Ohio Birds and Natural History |
Range Maps | Photodocumentation Library | Where to Find Birds | More Ohio Birding Websites

November 1997

On Nov. 27th Bernie Master reported a female or imm. Harlequin Duck off the Maxtown Road boat ramp area at Hoover Reservoir in Delaware County. The bird was last seen flying south toward the dam. - Columbus RBA.

An adult male King Eider was discovered by Ray Hannikman at Headlands Beach S.P. mid-week (fide Nick Barber). The Eared Grebe at Huron was still present on Wed. -Don Burton although I failed to locate it Thur. Don did relocate 15 of the White-winged Crossbills at Woodlawn Cemetary (Toledo) on the 26th. Exceedingly rare in the southwest a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow was observed closely at Spring Valley (south end) yesterday morning - John Rakestraw. This is also very late for the species. The first Snowy Owl report of the season comes from Findlay Reservoir where an individual was seen Thur. - Friday Gene Staufer, Arthur Osborn. Arthur went on to Killdeer Plains W.A. where he noted the usual Short-eared Owls and a not so usual Peregrine Falcon. The Maumee Bay S.P. Brant have gone unreported for the week nor was the Purple Sandpiper resighted. Common Redpolls continue there along with 70 Snow Bunting and about 15 Dunlin. Another 10 Dunlin remained at Lorain on Thur. - V.W.F.III. Black Scoters are being reported mid-week off Sims Park (Cleveland's east side). Straggling Sandhill Cranes include a flock of 50+ at Miami Whitewater Wetlands yesterday - Morris Sandvig. The Deer Creek W. A. flock had dwindled to 75 by Thursday - Columbus RBA.

A Red-necked Grebe was offshore at East Harbor S.P. this morning. Additional notes from East Harbor. Two Great Egrets and 125 Gadwall remain at Medusa Marsh - V.W. F.III. Over the weekend a Greater White-fronted Goose was reported from Veler Rd (off Rt2) at the west end of Ottawa N.W.R. A Long-eared Owl was located at marker 8 of the Magee Marsh Bird Trail - Toledo RBA.

After commenting on their relative scarcity, another Eared Grebe comes to light; a bird at Lorain on Saturday - Rob harlan. Rob failed to find any White-winged Crossbills at Lakewood Cemetary (Cleveland) that day although an Eastern Phoebe was of interest there. The Woodlawn Cemetary (Toledo) White-winged Crossbills, while requiring some effort, were relocated this morning by Dan Sanders and Bob Royse. Bob also reports an evening count of Sandhill Crane at Deer Creek yesterday of 123. In addition to the Brant Saturday at Maumee Bay S.P., Steve Richards, did well to locate a Purple Sandpiper, in the company of Dunlin, along the breakwall nearby. His count of Common Redpoll was slightly higher than previously reported at 37. Yet another Osprey lingers, a bird at Dillon Lake, near Zanesville, yesterday - Paul Haskins. The Hoffmans had a 2nd yr Lesser Black-backed Gull at the west end of Edgewater Park (Cleveland) on the 19th. The Horned Grebe concentration along the Cleveland Lakefront continues from last week with 422 noted by Rob Harlan the 22nd.

Dan Sanders and Don Burton report a Black-legged Kittiwake and an Oldsquaw from E.55th marina (Cleveland Lakefront) on the 19th. Dan also reports a Red-necked Grebe at C.J. Brown Reservoir on the 21st. The Deer Creek Sandhill Crane flock remains as of today and has grown to 150 birds. A pair of Greater Yellowlegs were also noted there. - Columbus RBA. In contrast to last fall, jaeger reports have been few and far between. Nick Barber had good views of a Pomarine Jaeger off Headlands Beach S.P. on Saturday. Nick also reports 2 male Oldsquaw and two adult Little Gull in the area. Decidely scarce this fall are Eared Grebe sightings although apparently one was at Headlands Beach last weekend and Jim Lesser found one today at the end of Huron pier. In addition to the Long-eared Owls, Killdeer Plains W.A. is now hosting at least 7 Short-eared Owls - John Rakestraw. The cooperative Brant at Maumee Bay S.P. continue as of yesterday - Bob Bell. Bob further reports 20 Common Redpoll , a Surf Scoter on one of the ponds, and 6 Winter Wren at Maumee Bay for what has been one of the better fall migrations of the latter species in the western basin in recent years. Now that Tom Bartlett has a regular census route on Kelly's Island, the pressure is ever greater to come up with a wayward rarity on those mystery isles. His first time out Saturday rates a solid B with the likes of adult Northern Goshawk, 458 Bufflehead, a White-winged Scoter, and 3 Red-throated Loons.

