Birding News Around Ohio: Spring 2001

A SHINY COWBIRD was discovered yesterday within an off-limits portion of the Ottawa N.W.R. during a routine survey - Matt Anderson, Greg Links, Eric Durbin, and Elliot Tramer. This is a first state record and very likely a first for the Great Lakes. As to the possibility of encountering this bird, better hope for some chilly weather to drive it to a nearby feeder. Not entirely wishful thinking as this scenario annually produces a Yellow-headed Blackbird at an area feeder.

A flock of FIVE Glossy Ibis was found at Pipe Creek W.A. in Erie Co. yesterday morning on an outing by Firelands Audubon Society. Pipe Creek is the small wildlife area at the base of the Cedar Point causeway in Sandusky. Pay heed to the sign indicating Common Tern nesting areas. These are likely not the only ibis in the Western Basin so do look elsewhere. At least ONE of these ibis was still present to 3:20 pm this afternoon - V.W.F.III.

A Kirtland's Warbler was discovered yesterday in Paulding Co. by Doug & Micki Dunakin. This is their SECOND yard record for the species. It was relocated and videotaped this morning. John Yochum has posted some stills from the video he shot this morning.

A Little Blue Heron was reported from Gilmore Ponds (Butler Co.) this morning - Sharon Pawlowski.

Recent Arrivals: A first-yr male Blue Grosbeak was discovered at Acton Lake (preble/Butler Cos.) - David Russell. Look in the mountain bike trail area above the campground. David also reports an early Willow Flycatcher today at Spring Valley W.A. (Warren Co.) Elsewhere in the southwest, Miami-Whitewater wetlands has seen recent Dickcissel (Friday - Frank Frick) and Clay-colored Sparrow (Thursday - Steve Pelikan)

The female Ruff was seen at Ottawa N.W.R. yesterday - m.obs.

The Ohio Bird Banding Association is the latest addition to the Aves.Net family of websites.

The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Reeve (female Ruff) was present through yesterday afternoon. This bird is conveniently located on the entrance drive to Ottawa right off Rt. 2. Just go 100 yards off the highway along the entrance road. Scan the mudflat for long-legged waders. The bird is generally available for study for prolonged periods of time at 25 yards or less. Here is an image taken yesterday by Art Osborn. Copyright 2001.

A Little Blue Heron was reported from Hueston Woods State Park (Preble/Butler Cos.) yesterday - David Russell and Jill Fentz.

Migration, as everyone knows, has been especially advanced this spring. In recent days, the appearance of Cape May, Blackpoll, and Wilson's Warblers, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and both cuckoo species leave few of even the "late" migrants to arrive. I have yet to see a report of the later flycatchers; Alder, Willow, Olive-sided, and Yellow-bellied. It is quite possible that the peak weekend for warbler migration will take place this weekend rather than the following.

A Western Kingbird was a flyby at Headlands Beach State Park (Lake Co.) this morning - Larry Rosche et al.. It was heading westwards.

A Reeve (female Ruff) was viewed by independent observers from 3:00-7:00 pm this afternoon at the entrance to Ottawa N.W.R. It was along the east side of the entrance road about 100 yards north of Rt. 2 - Marjorie Baughman, Keith Johnson, Paula Lozano, Bob Finkelstein.

A Clay-colored Sparrow was found in a Parma backyard yesterday - Craig Rieker. The Medusa Marsh Eurasian Wigeon was still present yesterday but I failed to locate it today. A Stilt Sandpiper was found Saturday at Big Island W.A. along La Rue-Prospect Rd. It was still there Monday - V.W.F.III & Brian Barchus. I also found a King Rail at Springville Marsh SNP on Sunday. It was calling again yesterday morning.

Over the weekend, Jared Mizanin had another "Lawrence's" Warbler in Brecksville. The Magee Marsh Bird Trail has been active for warblers since last Friday. Monday really picked up with great variety through today - with 2 dozen confirmed species. The next few days should continue to be very interesting on this front. Shorebirds too made some moves recently with widespread arrivals of Least Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitcher. Three Semipalmated Plovers were among a few shorebirds at Sheldon Marsh SNP - V.W.F.III

In a failed attempt to locate the adult Little Blue Heron at Magee Marsh W.A. today, Zac Baker and Brian Barchus managed to locate and photograph an immature bird along the causeway. Another Little Blue Heron was discovered yesterday at Englewood Metropark - fide Dayton RBA. The Ottawa N.W.R. Glossy Ibis was still present this morning - H. DiCarlo.

