Ohio
|
Birding News
|
I got back into town yesterday to discover my email for the past week corrupted. If there were any bird notes among the 31 messages, obviously I won't be repeating them here. - V.W.F.III
I have heard about the Western Kingbird just north of the reservoir at Killdeer Plains W.A. Documentations are already in hand from Gene Stauffer and Bob Conlon. I take it that the bird was first found the 27th and seen at least through Tuesday - Jason Larson. Some observers have been present 2.5 hours before discovering the bird. It apparently keeps to a section of County/Township 71 immediately west of Rt 67. This is just a couple of miles west of the "owl pines" frequented by birders in winter.
I have received written documentation of a flyby Least Tern at Metzger Marsh W.A. for 16 June - Phil Harner.
Elsewhere: Tom Bartlett was able to confirm breeding of Short-eared Owls in Seneca County with the discovered of a just fledged young at Fireside. On Sunday, a breeding pl. male Ruddy Duck was lingering at Grand Lake St. Mary's - Dave Dister. The total number of Dickcissel and Grasshopper Sparrow terr. for the 2 square miles at Big Island W.A. along Rt 95 were 47 and 56 respectively last week. The Cerulean Warbler census in the southeast has been an adventure with the recent severe weather. Another surprise working the back woods was perhaps Ohio's furthest south territorial Least Flycatcher singing along Mackeltree Rd immediately south of Shawnee State Park (Scioto Co.). through Sunday. Northern Parula started an incursion into new breeding areas within Ohio as the Atlas was winding down so while no Scioto County records were made during the 80's it is no surprise that 3 terr. were located along Pond Run (Pond Lick Rd) just south of Shawnee State Park. I have received documentation of what may be the first nesting of Red-breasted Nuthatch in southeast Ohio. Frank Renfrow found the birds 12 June in the campground at Hocking Hills State Park.
Greg Links set me straight with regard to Brown Creeper nesting in NW Ohio indicating that it is a rare but regular summer resident within the Oak Openings going back at least to 1991 (The Ohio Cardinal 4: 17). I further note TOC records for Seneca County (1992) and Wyandot Co. (1993). The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas only recorded 3 sightings of Brown Creeper during its six years (1982-87) for all of NW Ohio.Tue. 23 June 1998
Pond 27 East at Killdeer Plains W.A. had dried up and was quickly turning to grassland but recent rains have given a new lease on shorebird habitat. Despite being mid-season, I was hopeful of finding a migrant shorebird today. Of mid-summer Dunlin, Peterjohn 1989 states they "may appear anytime between mid-June and mid-August . . . The only inland summer Dunlins have been reported from Lake St. Mary's". To that record, I can add an immaculate alternate plumage individual at Killdeer Plains today. Four Lesser Yellowlegs were also present. Of greater note at Killdeer Plains was the recent report of a Short-eared Owl seen near the Headquarters and maintenance bldg. around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. - Roxanne Rinehart. These persistent sightings in appropriate breeding habitat in recent years coupled with the confirmed breeding at "The Wilds" the past two years are suggestive of a viable population for Ohio. Something not concluded by the Breeding Bird Atlas project of the 1980's. As such you will not see the Division of Wildlife list the species so much as a species of special interest let alone threatened despite it's rarity. Wherever possible birders should follow-up on these sightings and report the information Jim McCormac at O.D.N.R., Div. of Nat. Areas & Preserves.
Today I was able to confirm a 3rd pair of Upland Sandpipers at Big Island W.A., these birds on the N side of Rt 95. Terr. display persisted for the 4 hrs I was in the vicinity. The transect covering the 2 mile length of Rt 95 on the N side of the road also revealed 29 terr. of Grasshopper Sparrow, 20 Singing Dickcissels, 12 Bobolinks, an immature Northern Harrier, and 1 Sedge Wren among others. The marsh impoundments along LaRue Prospect Rd held young Pied-billed Grebes and American Coot as reported earlier by Mike Williams on 11 June. Today an Alder Flycatcher sang from the same perch as back in May when I put it down as a late migrant but now apparently holding territory. There was only one territorial bird recorded in the 6 years of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas found further south and west; an individual in Champaign County.
This Sunday, the Kelleys Island census, was once again an eye-opener. I hope to have the list of 61 species linked shortly but highlights include Least Flycatcher (known previously as a summer bird on K.I.), curiously late Magnolia and Wilson's Warbler (both singing), and 44 singing American Redstart speak to the high density that this species enjoys on the island. Caspian Tern may becoming more frequent early summer visitors to the Western Basin as two adults skirted the shoreline at Marblehead while we were waiting for the ferry. Overhead what to make of 4 Blue Jays staging then heading out over the lake for K.I.; late migrants, daily foraging run? Another very late migrant was a singing White-throated Sparrow last Friday at Springville Marsh S.N.P. - Tom Bartlett.