Sandhill Cranes were moving a few days ahead of their normal schedule with most sightings from the southwest; 73 at Spring Valley W..A. and 30 over C.J. Brown Reservoir last Sunday, and 50 over the Stillwater R. north of Dayton on Wed. - Dayton RBA. Another 64 crane were at Deer Creek W.A. on Tue. - Len Powlick. The injured Stilt Sandpiper was still present at C.J. Brown Res. last Sunday - Dayton RBA. Two Long-eared Owls (Dayton RBA) were noted at Killdeer Plains W.A. while 3 Tundra Swan were there on Pond 27 Thursday - V.W.F.III. Also Thursday along Sager Rd 1.5 miles east of Rt 37 (turn off 37 about 3 miles south of La Rue - about 15 minutes sw from Big Island W.A.) there were 125 Lapland Longspur in with 300+ Horned Lark. - V.W.F.III. Another report of White-winged Crossbills was encouraging news with a flock of 20 at Woodlawn Cemetary in Toledo on Thursday. As of last Tuesday the Brant remained at Maumee Bay S.P. while a Northern Skrike was observed the same day nearby at the junction of Cedar Point and Decant Rds. - Toledo RBA.

A late Brant report from the 11th at the marina of Geneva S.P. rounds out the small flight along the Lake from that weekend (Cleveland RBA).

Migration progress: White-winged Crossbills have been added to the winter finch list this season with two viewed at Lakewood Park Cemetary (Cleveland) yesterday - P. Lozano, B. Finkelstein. Harlequin Duck and Oldsquaw were again reported from Lakeshore M.P. (Lake Co.) from the 12th. Three Black Scoter were off Rocky River, and 38 Dunlin at Lorain Sunday. Additional sightings off the Cleveland RBA include a Peregrine Falcon flyby in Pleasant Valley, and a Snow Goose on Brookside in Independence yesterday. The Selasphorus hummingbird has not been seen since the 11th - Columbus RBA. Lingering in downtown Cleveland on the 13th were a Gray Catbird and a Swainson's Thrush - N. Barber. Another late migrant was the immature White-eyed Vireo near Bayshore (Lucas Co.) yesterday - J. Buecking, T.Kemp et al.. Jeff also had a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Vermillion and estimated 400 Horned Grebe along the lakefront from Edgewater Park (Cleveland) to Mentor Headlands. Another Osprey report comes from along Rt 33 adjacent to the Logan ponds (Hocking Co.) near the Rt 390 exit last Thursday - D. Miles.

Ed. Note: After perusing some records it appears the Hooded Merganser numbers from Rocky Fork Lake match the record for southern Ohio - 400 birds were at Rocky Fork 29 November 1991 S. Wagner. Only two other flocks have exceeded that number anywhere in Ohio - 420 and 610 at L. Rockwell 12 Nov. 1993 (C. Holt & L. Rosche) and 24 Nov 1995 (V. Weingart) respectively. The more I look at records like this the more it appears that certain waterfowl have a penchant for staging in Ohio at particular bodies of water. With respect to the Bufflehead tally, I know of no other report that approaches the 350 for an inland body of water in fall migration. - V.W.F.III

The two Brant remained through the weekend, resting and feeding on the narrow strip of grass between the parking lot and the public beach. They were approachable to within 25 ft from the car. There was a report from last Wed. that the American White Pelican (pictured to the left from the first day) near Bayview was dead by the road. A thorough search for any remains yesterday was negative. - V.W.F.III.

Two Great Egrets remain as of today at Medusa Marsh. - V.W.F.III. B. Bell found an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at Ottawa N.W.R. today. Freezing temps seem to have reduced shorebird numbers with J. Rakestraw only reporting 3 Dunlin and 33 Killdeer at Caesar Creek S.P. today. An adult White-winged Scoter at East Fork S.P. on the 12th (Cincinnati RBA) adds to the Southwests scoter records. Interesting records from Rocky Fork Lake on the 11th including a Great Egret, a Greater Yellowlegs, 5 Common Snipe, 40 Pectoral Sandpiper, 6 Black Vulture and a very late Blue-winged Teal - Cincinnati RBA. But I wonder if the observer(s) knew just how great a spectacle the 400 Hooded Mergansers and 350 Bufflehead were ; possibly both record counts for southern Ohio.

The Black-legged Kittiwake continues at Huron as of this morning - D. Chalfant. First seen on the 8th (T. Kemp), two Brant have been feeding on the grass at Maumee Bay S.P. through today (J. Lesser). Another Brant was at Ottawa N.W.R. over the weekend (fide T. Kemp), while the Gordon Park (Cleveland) bird was still present yesterday afternoon - J. Hoffman.