Threatening to become a trend, another Glossy Ibis was discovered. This one appeared at Ottawa N.W.R. this afternoon (1:30) - Sue Ross and Kathy Noblet.

The adult Little Blue Heron was still present yesterday at the northern end of the causeway through Magee Marsh W.A. - Charles Owens.

There are hybrids and then there are hybrids. There are any number of hybrids that appear in Ohio. Some such as the Mallard X American Black Duck are fairly frequent. But none match the allure of the Golden-winged X Blue-winged Warbler hybrids; Lawrence's and Brewster's Warblers. So great is the attention paid to these benamed hybrids that editors still save space in their checklists for them. And on hotlines the rarer of the two, the Lawrence's, can cause quite a stir among birders. Don't call them just hybrids. They are afterall Warblers.

Below are two images of a male "Lawrence's Warbler" at the Shaker Lakes (eastern Cuyahoga Co.) on Monday; rarely seen, and very rarely photographed. Discovered by Deborah Landefeld and subsequently seen by m.obs.

Photos by Laura Gooch. Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.

The Medusa Marsh Eurasian Wigeon continues through this evening - m.obs.

A flock of 6 Marbled Godwits was observed from 4:45-5:15 p.m. today from the old Cedar Point causeway at the western end of Sheldon Marsh SNP (Erie Co.) - V.W.F.III.

A Glossy Ibis was discovered at Grand River W.A. today - John Pogacnik. Another Plegadis ibis was observed as a flyby at Mallard Club Marsh W.A. (Lucas Co.) today - Greg Links et al.. This makes three dark ibis in Ohio in the past 10 days well before the normal (albeit seldom) spring occurrence in May. Ohio observers should read the Ontario listserv (linked above). There apparently is a major incursion of Glossy Ibis reported into upstate New York and into Quebec and easternmost Ontario. We could be in for quite a show.

The Killdeer Plains W.A. Greater White-fronted Goose was relocated yesterday evening by Debbie Schuster. It remains in the company of a couple of Canada Geese (as before) in the exact same location as before(along the south side of CH68 opposite Pond 27).

Another big shorebird has made its presence felt in recent days. An American Avocet was a brief occupant this morning of the same impoundment that has been home to the Eurasian Wigeon - Ann Voight et al. Four birds dropped down over East Fork S.P. today - Wanda and Ronald Apgar. These sightings come after Larry Rosche's remarkable experience of Friday at Headlands Beach S.P. There he observed a flock of 18 birds fly in off the lake only to alight short of the beach on the water. There they remained for almost an hour before lifting off and going on their way.

The Western Basin experienced a significant landbird fallout while the Central Basin suffered under the Lake Erie chill. Read Greg Links account of the day under the heading of Northwest Ohio (link at left). I have reports of the following herons along the Crane Creek causeway through Magee Marsh W.A. today. Green, Great Blue, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets (the three egrets viewable simultaneously), and an adult Little Blue Heron. Another Cattle Egret was seen from the observation deck at Pickerel Creek W.A. - V.W.F.III.

The Marbled Godwit discovered yesterday (Brian Zweibel) at the fisherman's access to Toussaint W.A. (off Rt. 19) was relocated this afternoon a short distance away to the west at the Lemon Rd. bridge over Turtle Creek - Brian Barchus.

An addenda to the Lincoln's Sparrow file

The Sandhill Cranes of Sandy Ridge Metropark, Lorain Co. 5 April



Photo courtesy Paula Lozano: Copyright 2001.

The Medusa Marsh Eurasian Wigeon was still present yesterday - m.obs. This is perhaps the most readily viewable Eurasian Wigeon in recent memory. Simply drive along Barrett Rd. (between Bay View and Sandusky just off Rt. 2) until you see the main open pool holding many wigeon and coot. The bird has been as near as 40 yards and is easily picked out from the much reduced gathering of waterfowl.

A Black Tern was widely observed throughout the afternoon yesterday as it foraged among 40+ Purple Martins at the end of the causeway at Magee Marsh W.A. - Ben Morrison, Brian Zweibel, Gerry Klug, m.obs. This matches the previous early spring date for Ohio (recently surpassed - see below).

The Ohio Avian Ecology and Conservation Conference will be held 3 August 2001 in Columbus. Conference highlights, program, and registration form, are now downloadable from this site. Presently only MS Word.doc format is available.

The Medusa Marsh Eurasian Wigeon was still present as of 11:00 this morning - V.W.F.II

Here is the bird as it appeared in John' Pogacnik's scope yesterday.

