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Publication TYPE: Ohio-birds listserv posting
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2005 11:12:19 -0500
Subject: Metzger Marsh & environs 2 January

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FIELD NOTES
Winter 04-05

Metzger Marsh and Environs

As part of the Ottawa CBC Sunday, I surveyed that portion of the circle in Jerusalem Twp, involving Metzger Marsh, the communities of Reno and Howard Beach, Bono, west to Meinke marina, and Yondota Rd (Cedar Point NWR fisherman's access), south to Crane Creek and Williston. early morning fog lifted sufficiently for lake viewing at Metzger by 8:45 only to reveal an ice shelf as far as I could see. Through the day a SW breeze developed bringing first a drizzle at noon and rain by 1:30 pm.

This is my 11th such survey of the area ... despite above average diversity overall numbers of waterfowl, gulls, and songbirds were universally low.

Canada Goose - 1630
Snow Goose - 24
Tundra Swan - 39
Trumpeter Swan - 17
American Black Duck - 3
Mallard - 736
American Black Duck X Mallard - 1
Redhead - 9
Common Goldeneye - 27
Hooded Merganser - 3
Common Merganser - 97
Bald Eagle - 4
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 3
Rough-legged Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 6
Ring-billed Gull - 92
Herring Gull - 156
Great Black-backed Gull - 14
Mourning Dove - 29
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 17
Northern Flicker - 1
Blue Jay - 11
American Crow - 2
Horned Lark - 46
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 5
Brown Creeper - 3
Carolina Wren - 10
Winter Wren - 3
American Robin - 7
Northern Mockingbird - 1 (end of Yondota Rd.)
European Starling - 1308
Cedar Waxwing - 12
American Tree Sparrow - 78
Song Sparrow - 8
Swamp Sparrow - 1 
White-throated Sparrow - 1
Dark-eyed Junco - 12
Lapland Longspur - 90 (Howard Rd.)
Snow Bunting - 16
Red-winged Blackbird - 447
Rusy Blackbird - 47
Common Grackle - 5
Brown-headed Cowbird - 778
Northern Cardinal - 63
Purple Finch - 1
House Finch - 50
Pine Siskin - 2
American Goldfinch - 36
House Sparrow - 730

For future reference, the private pond near the end of Yondota Road, while a haven for wild waterfowl in mid-winter due to an aerator, has also become home to some ornamental species. Namely, the swans below, the Mute Swans, present since 2003, now keep company with a pair of Trumpeter Swans. These birds do not behave as wild individuals and are best left off any CBC census. Harder to call was the Snow Goose seen here foraging between the Trumpeters. Erring on the side of caution, this bird was not added to the day's tally.