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May 1999

Jeff Hays reports the Purple Gallinule still present at Miami-Whitewater wetlands yesterday.

Today's efforts failed to relocate the Violet-green Swallow reported yesterday at Grand River W.A. All was not a total loss as Least Bittern, Sora, and Virginia Rail were of local interest. Last Saturday, Doug and Micki Dunakin had their first Paulding County Least Bittern in ten years. Shorebirds at Conneaut Harbor yesterday included 11 Sanderling, 12 White-rumped Sandpiper, and 23 Semipalmated Plover. Today Semipalmated Sandpiper numbered 59 but overall Friday's numbers were halved. The usual late migrants continue to be found. Today Gray-cheeked Thrush, Wilson's Warbler, and Blackpoll Warbler at Mosquito Creek W.A. (Trumbull Co.), plus Blackpolls at Arcola Creek and Headlands Beach State Park (Lake Co.). A male Wilson's Warbler was still present at Spring Valley W.A. on Wednesday - Ed and Linda Roush. No sign today of Friday's Black-bellied Plover reported at Arcola Creek by Dan Seman.

The last report for the Berlin Hts. Clay-colored Sparrow seems to be the 19th - Greg Miller. Dickcissels are back at Big Island W.A. (so. of Rt. 95) with 9 singing males noted yesterday - Dave St.John. The same area presently hosts 46 territorial Grasshopper Sparrows and 4-5 Upland Sandpipers. Wednesday 4 White-rumped Sandpipers were of local interest there. - V.W.F.III. The only current Sedge Wren appears to be the bird continuuing at Twin Creeks Metropark in the Dayton area from the 23rd - Dave Dister; reported yesterday by Dan Sanders. The Miami-Whitewater wetlands Bell's Vireo was still present yesterday - Lester Peyton. Olive-sided Flycatchers made their presence felt this past week. A bird was found the 21st in Paulding Co. - Doug Dunakin, while Dan Sanders had individuals at Mud Hen Marsh near Hoover Reservoir Tuesday and at Miami-Whitewater wetlands Wednesday.

Lingering waterfowl include an adult male Red-breasted Merganser at Walnut Beach yesterday, a pair of American Wigeon and a male Northern Shoveler at Big Island W.A. on Thursday - V.W.F.III. Five Great Egrets at Grand River W.A. this morning and a pair at Killdeer Plains W.A. Thursday were of local interest - V.W.F.III. Late Migrants?: Two Sandhill Cranes were flying south at the jct. of Rt. 2 and 6 (Erie Co.) on the 21st - Kathy Mock.

A Purple Gallinule was discovered at the Miami-Whitewater wetlands (Hamilton Co.) on Saturday - Ned Keller, and seen through Monday - Frank Frick. An effort Wednesday failed to relocate the bird but it could still be present.
Directions: DeLorme page 74, grid B1. From Cincinnati, take I-74 west to the Dry Fork Road exit. Turn right onto Dry Fork, and then bear right at New Haven Road. At the flashing red light, turn left onto Oxford Road, and then left again immediately onto Baughman Road. About a hundred yards past where the bike trail crosses Baughman, park in the gravel lot on the right. Walk back to the bike trail, and then follow the trail left (north) to the observation platform. - Ned Keller.

Michigan/Ontario birders should be on the lookout for Long-billed Curlew. Five birds were reported heading north over Pearson Park late Tuesday - Gerry Klug. These birds would have been only minutes away from a plausible stopover at Pt. Mouille and environs.

Southern herons continue in the news. After the two Little Blue Herons reported last week at Killdeer Plains W.A., and a possible immature at Pickerel Creek W.A. comes word of 2 adults at the Days Dam access of Black River Reservation along the Black River in Lorain County for Saturday the 15th - Arlene Ryan. Well familiar with the herons of Sanibel I., Florida from frequent trips, Arlene also identified 4 Yellow-crowned Night Herons at the same location that day. The night-herons were in trees along the river bank. This is a plausible location for nesting so I encourage others to follow-up on this report. Just yesterday John Rakestraw noted 2 more adult Little Blue Herons in Fairborn (Greene Co.), while Monday Sharon Pawlowski viewed another adult from the observation deck at the south pond of Gilmore Ponds (Butler Co.).

In pursuit of the Purple Gallinule, Dan Sanders, and Don Burton, discovered a Bell's Vireo at Miami-Whitewater wetlands. Dan relates the bird was . . .