After the tantalizing report from earlier in the week from Wayne Co., comes another equally intriguing though all-too-brief sighting of a Eurasian Collared Dove. The bird was seen along Krause Rd. this morning by Greg Links. Confirmation of this wouldbe first state record is desired.

The Glossy Ibis at Killdeer Plains W.A. was relocated yesterday by Randel Rogers and independently reported by Kim Fredritz. The bird remains in the temporary wetland at the southeast corner of TH108 and CH 71 along the northern border of the wildlife area.

A Eurasian Wigeon was widely viewed this morning at the main pool (Barrett Rd.) of Nielsen's Marsh (part of the Medusa Marsh complex) by members of Firelands Audubon Society - Carol Andres. If you happen by there look for the immature Snowy Egret present yesterday evening - V.W.F.III

I am looking for confirmation of a Bewick's Wren discovered today at Metzger Marsh W.A. - Al Menk.

The Acton Lake (Preble Co.) Laughing Gull remained on the beach yesterday - David Russell.

The Lake Logan Yellow-crowned Night-Heron returned by Monday - Dennis Profant. It was seen again this morning - Jim Fry. The Bexley (Columbus) birds returned to that nest site the previous week - fide Bill Whan.

Wednesday saw a great many birders searching the Big Island/Killdeer Plains W.A. complex for the various rarities reporte this past week. Only the previously reported female Ruff was briefly located along Washburn Rd. in the early morning - Greg Links. The Greater White-fronted Goose first found Monday by Zac Baker was seen by many on Wednesday. Shorebirds on the day were not nearly as wonderous as the previous day but 1500+ American Golden-Plover (Bruce Glick & myself) and 1300 Pectoral Sandpipers (Greg Links, Greg Miller, and myself) were still noteworthy. Several Solitary Sandpipers were located; one each at Big Island W.A. and Killdeer Plains W.A. - Jim McCormac, and another to the southwest of BI along Hog Pike Rd. The maximum count of the Lapland Longspur along Washburn Rd. Wed. was 500 courtesy a Peregrine Falcon coursing through the area getting the flock up out of the fields - V.W.F.III. I counted the BI flock of American Coot with only 2900 birds remaining.

News of the rarities at Killdeer Plains W.A. brought added scrutiny to the place today. First among the prizes is a reported Chestnut-collared Longspur. Ohio has no documented record for the species. Peter Weber identified the bird along Washburn Rd. appx 2-3 tenths of a mile south of CH68 (the Marion-Wyandot border road along which the main pools of Pond 27 are located). This was at mid-afternoon today.

In this vicinity, in addition to the previously reported black Ruff, Bill Whan's party located a Reeve (a female Ruff). Bill also reports the Plegadis ibis near the jct of TH108 and CH71 - only 100 yards to the south this time. It was seen to fly to a distant off-limits pond.

Those above keep the lister's happy, but the historically significant fallout of American Golden-Plovers grabs my attention. Bill Whan's estimate in excess of 5000 birds is the largest such estimate for Ohio in a half-century (and about 2 weeks before any of the great flights have been previously been recorded). Bill's 2000 Pectoral Sandpipers is exceeded in the area only by the concentrations here in April of 1998 (see pertinent reference in above pull-down menu).

In a failed bid for the Glossy Ibis yesterday evening at Killdeer Plains W.A., Doreene Linzell, Dan Sanders, and Greg Miller were treated to a near full alternate black Ruff along Washburn Rd. Also along Washburn Rd. were 1000 Pectoral Sandpipers and 300 American Golden Plovers. To the west at Abraham Marsh (part of Killdeer Plains W.A.) they further discovered a Little Blue Heron.

Here is a photo essay documenting Ohio's earliest spring arrival of a Lincoln's Sparrow. Courtesy Paula Lozano.

For those of you birding the Funk Bottoms W.A. this week, be aware of a Collared/Ringed Turtle Dove in the area. Specifically, yesterday evening, battling fading light and a thunderstorm, Su Snyder briefly studied one of the latter. The bird was attending a feeder near the corner of Wilderness and Elyria Rds. Find the wood house with feeders in the back and the "target deer". The bird was seen to fly off. There have been a couple of recent records of the common escaped cage bird the Ringed Turtle-Dove. While at the same time, Ohioans have been on the edge of their binoculars awaiting the arrival of the exploding Eurasian Collared Dove population (having been recorded to three sides of us already (IN, KY, and PA).

