Swallow. Another Eastern Phoebe was at Charlston Falls on the 8th. One report of a blue Snow Goose for the Dayton area. Waterfowl variety is high with 20 Horned Grebe at Caesar Creek Reservoir and hundreds of coot at Spring Valley. - Southwest RBA

No further word on the Northern Lapwing report as of 10:00 p.m.

Just as well I stayed at home - studied a nice male "Oregon" Junco at the feeder - here are a few photos - V.W.F.III

An uncorroborated report of a Northern Lapwing comes to us late in the day. Apparently seen in a field on the east side of Rt 7 appx. 1 mile N. of Andover (Ashtabula Co. nr PA line). A house nearby sports the number 4530. Apparently there is some confusion over when this sighting took place; listening to the Cleveland RBA twice suggests the 5th but Dave Hochadel has posted that it was today the 10th.

Other notes from the Cleveland RBA: Mating Peregrine Falcons have taken a liking to the campus of Case Western Reserve. Mosquito Lake harbors a few Tundra Swan and 300 Redhead. Red-breasted Merganser numbers are picking up with 200 at La Due Reservoir.

Kathy Mock reports 7 Glaucous Gulls from the vicinity of East Harbor State Park today. Check the marina area off Rt 163 just east off the turn off to the state park.

Turkey Vultures were congregating at, or rather above, Hueston Woods SP near Acton lake, with over 110 in the air north of the lake and lodge yesterday afternoon. On the lake itself, a flock of 50 - 60 Redheads was observed, with 60 - 70 American Coots scattered around the edges of the water. - Bill Heck

Jason Larson saw the Eared Grebe at Salt Fork Lake Saturday, Mar 8.Elaine and I did not find it there late in the afternoon today (Mar 9). - John Sniveley

In Fairport Harbor, Ohio, this morning, there was a single Northern Shrike behind a field along Rt. 535. - Nick Barber

Killdeer Plains report: The [Northern ] Harrier count was at 13. Along with these we saw 10 Redtails, 7 Short-Eared Owls, 5 Sharp Shinned Hawks, about a dozen American Kestrels, probably 200-300 Ring-Necked Ducks and a couple dozen Hooded Merganser. - Brad Courson

Funk/Killbuck Marsh report: 15 Snow Geese, 20 Tundra Swan, 1000 Ring-necked Duck, several hundred Northern Pintail, 4 Common Snipe - Rob Harlan

Belated report of Tree Swallow and Pectoral Sandpiper from North Perry (Lake Co.) on the 1st March. - John Pogacnik

Virginia Rail in the Cuyahoga Valley (Beaver Marsh/Ira Rd area) on the 3rd (fide Rob Harlan)

On 3/8, Karl Overman and I [James Lesser]saw 6 Greater White-fronted Geese at the northeast part of Metzger Marsh, behind the boat club building. We also saw a Fox Sparrow in front of the Ranger's house at Crane Creek. - MOO Listers Network

Some reminders : the next few weeks are especially interesting for uncommon grebe, scoters, etc at inland reservoirs. Yesterday's survey of a few in north central Ohio netted only a common variety of waterfowl but the 245 Redhead at New London (Huron Co.) were a surprise.

With the end of the winter reporting season some of you are sending field notes along to various journal editors. If you are including documentation for an Ohio review species, you can speed the pace of review a good deal by sending a copy directly to the OBRC. As we review on a quarterly schedule and accept documentations year-round you can further narrow the time of a decision from that of an observation by sending in the documentation shortly after the observation. Consider the following example:
BR> August 5th Piping Plover - doc. arrives mid-August - quarterly review 1 September.
August 5th Piping Plover - doc. arrives mid-December {end of fall period} just in time for 1 April quarterly review. - a 7 month difference. - V.W.F. III

A pair of Red-necked Grebes were present at Dublin Rd Quarry [Columbus area; can anyone tell me where this is specifically] on the 5-6th. An 'Oregon' Junco at Greenlawn Cemetary also on the 6th, and a belated report of an Eastern Phoebe at Greenlawn on the 22nd Feb. - Bernard Masters

The number of Long-eared Owls at Killdeer Plains has grown to 4 as of Monday - Sandy Burris

S' west Ohio area reports from Monday include a Fox Sparrow at a Dayton feeder and two Turkey Vultures from RT 68 near Spingfield.