"about l00 yards beyond the trail leading to the blind. There is a bend, to the right, in the trail at this point and the bird was found on the left side no more than 30-40 yards from the bike trail".

Meanwhile back at Buck Creek State Park (Clark Co.), Doug Overacker notes the return of the Bell's Vireo at that location.
Enter Buck Creek State Park on Buck Creek Lane and turn right on Road 2. This is really the only place there is to turn that isn't a parking lot. Continue past Road 3 which goes to the left and then past Road 3 again also to the left. I heard and briefly saw the bird about 70 yards past the second intersection. You should be able to hear it from the road. There really aren't any trails in this area. You can be ticketed for parking along the road. There is a parking area off Road 3 maybe 200 yards from the bird. This is the closest parking. - Doug Overacker.

Shorebirds: The indefatigable Dave St. John located and videotaped (through his scope) a Whimbrel at Dillon Reservoir Saturday for what must be one of very few records for the unglaciated plateau. Yesterday, John Pogacnik had 16 birds along the beach opposite his home in North Perry (Lake Co.) while nearby Chagrin River Park produced 28 birds. The strong northerly breezes of the past few days likely had a hand in these recent curlew reports, as these conditions seem to cause larger shorebird species to "fall-out" this side of the lake more often. Even so what we see is but a fraction of the overall flight - consider the flock of 600 Whimbrel at Wheatley Harbor Ontario this week - see Bird Mail.

We were on the verge of our 3rd migration season without so much as a report of a Piping Plover for the state when John Pogacnik posted news of a bird at Conneaut last Saturday. Nonetheless, I fear extirpation awaits anon.

It surely has been the season of the Semipalmated Plover, with a dozen or more locations across the state reporting double-digit flock sizes throughout the month. None greater than the 60 at St. Mary's Fish Hatchery this past Saturday - David Dister. Dunlin have been viewed at scattered sites reflecting the scarcity of mudflat. Parking Lot B of Pickerel Creek W.A. continues to produce the largest concentrations with 390 present on Sunday - V.W.F. Elsewhere that day, 180 were present in the vicinity of Turtle Creek W.A. opposite Frank's Corner on Rt. 2, and 112 birds at Pipe Creek W.A. - V.W.F.III. The previous Friday, 155 birds were present at Sheldon Marsh S.N.P. Another 50 remain at Big Island W.A. this morning. Small numbers of Semipalmated Sandpipers have been filtering into the area with 25 noted Saturday near Turtle Creek W.A. - Jenny and Dave Brumfield, and 16 at Conneaut - John Pogacnik. The usual few lakeshore White-rumped Sandpipers have been noted this week. I have come to discover that when mudflat exists in the Killdeer Plains/Big Island W.A. in late May this is as certain a location for spring White-rumped Sandpipers as any Ohio lakeshore venue. Bob Royse had 2 on Saturday at Big Island (Unit B - LaRue-Prospect Rd.) while I had 4 yesterday on Unit D (Rt. 95). Red Knot remains the only regular spring shorebird species unreported thus far.