I'm a big fan of Bob Royse's visits to Shawnee State Forest (Scioto Co.) - just love his list totals. Here's the whole thing from yesterday:

4 YB Sapsucker, ~8 E Phoebes, several each of both Kinglets, 100+ BG Gnatcatchers, 2 Brown Thrashers (near the Marina), 1 Yellow-Throated Vireo, 2 Blue-headed Vireo, 2 N Parula, 4 B-T Green Warbler, ~40 Yellow-throated Warbler, 3 Pine Warbler, 1 Cerulean Warbler 9 Black & White Warbler, 4 Ovenbird, 8 La. Waterthrush

The Cerulean Warbler apparently matches the earliest published record - that of a bird in Hamilton Co. in 1991 (Birds of Ohio 2nd ed. Peterjohn 2001).

A Glossy Ibis was observed at Killdeer Plains W.A. (Wyandot Co.) yesterday afternoon by Bill and Caryn Long. The bird was studied while it fed among puddle ducks in a wet field along the east side of TH 108 near the jct. of CH71 (this is The Pines road and puts the bird about half way between Pond 6 and Pond 3).

A Laughing Gull was discovered yesterday at the upper end of Acton Lake (Preble Co.) by Jim Hickey. The bird was still present in the evening - Jill Fentz and David Russell. Another Laughing Gull was reported yesterday on Lake Erie from North Perry - John Pogacnik. Both are described as adults.

Extreme weather = Extreme birds (a dozen major reporting stations across the state recorded record high temperatures - some by 4 degrees).

The past few days have seen a tremendous fall-out of sparrows across the south shore of Lake Erie. In the Western Basin it was Field Sparrows noted widely from Maumee Bay State Park to Sheldon Marsh SNP yesterday. In the Cleveland area, Bruce Wolf started things off with 100 Fox Sparrows and 500 Dark-eyed Juncos within the downtown Cleveland cemetery adjacent to the baseball stadium on Friday. They were noted as plentiful elsewhere along the Lake subsequently. Other Cleveland area sparrow concentrations included a remarkable 350+ Savannah Sparrows - Larry Rosche. Larry also reports numbers of Vesper Sparrows at Headlands Beach State Park while Mary Huey noted another concentration in nearby Willoughby. It is within that context that Paula Lozano clearly viewed a Lincoln's Sparrow this morning in her yard on Cleveland's westside. This is earlier than most accepted records for the state by about 5 days.

And then there is the matter of the Black Tern. After raking my good friend Lee Garling over the coals on this one, and obtaining some info on the second observer's (Jeff Abke) sighting, I am convinced their identification of a Black Tern Saturday flying past them on the hill at Maumee Bay State Park is accurate. Notations on the upper wing and rump as viewed as close as 20 yards also eliminate White-winged Tern. This is the earliest appearance in the state by 11 days. Oh and Michiganders - it was seen heading due north over the bay less than 10 minutes from the border.

And then there is the matter of territorial dominance. Never underestimate the power of testosterone to get males where they want to be prematurely. Yellow-throated Warblers, as noted previously, are in southern Ohio in numbers - well ahead of normal - but nothing compared to the bird found singing on breeding grounds in Brecksville Reservation (NE Ohio) yesterday - Dante Giancola. The occasional Marsh Wren may put in an appearance in Ohio by the first week of April - but what of 8 birds on territory last Thursday (and again yesterday) at Mallard Club Marsh W.A. in the Western Basin - V.W.F.III. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers even in 'early' springs may not enter the state noticeably until after the 10th. They were present along the south shore of Lake Erie from the Magee Marsh Bird Trail to Sheldon Marsh SNP in small numbers yesterday - m.obs. Cincinnati (the first point of Ohio migrants from the central flyway get to see) enjoyed several early arrivals in recent days.

Eastern Kingbird - at Miami Whitewater Wetland Saturday Jay Lehman
Warbling Vireo at Shawnee Lookout Park Saturday - Jason Cade
Blue-headed Vireo also at Shawnee the same day
Prothonotary Warbler - at Gilmore Ponds (Butler Co.) yesterday - Mike Busam and Bob Lacker
Bobolink - 5 April (8 birds) at Miami Whitewater Wetlands - Neil Cade

By contrast the north has not fared especially well with overflights. One exception a House Wren in Tiffin on the 6th - Tom Bartlett. Chimney Swifts, which had arrived over Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati on the 5th (Jason Cade) were seen as flybys yesterday along Lake Erie both in the Western Basin - Jeff McCoy et al. and the Central Basin - Larry Rosche.