Migration Progress: News of a Turkey Vulture today in Seneca County is not too unexpected but the "few" Chimney Swifts over Heidelberg College in Tiffin last Friday were pushing the thermal envelope - D. Webb. M. England found a Red-throated Loon on Hoover Reservoir Monday just north of the Smothers Rd bridge. Black Scoter reports continue to come in with three off Perkins Beach (a consistent scoter spot immediately west of Edgewater Park on Cleveland's westside) - J. Hoffman. Also Tuesday the Hoffman's tallied 114 Dunlin at Lorain and confirmed the White-rumped Sandpiper first suspected there Monday. Tundra Swans are very much in the news as we approach the full moon. They have been noted the past three nights along the Lake including this evening over Tiffin (m.obs). Daytime counts include 54 yesterday over Lorain (J. Hoffman) and 50 today over Cleveland - N. Barber. A surprise for me this evening was the constant spizella call notes overhead - I can only guess that a flight of American Tree Sparrow was underway. From C.J. Brown Reservoir today C. Johnston reports Red-necked Grebe, Long-billed Dowitcher, 2 Semipalmated Plovers, and 30 Dunlin. In the southeast, Lake Logan held 250 Double-crested Cormorant today for a good tally there and several dowitchers were seen at Pickerington Ponds - D. Miles et al.. An Orange-crowned Warbler was noted Sunday on the east side of Oak Openings Park - Toledo RBA. From the Dayton RBA: a Palm Warbler was found at Englewood M.P. on the 7th. Fifty Snow Geese were seen there yesterday. In what has been a lacklustre season for the species, a late Osprey remained at C.J. Brown Res. on the 8th. Also last Sat. present were 2 Bald Eagle, 100 Ruddy Duck, 65 Dunlin, 10 Pectoral Sandpiper, 22 Common Snipe, and an injured Stilt Sandpiper. A Surf Scoter was at Caesar Creek Reservoir over the weekend.

Ed. Note: The mildness of the season may be but a distant memory in these recent days but I'd like to point out that for the Chimney Swift I know of no later record for northern Ohio than 3 November, while there is but two other November records of Semipalmated Plover that come to mind, an injured bird at Pleasant Hill through 3 November 1993 (John Herman et al.) and an individual at Conneaut through 14 November 1993 (John Pogacnik).

The Black-legged Kittiwake continues at Huron as of this afternoon - P. Munson. Pete also reports today a Red-necked Grebe at Huron and the Brant on the grass at Gordon Park (first noted yesterday by J. Heflich et al.). Jim's party also had an immature female White-winged Scoter behind the Muny Light Plant in Cleveland to add to this weekends scoter reports. In addition to seeing the Huron kittiwake yesterday, J. Buecking found a Black-bellied Plover among 125 Dunlin at Lorain.

Now's the time for peak Ruddy Duck rafts - last weeks report of 600 at Bresler Reservoir was a nice tally for the west. The vicinity also held 80 Horned Grebe at Metzger Reservoir, and a Snow Goose, 35 Dunlin, 5 Pectoral Sandpiper, and 2 Greater Yellowlegs at St. Mary's Fish Hatchery, all on the 1st - Dayton RBA. M. Busam had 10 Sandhill Cranes over Gilmore Ponds Sunday ; watch the skies between the 20-28th for the peak passage of this species, especially on blue skies after a cold front. Yet another scoter report comes from East Fork with a Black Scoter seen there yesterday by Joe Bens. Joe also tallied 60 Horned Grebe there.

A cooperative immature Black-legged Kittiwake was viewed by just about anyone taking the trip out to the end of the Huron pier Saturday . J. Lesser, P. Raver, E. Pierce et al.. The American White Pelican continues to prove elusive for some people but was seen by at least one observer on Saturday - J. Fowler. The Selasphorus hummingbird in Pataskala continues as of today.

A Black Scoter put in a brief appearance at the Dublin Rd quarry yesterday - Columbus RBA. A flock of 105 unidentifiable scoter were noted off the Cleveland lakefront yesterday while 2 Black Scoter, 1 White-winged Scoter, and 1 Surf Scoter off Lakeshore M.P. on the 5th - Cleveland RBA. If this keeps up we may be in for one of the better scoter falls of recent years. It is also proving to be a populous Horned Grebe autumn with 100 at Caesar Creek reservoir J. Rakestraw, and 200 off Lakeshore M.P. on the 5th. (Cleveland RBA), while an outstanding 250 were at Hoover Reservoir today - Columbus RBA. Other highlights at Hoover Reservoir today include 40 Northern Shoveler, 140 Redhead, and 10 Dunlin. Burton township reports 2 Peregrine Falcons on the 5th - Cleveland RBA. A Lesser Yellowlegs was seen at Springville Marsh today - T. Bartlett. Shorebirds at the west end of the Mosquito Lake causeway on the 3rd included 8 Greater Yellowlegs, 7 Dunlin, a Sanderling, and 5 Ruddy Turnstones - Youngstown RBA