In the late migrant/possible breeder category was a 14 June Olive-sided Flycatcher along SR 700 at the first stream crossing north of Hankee Road west of Garretsville [Delorme p. 42 quadrangle B2] - Larry Rosche. An adult male Evening Grosbeak was found 16 June along the Grand River in Perry Township, Lake County Ohio. The bird was found northwest of the Blair Road bridge. - John Pogacnik. Mark Kershner and Jeff Grabmeier reports a Summer Tanager 16 June carrying food at Highbanks Metropark ; a confirmed nesting record for Delaware County - see OBBAcodes. During the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas no confirmed SUTA nesting was recorded for the NW quarter of the state. Jeff further reports on Lake La Su An W.A. of Williams Co. in the far NW. including singing Kentucky Warbler and a likely nesting pair of Brown Creepers. The latter would be one of few (a first?) records for NW Ohio should it be confirmed.
Western Meadowlark have been scarce this year so a Breeding Bird Survey bird in the southwest 14 June is noteworthy. The stop was on Yellow Springs-Fairfield Road, northwest of Yellow Springs which is in Greene County. There is a small cemetery just out of town on the south side of the road. I heard the bird on the south side of the road just west of the cemetery. - Doug Overacker. In response to my note regarding southerly Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Gary Gerrone reports 1-2 males singing along Lickskillet Rd. in Olive Township in Meigs County on 2-3, & 5 June.Thur. 4 June 1998
As you may have gathered, I am in summer mode and these pages will be updated no more than once a week. Less in June, as I will be travelling overseas tomorrow.
In 4 summers living on the prairie of southwest Oklahoma, and another summer in southern Manitoba, I came to really enjoy the close company of Upland Sandpipers and their plaintive sound on the wind. It has been a real joy to walk among them again in recent weeks at Big Island W.A. along Rt 95. Courtship flight continues right next to the parking area for those who could not venture farther afield. As of yesterday, 4 Dickcissel added to the chorus. But not for long. The 1 million dollar wetland improvements to Big Island W.A. begin in earnest in 3 weeks. Just yesterday the mowing of weeds and spraying had started. If you still want a chance to walk among Grasshopper Sparrows (as opposed to merely listening to one from the side of the road) you better hurry.
Has anyone tallied up the price prairie avifauna pay for prairie restoration in Ohio? In the above instance it will be 1-2% of the breeding population of a state threatened species.
The Cerulean Warbler is a candidate species for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. My recent forays into Vinton and Athens counties are preliminary. Based on sightings of 64 birds in 4 days, the greatest density occurs on ridge tops dominated by white oak with not less than a 50ft canopy.
Inevitably other sightings of interest are made. In the Hocking Hills Tuesday, I came across a field with 8 singing Henslow's Sparrows. Check the Delorme Map, page 69, quadrangle D5, Good Hope Twp., the white space with the D in "Good Hope". Just to the north along Beck Rd, a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak match the known southern limit of the species, however another singing male along the Vinton/Athens county line is well south of known breeding limits in the east. Take the ridge trail in the Waterloo Wildlife Experimental Station. Not far away where Hewett Fork road crosses a stream leading to Minkers Run (York Twp., Athens Co.), a Least Flycatcher was singing yesterday from a willow lined beaver dam. Apart from my atlas record of a territorial bird in Muskingum county, all other atlas records of Least Flycatcher from the unglaciated portion of the state were just single sightings. Just to the south is Waterloo State Forest, a lovely pine forest established in 1916 harboring 12-15 Pine Warbler territories any given year. Flighted young were being fed by parents a week ago. Once again 2 Black-throated Green Warbler territories were established although I have yet to confirm breeding for this county. Over in Vinton county, a Canada Warbler was singing from another old pine stand along Tedroe Run (just N of Rt 50) in Knox Twp. And lastly a late migrant Blackpoll Warbler was singing from Canaan Twp., Athens Co. last Friday. - V.W.F.III
Breeding records elsewhere: Jim Heflich et al. were pretty sure they had a fledgling Henslow's Sparrow in Ashtabula County on Sunday. This is 16 days prior to the earliest date listed by the Ohio Atlas (Peterjohn and Rice 1991). But then this has been the season for early nestings. Over at Hinckley Metropark (Medina County), a Golden-crowned Kinglet fledgling capable of short bursts of flight was being fed by parents last Friday - Norman Kotesevic. After last years 1st success in 30 years, another Short-eared Owl nest (w/5 young) was discovered by Prof. Ingold and associates at "The Wilds". Unfortunately, I have not been able to follow-up on our pair in Seneca Co. in the past 2 weeks. I think it likely they have young in a nest.