More typical arrivals include a Cattle Egret and Upland Sandpiper at Miami Whitewater Wetland Sunday - Jay Lehman
Ron Kolde had two Broad-winged Hawks return to Pike Lake (Highland Co.) Saturday. Jay Lehman observed a kettle of 4 over Hamilton Co. the same day. Sharon Hanse noted a bird at Barnesville Park in east-central Ohio yesterday. A Pine Warbler was detected at North Perry yesterday - John Pogacnik while a bird was in song at the Shaker Lakes (Cuyahoga Co.) this morning - V.W.F.III. In the deep south (AKA Scioto County - the final frontier for sussing out early spring arrivals in the state), Cece Johnston yesterday reports SEVERAL Black-throated Green and Black-and-White Warblers, an Ovenbird, Northern Parula, and a Yellow-throated Vireo. The vireo is just two days off the remarkable Hocking County overflight of 1997. A Black-throated Green Warbler also reached central Ohio yesterday with a bird at Green Lawn Cemetery - Richard Cressman. Richard reports a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak there this morning.

The Findlay (Hancock Co.) Varied Thrush was still present yesterday - fide Bill Whan. Likewise the Grand Rapids Harlequin Duck was still present yesterday - Becky Cullen. Makes me wonder about the Apple Creek Harris's Sparrow - when was the last time anyone checked on that bird?

On Thursday an adult alternate plumage Laughing Gull was reported from Wauseon Reservoir for what must be a rare Fulton County record - John Yochum.

The Wayne County Red-throated Loon and Surf Scoters have not been seen since Wednesday - Su Snyder.

It was only on this date in 1997 we were discussing record high temperatures across Ohio. See the pertinent entry in the menu listing above. The remarkable flow of air from the deep south bringing record heat is expected (again like 1997) to persist for several days. Like that year, some remarkable overflights are anticipated. First among these is the appearance of a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Paulding County along the Maumee River on Tuesday - Micki Dunakin.

From 9am - 3pm yesterday I kept track of migration past the tower at Magee Marsh W.A. With the assistance of John Sawvel and Lee Garling throughout much of that time, I managed 65 species just from the tower - pretty good for the first week of April.

Hawks - quite poor but highlighted by 3 Ospreys (includes a bird off the beach seen by Gerry Klug).

Two species were noted in significant numbers for a passage migrant locally. In combination with the beach-side observer, the Black Swamp Bird Observatory sponsored survey detected 3000+ American Robin and 220+ Northern Flicker. This was my personal best flicker day in Ohio. Suprisingly just a single Lapland Longspur, although 150 were detected Wed. Interesting this latter flight was coincident with Joe Hammond's estimate of 3000 birds staging at Killdeer Plains W.A. along Washburn Rd. (Marion Co.).

Arrivals at Magee yesterday included Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chipping Sparrow, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow. I had a Purple Martin over the tower Wed. Northern Rough-winged Swallows were also reported from Cleveland yesterday - Bruce Wolf, and on likely breeding grounds near Cambridge (Guernsey Co.) - Jason Larson. Jason's Solitary Sandpiper at at Salt Fork State Park last Sunday is a good arrival date for the species. Yesterday Chipping Sparrows were reported from Paulding Co. - Doug & Micki Dunakin, the Huron River greenway - Brad Phillips and Tiffin - Zac Baker indicating a broad front migration for the species took place the previous night. Zac further notes a Savannah Sparrow from Fireside (NE Seneca Co.). This area of CRP grassland continues to host Rough-legged Hawks (3) and Short-eared Owls (7) as of yesterday. A Savannah Sparrow had been first noted in the southwest (Miami Whitewater wetlands) last Sunday - Scott Reeves.

Tuesday along the Cleveland Lakefront, Paula Lozano noted 122 Great Black-backed Gulls, 360 Double-crested Cormorant, and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (on the river as seen from Merwin St.). Also along the lakefront Tuesday Sean Zadar detected a Louisiana Waterthrush. The day before Mark Shieldcastle had detected the Lake's first Lousiana near Turtle Creek W.A. By Thursday Louisiana Waterthrushes were established in the deep south (Scioto Co.) - Cece Johnston. Cece also recorded 7 Yellow-throated Warblers - a good number for the first week of April. Sean had a Barn Swallow today from the lakefront. Lee Garling had one from the Magee Marsh beach Thursday. Chimney Swifts were new arrivals in southwestern Ohio (Clermont Co.) yesterday - Donald Morse.