The American White Pelican, in its 10th day, was again present within the pool immediately adjacent to Rt 2 at the Rt 269 South exit to Castalia/Bayview. I understand some have failed to find the bird looking some distance from this site. The bird is visible from Rt 2. The pool in question is best accessed from the Rt 269 overpass heading towards Bayview - no further than 50 yards pull in left at a fisherman's pulloff - Three times I have arrived to have the bird immediately in front of the car, always within a cloud of cormorant/gulls which possibly serve to herd fish. Remember on one occasion the pelican was within a pool directly across the bay at the other end of the bridge in Ottawa County. - V.W.F.III

Yesterday 49 Tundra Swan flew over Big Island W.A. headed east-southeast. American Tree Sparrows also had penetrated that far south. At the shallow pond behind the gray barn along LaRue Prospect at Big Island shorebirds included 2 Lesser and 8 Greater Yellowlegs, 5 Common Snipe, and 61 Dunlin. A Greater Scaup was at Killdeer Plains along with 115 Gadwall. Evening Grosbeaks are old news but I still got a thrill out of my first of the year passing over the house this morning in Tiffin - V.W.F.III

B. Bell reports 4 Greater White-fronted Geese in flight at Ottawa N.W.R. yesterday. Bufflehead had reached the Cincinnati area with one noted at Hamilton Riverside Natural Area yesterday - M. Busam.

The Selasphorus hummingbird remains at a Pataskala feeder as of yesterday - Columbus RBA

The American White Pelican had returned to the east side of the Sandusky Bay bridge this afternoon seen amidst a cormorant feeding frenzy within the sheltered pool immediately NW of the Rt 269 S / Rt 2 interchange. - V.W.F.III

An adult Little Gull was at Eastlake yesterday - L. Rosche fide J. Brumfield.

The persistent Sw'ly winds make for potentially interesting passerine birding on the lee side of such migrant traps as the Magee Marsh Bird Trail and Headlands Beach S.P. The songbird count for this morning from the Bird Trail and East Harbor S.P. involved fair numbers of usual stuff, only the White-eyed Vireo singing at East Harbor a bit out of the ordinary - V.W.F.III. That was outdone by the Blackpoll Warbler at Headlands Beach S.P. yesterday - J. Brumfield. The winds have also pushed Lake Erie away from the south shore revealing mudflats along several estuaries in the western basin. In Ottawa Co. 115 Dunlin took advantage of the new habitat while 2 Pectoral Sandpipers were at Old Woman Creek. - V.W.F.III. Inland 3 Pectoral Sandpipers were at Hebron Fish Hatchery the 28th Oct. - Columbus RBA. The 26th saw 7 each of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs at Mosquito Lake W.A. The same day Snow Bunting was noted along the SR88 causeway across Mosquito Lake. Bufflehead had been seen there by the 26th - Youngstown RBA. The grebe/loon fallout of Saturday included 60 Horned Grebe at Beaver Creek Reservoir for a good inland flock - T. Bartlett. I've not heard any reports so I'll mention the fact that American Tree Sparrows were evident in small numbers at many lakefront locations today with a flock of 15 at Turtle Creek WA the largest concentration - V.W.F.III.

If there was any doubt about what a difference a day makes on Lake Erie consider the loon numbers reported by Robert Royse et al. today. Where yesterday from Huron to Lorain I scanned for and remarked upon the lack of Common Loon, failing to locate a single bird, today Bob's group tallied 275 on the water in the same area. Further east toward Cleveland numbers increased with 500 off Rocky River for over 1100 on the day or about as many as I have ever heard of along the lake shore at one time. What is perplexing is the lack of any dramatic weather change to explain the difference ; with continuing Sw'ly winds, mild temps, and scattered showers, a forecast to persist through the weekend. In addition to the loons Bob gives the first report of a Greater Scaup this fall (off Huntington Beach), a concentration of 200 Horned Grebes mostly off Rocky River is significant in its own right, while the Lorain Dunlin flock fell to 366. Five Surf Scoter continue at Huron and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Avon Lake.

Misc: Evening Grosbeak had reached the Dayton area by 26 Oct. (Dayton RBA) and Sanderling were present at Caeser Creek S.P. 22-23 Oct. - B. Purcell. A Sora was heard at Miami Whitewater Wetlands on Thru. -N. Cade. Three Pectoral Sandpipers remain in the Loveland area - B. Foppe. Today there were 600 coot at Delaware W.A. and 5 Snow Geese at Killdeer Plains W.A. - V.W.F.III

to Ohio Birder Resources | Photodocumentation Library | Birds of Ohio | The O.W.L. | OBR Image Index