Songbird migration has been slow of late with a minor fallout on Tuesday along the Lake. Connecticut Warblers have been noted across the state; a female at Magee Marsh Bird Trail was widely seen Sunday. On Tuesday at Clear Creek Metropark Bill Whan et al. discovered a "male persistently singing, often 15' above the ground, opposite the Hemlock Trail trailhead on Clear Creek Rd. Slightly skittish, so park one pull-off higher and walk back". This bird was still present yesterday - Dan Sanders. Also Tuesday Sue Ross found a Connecticut at Riverbend Park east of Findlay in Hancock Co. The late migrants Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Alder Flycatcher became conspicuous with this same fallout. Up to four Alders were singing at Magee Marsh W.A., while yesterday I had a bird at Killbuck Marsh W.A. Alder and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were also reported for Miami Whitewater Forest Sunday - Steve Pelikan. Steve's other highlight was one of the very few Olive-sided Flycatchers noted this spring; a bird at Mt. Airy on Saturday. On the matter of arrivals Acadian Flycatchers put in a northerly appearance the 11th at Bacon Woods (Lorain Co.) - Maian And Jeff Kraus but only this past Monday did I detect them on the Magee Marsh Bird Trail. Mourning Warblers have numbered up to 4 males on the Magee Marsh Bird Trail (Monday) while Tuesday saw the first female - V.W.F.III. Dominant warblers on the Bird Trail included the usual suspects, Wilson's, Magnolia Warblers, American Redstart, and a surprising number of female Blackpoll Warbler. A male Golden-winged Warbler for the Bird Trail was reported from the 10 through 16th - Jon Dunn, m.obs. Two birds, male and female, were at Sheldon Marsh S.N.P. - Nick Barber. This Tuesday, Sheldon also hosted a Prairie Warbler - Bob Royse. About 22 warbler species have been daily on the Bird Trail of late. Unexpected to say the least, a Northern Saw-whet Owl was widely viewed Monday by trail marker 27 of the Bird Trail - Scott Wright et al. The Berlin Hts., Clay-colored Sparrow was still on territory Monday - Bill and Ann Toneff. American Pipits and Blue Jays dwindle in their diurnal passage while Cedar Waxwing pick up the pace - 400 on Monday over the Bird Trail. A one-hour hawk count at Magee (noon- 1:00 pm) detected 22 Broad-winged, and 21 Red-tailed Hawks, as well as 13 Turkey Vultures - V.W.F.III. I should mention that a substantial warbler fallout took place in the west central portion of the state last Thur.-Friday. Every woodlot I went near in Marion and Wyandot counties were filled with singing Blackpoll, Blackburnian, and Tennessee Warblers. This fallout probably explains the favorable reports this weekend from those distant outposts of avian activity Van Wert and Paulding Counties - John and Jean Perchalksi / Doug and Micki Dunakin.

Shorebirds : From at least the 12th through this Monday, a female Wilson's Phalarope was among a few other shorebirds at Mallard Club. Shorebirds at Pipe Creek W.A. on Saturday included a Marbled Godwit - Brad Phillips. Also of note an adult summer Laughing Gull - V.W.F.III. Another adult Laughing Gull put in an appearance at Greenlawn Dam (Columbus) on the 16th - Adam Goloda. While in the Sandusky Bay area do not overlook parking lot B at Pickerel Creek W.A. Here on Tuesday, just before the rain hit, I had 9 Short-billed Dowitcher and 315 Dunlin Collectively, Pickerel Creek has held up to 800 Dunlin (the previous Monday) - V.W.F.III. First noted the 10th - Jamie Krupka, the Ruddy Turnstone flock at Crane Creek State Park - numbered 67 birds atop the metal wavebreaks apparently taking advantage of the midge hatch. Another 7 birds were along adjacent Magee Marsh beach. The following day saw the first Sanderling at Magee - Bob Royse Along Decant Rd. (Lucas Co.) Scott Albaugh detected one of the few shorebirds concentrations in that area this spring with 150 Black-bellied Plover and 20 Ruddy Turnstone out in a field Sunday. John Pogacnik reports a Red-necked Phalarope along Rt.2 at the Vine St. exit in Eastlake (Lake Co.). Sheldon Marsh S.N.P also offers some shorebirding. While there check for what apparently is a melanistic Spotted Sandpiper - should be a most interesting bird. It was reported Friday as a bird in every way a Spotted Sandpiper, including its unique behaviour, only it was black. The huge mudflat at Big Island continues to provide for shorebirds with 25 Semipalmated Plover there Monday - Ron Sempier. The Least Sandpiper count was down from last Thursday's 90 - V.W.F.III. Ron also reports 3 Least Bittern from the eastern impoundment where they are an annual nester.