Alice and Tim Farren located the season's first Snowy Egret yesterday along the entrance road to Ottawa N.W.R. Later confirmed independently by Adam Blank. Monday, Gene Anderson had 7 Caspian Terns moving up Turtle Creek. That evening Dan Sanders and Greg Miller found two birds on the beach at Deer Creek W.A. in south-central Ohio. They have been subsequently reported across Ohio. Individual Forster's Terns were reported yesterday from Paulding County - Doug and Micki Dunakin and the Huron River flats - V.W.F.III. I further noted Bonaparte's Gulls were gathering in numbers at Pickerel Creek W.A. with 1200 there yesterday. Here is my assessment of current shorebird conditions in the Western Basin. Ducks remain abundant and varied along the south shore of Sandusky Bay. The American Wigeon count at Medusa marsh actually increased with 1100+ there yesterday - V.W.F.III. They were acompanied by 130 Green-winged teal, 300+ Gadwall, and 400 coot. The 3500 coot reported Tuesday at Big Island W.A. is an outstanding tally for the interior - Joe Hammond et al.

A Red-throated Loon discovered Saturday on the pond below the Pine Tree Barn north of Shreve (Wayne Co.) was still present this evening - Su Snyder. Access Lakeshore Dr. off Rt 226 SW of Wooster

A couple of winter rarities in the northwest persist through this past week. The Grand Rapids Harlequin Duck, a male now in near complete breeding finery, remains through last Thursday - Becky Cullen. The Findlay Varied Thrush having gone unreported for a month, apparently is still present as of yesterday - Betty Hardesty.

Greg Miller reports the discovery of a Greater White-fronted Goose at Pickerington Ponds yesterday. Beware a local look-a-like hybrid which is much larger than the real deal. A Snow Goose was present at Big Island W.A. Saturday - Doreene Linzell et al. Another was found in western Darke Co. the day before - Regina Schieltz. One female Surf Scoter remains at Hoover reservoir Sunday - Elizabeth Clingman. Last week's fallout in the Wayne Co. area did not extend to the west far as I only found one bird at Wellington Reservoir (Lorain Co.) on the 25th. A male Long-tailed Duck was on New London Reservoir (Huron Co.) the same morning.

Migration Progress: With the last three fronts bisecting Ohio at its midline over the past two weeks, the south has enjoyed a relatively normal progression of the spring migration while the north has only felt the chill of northerly winds off the lake. By late last week, the north was starting to fall a bit behind the average schedule for spring migration. Certainly hawk migration has fallen off and we're still awaiting the big vulture day. I will be disappointed if last Wednesday's 189 proved the season's best. Eastern Phoebes have been described as numerous in the Ohio River counties, reaching north to southern Holmes Co. on Saturday - Greg Miller. On the Lake, Zac Baker had one on the Magee Marsh Bird Trail the 25th. Blackbird flocks were looking at that day in the vicinity of Metzger Marsh W.A. A few Brewer's Blackbirds were detected along Howard Rd. and present the net day - Art Osborn. While over on Veler Rd. Lee Garling found two male Yellow-headed Blacbirds. The south has also been enjoying Pine Warblers for a while with reports from the Hocking Hills and Tar Hollow S.F. the past two days (Jenny Brumfield and Bob Royse). Bob detected this year's mega concentration of Lapland Longspur last Thursday at Killdeer Plains W.A. along Washburn Rd. estimating some 1000+. Surprising how consistent this event has become since the flock built to 1800 on 11 April 1996 and 1600 just to the south at Big Island W.A. in 1998. I was at Killdeer Plains the Sunday before scouting shorebird sites skipping Washburn Rd. However, in between snow squalls I found 160+ birds to the south of the reservoir near the egg farm. Last Tuesday another 170+ were on either side of Hancock 216 immediately SW of Lake Leconte outside of Fostoria. As to shorebirds in the north, the Western Basin estuaries have been looking good. Lake Erie is so low that even a NE seiche only covers up the Toussaint and Muddy Creek leaving at least some exposure along Turtle Creek and Little Portage. Little Portage came through on the 23rd with 5 Lesser and 15 Greater Yellowlegs. A few snipe were had at several locations including Magee Marsh W.A. and Pickerel Creek W.A. and noted in some numbers in central Ohio (27 at Bolton Field last Thur. - Gene Stauffer). A Pectoral Sandpiper was at Big Island W.A. on the 25th with small numbers (25) on the Little Portage last Wed. - V.W.F.III and 27 at Toussaint W.A. Sunday - Zac Baker.

We have not quite heard the last from the gulls as inland black-backs make the news. A Great Black-backed Gull made an appearance this past Sunday on La Due Reservoir in Geauga Co. - Duane Ferris and Tony Leukering. The previous Sunday I located an immaculate adult Lesser Black-backed Gull on Oberlin Reservoir - my first away from Lake Erie. Rocky River Park hosted a Glaucous Gull Sunday - Paula Lozano et al. A Laughing Gull visited Hoover Reservoir on the 25th and 26th - Jed Burtt / Bob Conlon.