The signs have been there; Downy Woodpeckers courting ten days ago, dawn chorus of Mourning Doves last Thursday, and a Mourning Dove on an old American Robin nest along the shore of Sandusky Bay yesterday. Yet another aspect of the field season for your attention. As you are out and about this season please consult the breeding range maps of Ohio atlas data. Especially note any gaps in the record in your neck-of-the-woods. Your efforts in filling in these gaps will be rewarded with new maps aside the atlas data with the new information and appropriate credit to the source. - V.W.F. III

The SW'ly wind was there but no clearing skies or warm front manifested along the western Lake Erie basin today making for a lame migration. Virtually no visible diurnal movements although by mid-day Killdeer were going through at a 30/hr clip at Pickerel Creek W.A. With nothing to look for in the skies a quick tour of a few wetlands produced the following waterfowl gatherings:

Metzger Marsh W.A. - 1100 Redhead, 900 Ring-necked Duck, 175 Gadwall, 420 American Wigeon, 25 Tundra Swan.
Little Portage W.A. - 1600 Mallard, 300 American Black Duck, 250 Northern Pintail, 110 Ring-necked Duck.
Coonrod Rd (Sandusky Co.) - 2850 Mallard, 600 American Black Duck, 280 American Wigeon, 11 Tundra Swan.
Sandusky Bay (as viewed from Medusa Marsh) - various bay duck {mostly scaup} 22,000.
Cedar Point Causeway - 220 Great Black-backed Gull, 600 Ring-necked Duck.

-V.W.F.III

Jean and Dick Hoffman add 2 Greater White-fronted Geese to the mix of geese at Killdeer Plains last Friday. Two additional White-fronts were detected at Ottawa N.W.R. off Veler Rd (First road off Rt 2 S. of Metzger Marsh turnoff) yesterday. - O.N.W.R. Count.

The wettest winter in 21 years in the NW has left a lot of standing water to attract puddle ducks. March also opened with a local record high temp. 65. The two weather events have combined for an interesting mix of birds this early in the spring. Most waterfowl were actively migrating throughout this overcast drizzly day. The 7:30-8:30 am hour at Mallard Club Marsh W.A. saw 148 Tundra Swanleave the Cedar Point N.W.R. area. A total of 177 were counted in the eastern Lucas county marshes. Four unbanded immature Trumpeter Swan were along Howard Rd. Snow Geese were limited to Metzger Marsh where there were 52 - but again they were on the move. 700 Redhead, 60 Gadwall were among the duck concentration at Metzger marsh. Killdeer were a common migrant - close attention to numbers produced 227 heading west. Diurnal migration was also evident for Horned Lark (500),Snow Bunting (145), and Lapland Longspur (55). Ottawa N.W.R. dikes were best for viewing these latter. 800 crow were tallied along the lakeshore. Bird Trail was VERY quiet. Nothing at Darsch Rd except 2 adult dark Rough-legged Hawks. A few hours on the hawk tower at Magee Marsh produced 5 Red-shouldered Hawks, about a dozen Red-tails, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, and a couple of migrant Bald Eagles. Also a surprising mid-afternoon flight of 270 Northern Pintail heading east. Blackbirds abound with Rusty Blackbird exceeding 1600. Like last year a very large number for such an early date; consider remarks in Peterjohn 1989, "The first spring Rusties normally return between March 5 and 12. The largest concentrations are frequently encountered between March 18 and April 15." - V.W.F. III

Dimas Pioli (Warren, MI) reports from Friday at Killdeer Plains: 3 Long-eared Owls (advising that they are very high up the pines). Also 2 N. Mockingbirds on C71 and the total of 8 Snow Geese on 3 separate ponds of Killdeer Plains (6 = white morph, 2 = blue morph).

3 Snow Geese have apparently been present several weeks at the Walter Bent? Nature Preserve south of Chardon (Geuaga Co.). On the 25th St. Ignace Highschool in the Cleveland Area hosted 21 Black-crowned Night-Herons. - Cleveland RBA. Whether regarded as winter residents or very early spring migrants this is an unusually high number for this date. I would like also to point out the significance of the wintering Olentangy River birds at O.S.U. Peterjohn 1989 observed the species is accidental to casual in winter in the interior, noting the "last inland winter sightings were during the 1960's. - V.W.F. III

Literature Cited

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maintained by Victor W. Fazio III / last modified 26 Nov. 2000