Bill and Roxanne Rinehart report 2 Little Blue Herons at Pond 33 of Killdeer Plains W.A. for Wednesday. From the previous week it is apparent that quite the flight of Summer Tanager took place along the Lake Erie shoreline with a bird on the Shaker Lakes bird walk the 9th -fide Leo Deininger and one on Kelleys Island two days later - fide Pat Hayes. Other birds had been reported from Magee and Metzger Marshes the same weekend and again at Metzger Marsh this past Saturday - Stephen Harvey et al.. Lingering waterfowl are not so conspicuous this year. A Horned Grebe was reported on the "North Coast Open" birding tourney for Saturday - fide Greg Links. Greg also reports a Franklin's Gull at Maumee Bay State Park. An adult alternate Common Loon was present off Kelleys Island on Saturday while a 1st spring bird was present at Beaver Creek Reservoir the same day - V.W.F.III. A few Lesser Scaup are around including 15 off Lions Park (LaSalle St.) in Sandusky Saturday - V.W.F.III. I also had a male Ring-necked Duck at Killdeer Plains W.A. (Pond 33) last Friday, and 6 Gadwall at Maumee Bay State Park on Monday. Craig Rieker et al. had a White-winged Scoter off the dike at Cedar Point Wildlife Refuge the 16th. It's possible this could be viewed from adjacent Mallard Club Marsh W.A. Craig also had a male Yellow-headed Blackbird at Cedar Point Wildlife Refuge on Sunday. Most of you are aware of the Yellow-headed Blackbirds on territory at Metzger Marsh W.A. They number up to 7 males -Frank Frick and 1 female Saturday - Jenny Brumfield et al. Jenny's other highlight from the area included a flyby Sandhill Crane over Magee Marsh W.A. While at Metzger Marsh W.A. be aware of the presence of American and Least Bitterns - Judy Howard. Least Bittern and the King Rail continue at Mallard Club Marsh W.A. as of Monday - V.W.F.III. I also had 6 Common Moorhen there. Jeff Grabmeier reports an American Bittern for La Su An W.A. (Williams Co.) on Sunday. Jeff also confirmed nesting Brown Creeper there. While I'm thinking of it, the past week, I have tallied 17 calling Viriginia Rail and 15 calling Sora at Killbuck Marsh W.A. - V.W.F.III.

A most interesting development in southern Ohio is the successful nesting of Hooded Mergansers. This week saw reports of 3 young at Miami Whitewater Wetlands (Hamilton Co.) - Olivier Debre, and 6 young at the Greendale Wetlands (Hocking Co.) - Bob Placier. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas never confirmed breeding in the southern 2/3 of the state.

And lest we forget the Cleveland Indians winning ways, here's yet another reason for natural vs artificial turf.

"Before and during the National Anthem today [at the Jake 9 May], there was an Ovenbird happily out in the open in the heart of left field eating everything that moved. Out there about ten minutes until Cordero took the field." - Frank Buck

Sorry for the brief update. Look for a thorough overview Thursday night or Friday morning this week. Besides nothing really happened this week did it? Unless off course you were on Kelleys Island as part of the "Nest with the birds" activities of the Kelleys Island Audubon. Yesterday between my census and Tom Bartlett's banding activities at least 111 species had been recorded by 1:00 pm. Only unusual species was a Snowy Egret. Just a LOT of warblers. For shorebirds checkout Pipe Creek W.A. where yesterday a Marbled Godwit and Laughing Gull set down briefly - Brad Phillips and V.W.F.III. Brad also reports his Clay-colored Sparrow remains on territory as of yesterday. Next three days should be very good along the Lake for migration. That's all . . . gotta fly.

Beginning last Wednesday, southwesterly breezes brought several waves of warblers, vireos, and the like into the Lake Erie basin. This saw the arrival of all but the latest of spring migrant songbirds. By Friday, females of many species of warbler, for which the males had only just put in an appearance earlier in the week, were already in evidence along the Magee Marsh Bird Trail; e.g. Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Cerulean Warbler. The first Bird Trail Mourning Warbler was Thursday - m.obs., only a day after its Ohio debut at "The Narrows" along the Little Miami River in Beavercreek - Jon Dunn and Sue Tackett. Jon also had Canada Warbler, 2 Black-throated Blue Warblers and noted the arrival of Acadian Flycatchers. As yet the latter have not been reported from northern Ohio localities. Thursday's tremendous winds may have given impetus for a remarkable flight of southerly species. Yellow-breasted Chats, White-eyed Vireos, Northern Parula, Cerulean and Prothonotary Warblers have been noted at several locations along the Lake and in some numbers we are unaccustomed to seeing. Not surprisingly reports of Summer Tanager and Blue Grosbeak (few confirmed) have coincided with this flight. Some numbers I do have include 4 singing White-eyed Vireo along the Mage Marsh Bird Trail (MMBT) Friday while Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) had banded 10 in the Thur.-Fri. period at nearby Navarre Marsh - Julie Shieldcastle. The BSBO also netted 4 chats one morning. Individuals of both species were found subsequently all along the Lake. Clearly a major movement into the area took place causing me to wonder what such a movement might have looked like were one in the right place at the right time. Remember last week I spoke of the Turtle Creek flyway and its untapped potential for revealing surprises. In a 3 hour flight, or about 1 bird every 2.5 minutes, Gene Anderson reckons he had 74 White-eyed Vireo pass him along the creek. I wish I had been there to witness that. Heads up Michigan and Ontario, these birds are surely coming your way. In many respects this spring mimics that of 1985, whereupon high pressure dominated much of the neotropical migration period and an attendant flight of southerly species including Blue Grosbeaks (2 banded at Long Pt. that year) and White-eyed Vireo (35 at Long Pt. in a week) took place. One difference - that flight included Blue-winged Warblers, while they have been noticeably scarce along the Lake this past weekend. One or two Kentucky Warblers were present on the MMBT, Fri.-Sun. One Worm-eating Warbler was present Wed. - Friday. A maximum of 28 warbler species was recorded Saturday with about 32 species for the week. Demonstrating rather emphatically the wisdom in staying in place at the Bird Trail, Tom Bartlett broke his BIG SIT record Saturday. With just 20 minutes to go, in a 12 hour marathon, a Northern Shoveler passed overhead for number 109. Misses included Great Black-backed Gull, House Finch, Bobolink, and Rock Dove. At least 126 species were recorded for Magee Marsh W.A. on Saturday, highlighted by a Sedge Wren along the causeway - V.W.F.III. I expect the next fallout to take place again this Wed. - Fri.