Chipping Sparrows made a move late last week to central Ohio. As of Friday, the only spizella at the Tiffin feeder was an American Tree Sparrow. Greg Links reports Winter Wrens and Fox Sparrows finally along the Bird Trail at Magee - they were not there the day before. Paula Lozano's Merwin St. (in Cleveland) Black-crowned Night-Herons arrived a week ago and now number 30 at the traditional spring staging site. Great Egrets have been in the Western Basin for a couple of weeks and widespread in small numbers by the 23rd but it was not until Friday that I noticed flocks at Medusa Marsh (up to nine). The next day saw a bird at Killbuck Marsh W.A. (m.obs) growing to 5 this evening - Su Snyder . Jenny Brumfield turned up a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Clear Creek MP Sunday, and a Savannah Sparrow at Killdeer Plains W.A. along Washburn Rd. yesterday. The highlight at Killdeer Plains was the 16 Short-eared Owls.

Two Sandhill Cranes have appeared at Sandy Ridge MP (Lorain Co.) - still present yesterday - Sean Zadar. The appearance of Sora calling along the Magee Marsh Bird Trail the week before (23rd) all the more surprising. It was my first March bird in Ohio.The more expected Virginia Rail was noted by Jim McCormac and Bernard Master a couple of days later at Calamus Swamp in south-central Ohio. American Coot numbers at Magee Marsh W.A. Sunday reached 750 from the causeway - Zac Baker.

Arrivals:

Purple Martin Saturday at Killbuck Marsh W.A. (Wayne Co.) - Peter Gottschling
Barn Swallow Saturday at Killbuck Marsh W.A. - Su Snyder
Louisiana Waterthrush in the Hocking Hills 1 April - Dave Horn

Another? Ross's Goose has turned up at Buck Creek State Park (Clark Co.). Doug Overacker again found the bird - this time at the north end of the reservoir (access off Grant Rd.) yesterday morning.

The second Red-throated Loon of the season was discovered Saturday on Hoover Reservoir - Columbus Audubon. The bird was subsequently seen Sunday when it had been joined by 7 Surf Scoters - Joe Hammond et al. Robert Powell had discovered a bird on Cowan Lake (Clinton Co.) on the 11th. Two Great Egrets were also present over the weekend at Hoover Reservoir. Another at East Harbor State Park yesterday - John Pogacnik was the first report from the Western Basin (although a week behind an Ontario report). A Northern Shrike was found yesterday at Killbuck Marsh W.A. (Wayne Co.) on Cemetery Rd. (off Rt 226) along the railroad tracks.

The adult Laughing Gull remains at Caesar Creek State Park as of Sat. 17 March - Robert Powell. Gulls elsewhere included an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull on Kelleys Island yesterday - V.W.F.III. et al. I also had a 1st winter Thayer's Gull and 1st winter Iceland Gull at the Huron pier Saturday. Also Sat. Sean Zadar found 2 Glaucous, and one Thayer's Gull (adult) at the Gordon Park boat basin. Further west along the Cleveland lakefront he had a 1st winter Iceland Gull. At Headlands Beach State Sean reports another Glaucous Gull while Larry Rosche discovered a Little Gull there. The same day Lorain Harbor produced a Thayer's Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull - John Pogacnik. John also reports an interesting yellow-legged Herring Gull - see new gull page. The Sunday morning lakeshore flight of gulls off Lakeshore Park in Lake Co. produced 12 Glaucous, an Iceland, Thayer's, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls for John. If that is not enough John had recorded at Conneaut Harbor the day before 5 Glaucous, an Iceland, Thayer's, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Below is the leucistic Ring-billed Gull John had at Conneaut Harbor.

More rarities from last week. The Maumee River (Grand Rapids) Harlequin Duck, long forgotten by many, resurfaced last Wednesday and was reported through the 9th - Greg Links et al. Another Ross's Goose was found, an adult on Wellington Reservoir (Lorain Co.) on Saturday - Larry Richardson and photographed - V.W.F.III. It was a one-day wonder. The Apple Creek (Wayne Co.) Harris's Sparrow remained as of Friday the 9th - Heather Nagy and John Switzer. One did not have to be up by the Lake to enjoy a bit of gulling. Yesterday, Dan Sanders discovered a third-yr Lesser Black-backed Gull at Greenlawn Dam in Columbus.