Shorebird habitat remains a scarce commodity, straining birder patience with state and federal authorities who may or may not choose to manage for shorebirds (and by that we mean small calidrines not long-legged tringines and such which happen to co-utilize waterfowl habitat). Without birder access to such a drawcard, local ecotourism may never have the impact of a Pt. Pelee/Cape May. And without such an impact, say hello to yet another marina within what's left of western Lake Erie marshes. And if that seems a little harsh, then I must ask, in the face of the continued growth of birdwatching, why the greatest single habitat Ohio birders seek out, year after year, remains a flooded farm field.

. . . and given the dry conditions farms are in . . . for now you must travel to Pickerel Creek W.A. where I found yesterday 800+ Dunlin whirling about courtesy an adult male Peregrine Falcon, or go beyond to Sheldon Marsh SNP.

Some miscellaneous arrivals:

Black-billed Cuckoo - 6 May at Beavercreek - Jon Dunn
Black-billed Cuckoo - 7 May at Magee Marsh Bird Trail - Dave St. John et al.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 8 May at Magee Marsh Bird Trail - m.obs.
Gray-cheeked Thrush - 7 May at Beavercreek - Jon Dunn
Gray-cheeked Thrush - 7 May at Magee Marsh Bird Trail - Rob Harlan
Semipalmated Plover - 6 May (7) at Park Colony Rd. (Lucas Co.) - Jason Larson
Willow Flycatcher - 5 May at Magee Marsh Bird Trail - Rob Harlan
King Rail - 8 May at Mallard Club Marsh W.A. - Craig Rieker et al.
Black Tern - 7 May (2) in Adams Co. - Pete Whan
Philadelphia Vireo - 7 May at Magee Marsh W.A. - Jed Burtt et al.

A Clay-colored Sparrow has been present 9-10 May at a Berlin Hts (Erie Co.) farm -

Folks are welcome to come see it. Turn to Delorme p 39, B5/6. Berlin Hts is on S.R.61. My farm is IN TOWN. Use the water tower as a reference, as we live in its shadow. Sign out front on Main St.-- A.B.Phillips & Sons. Driveway on East side of yard. Bramble patch is North of bldgs, nearly down to turnpike fence which forms our North boundary. - Brad Phillips

Dave St. John has been on the trail of Willets. This morning he videotaped 11 at Lake Logan (Hocking Co.) and 3 at Dillon Reservoir (Muskingum Co.) last Thursday. Ostensibly, Willet is rare in the unglaciated plateau region of Ohio, but these reports suggest it may simply be overlooked. A Wilson's Phalarope was found at Big Island W.A. (Rt. 95 section) yesterday - Kevin Longberry and Cam Lee. Another was seen at Sheldon Marsh SNP on Saturday - John Pogacnik. A Le Conte's Sparrow was described from 9800 Rockside Rd., in Valley View (? Co.) last Thursday - Mike Egar. Three Sandhill Cranes were seen flying past Port Clinton on Saturday - Kathy Mock, Bob Segedi et al.. A Summer Tanager was reported for Metzger Marsh W.A. on Saturday - Jason Larson, while the Oak Openings birds had returned also on Saturday - Rob Harlan et al.. Metzger Marsh also had a Yellow-headed Blackbird on Saturday - Matt Victoria.

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