A Mew Gull was discovered today at Headlands Beach State Park in Lake Co. by Lou Gardella and Larry Rosche. See photo below



Provided courtesy Lou Gardella. This excellent image shows off the fine bill structure as well as the darker mantle. Click on the image to select another example by Lou.

This find is the latest in a string of rare gulls from the northeastern corner of the state along Lake Erie's shoreline. Saturday saw appx. 7000 gulls including 200+ Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Iceland Gulls, 3 Thayer's Gulls, and 10 Glaucous Gulls. Perhaps more intriguing was a bird tentatively identified as a Yellow-legged Gull; discovered by Ray Hannikman and Larry Rosche. Another interesting bird is a probable "Nelson's Gull - m.obs. seen today (perhaps the same individual reported Saturday-Sunday as a leucistic Herring Gull). Several other peculiar plumages have been noted in recent days from elsewhere along the lakefront. Some of these are illustrated in a new gull page.

BTW, this all seemed to have started on the 4th when Larry Rosche and Ray Hannikman discovered TWO California Gulls at Fairport Harbor, Lake Co. See the above gull page for a possible third California Gull shot by John Pogacnik. Subsequently both a Franklin's Gull and a Laughing Gull appeared in the state. The latter discovered Saturday by John Rakestraw was still present at Caesar Creek State Park today - Scott Reeves

The Findlay Varied Thrush was still present Saturday the 24th - Bernard Master. The Holden Arboretum Townsend's Solitaire and Red Crossbills were a no show last Friday - Judie Gause - Holden Arboretum staff. My last report of the Apple Creek Harris's Sparrow is for last Tuesday - David and Sally Isacco. Four of the Greater White-fronted Geese at Funk Bottoms W.A. remained through Saturday - Su Snyder. Last week's Ross's Goose was not seen after the 20th - Scott Reeves.

A Ross's Goose was discovered yesterday by Doug Overacker in Old Reid Park just outside of Springfield (Clark Co.). This small park consists of several duck ponds and should afford excellent viewing of the species. Indeed, a Snow Goose is also present for comparison. The park is accessed off the road immediately below the dam at C.J.Brown Reservoir. Consult Delorme map page 66 quad A3. The bird was seen yesterday afternoon and this morning around 9:00 am - Randel Rogers.

The weekend was fruitful for all other Ohio rarities reported in recent weeks. After almost three weeks of silence, the Findlay Varied Thrush was reported still present at the feeder yesterday - Bill & Roxanne Rinehart. The Apple Creek (Wayne Co.) Harris's Sparrow was enjoyed by many over the weekend; reported yesterday by Dave St. John. Likewise the Holden Arboretum Townsend's Solitaire delighted many observers through yesterday - as cooperative as ever. The nearby Red Crossbills feeding in the Ponderosa Pine near the visitor center were also widely viewed over the weekend.

The Townsend's Solitaire remains content at Holden Arboretum.
Note the Northern Mockingbird at top.

A minor ID note: The greater coverts are broadly tipped ("frosted") white; clearly seen above. In the Golden guide these are depicted as orange. In the 3rd ed. of National Geographic Guide they are uniformly dark gray. - curious - V.W.F.III

Friday's tremendous warm front and associated SW'ly winds brought unequivocal spring migration to the region. Among the more unusual species, two flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese. Five birds set down on Cowan Lake in Clinton Co. last Thursday - Larry Gara but could not be relocated Friday. Saturday, several birds appeared in the northeast at Funk Bottoms W.A. (Wayne Co.) - Su Snyder et al. with that number growing to 10 this morning - V.W.F.III et al.

The Holden Arboretum Townsend's Solitaire was present through yesterday - Haans Petruschke. It remains a very approachable bird. Haans further reports the Red Crossbills can still be found in the pines near the visitor center. The Apple Creek (Wayne Co.) Harris's Sparrow was still present this morning - V.W.F.III.

Dan Sanders reports the Townsend's Solitaire still present yesterday at Holden Arboretum.

Courtesy Bob Royse, the pages depicting the 28 January gull bonanza have been expanded. Bob's photographic work adds a an interesting pale Herring Gull with a Thayer's like underwing.

The Clinton County Snowy Owl has received national press courtesy CNN

Here is that Indigo Bunting that has been visiting a feeder at the Cincinnati Nature Center. This digital camera shot was taken by Brett Gilmore (Environmental Educator) yesterday through his office window. This is the second year in a row for a wintering Indigo Bunting in Ohio; understandable during last year's warmth, less so this year. Follow the link at left to Ned Keller's webboard to catch up on the history of this year's sighting.

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

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