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Killdeer Plains - Big Island IBA Complex, 15 Dec. 04 OH |
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On Wed. 15 Dec. I completed a roadside winter raptor survey of the Killdeer Plains - Big Island IBA complex. This Audubon Important Bird Area extends from appx. 3 miles N of Killdeer Plains to 3 miles S of the Scioto River portion of Big Island. It is bounded roughly by Rt. 37 to the W and extends 2 miles east of Rt 203 (and to the eastern boundary of Killdeer Plains W.A.). This was done partly to explore a viable route for a one-day census from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. However, in this particular instance I was constrained to a 6.5 hr schedule over the period 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The results, and a few images taken on the day will appear at a later date on my website. But as some incidental observations of possible interest to birders were made, I thought to share some highlights now. The wetlands were completely frozen and the day began with 2-3 inches of snow cover. A light SW wind became a stiff breeze by 11:00 am and strong enough to buffet the car by 3:00 pm. Otherwise, the conditions were good with clear blue skies predominating. There were few waterfowl on the move through the day. Around 11:00 am several flocks of geese began appearing from the SE and dropping down on one of the center ponds near the eagle nest visible from the KPWA headquarters bldg. One of these flocks proved to be of 11 Greater White-fronted Geese. At dusk I returned to KPWA for the possibility of Short-eared Owls (and saw NONE) only to observe at great altitude (2000ft or better) two large skeins of puddle ducks (everything I could make out was a Mallard) totalling 600 birds heading SSW. At 4:30, at my very last stop on my route, I found myself back at an old haunt, the Ground Hog Rd. control site for the Big Island W.A. bird survey of the late 90's. It remains largely the 2.5 square miles of agricultural fields it was then, but for an enormous couple of bldgs that are reminiscient of those of an egg farm. A collection of starlings topping 9000 birds covered the roof of one bldg. Across the road, 9 Tundra Swans resting in the middle of the field seemed out of place. Just S of the Headquarters Bldg 2 Eastern Meadowlarks were flushed. On the wetland caddy-corner to the horse barn/ sportman's center, a forlorn Double-crested Cormorant sat upon the ice. It's right wing was drooping severely and was likely broken. At dusk I passed by here and observed the bird roosting in a dead snag a few feet off the ground so while probably safe from a fox or a mink it may have been easy pickings for a Great Horned Owl. A total of 27 Ring-necked Pheasants were counted in just two fields at KPWA.. Blue Jays were conspicuous with 57 birds counted for the morning along the roads of Killdeer Plains W.A. Northern Flickers and woodpeckers were easy to come by; 14 flickers in the first couple of hrs at KPWA. The only mockingbird was seen at the eastern extreme of Killdeer Plains (just east of the Myer Woods County Nature Preserve; a recent addition to the Marion County park district). American Tree Sparrows were relatively scarce (around 130 tallied) while longspurs and Snow Buntings went missing altogether. About 9:30 I found myself passing THE cedar tree in front of the red barn that has for several years now hosted a number of Long-eared Owls. I had no intention of visting The Pines nor did I even consider getting out of the car. I only stopped to take in the damage this cedar has absorbed largely as a result of the AEP trimming (hacking) of a couple of years ago. As part of my regimen this day was to photo- document habitat status of the IBA, I framed the tree in my camera only to become aware of what appeared to be eyes staring right at me little more than 7 ft off the ground. In one of those reactionary moments one soon regrets, rather than zoom in, I laid down the camera and lifted the binoculars, the motion of which I have no doubt cause the bird to flush. Of course, with bins at the ready and the bird obligingly arcing wide around the barn heading for The Pines, I got quite the eyefull of a BARN OWL!. Fortunately, that's not the end of the story, as I would have really been kicking myself over the missed opportunity to document the bird. As mentioned above, I returned to KPWA at sunset and remained to cruise the roads for Short-eared Owls failing to locate any, but I was not to go owless. On my last pass before heading for Tiffin for the evening, I was heading N on T108 (just past that cormorant). It was 5:35 and light was fading fast, with just a warm glow to the WSW. If you know the area, you will recall a dead bifurcated snag, about 1/4 of a mile S of CH71 on the west side of the road. There plainly silhouetted was an owl ... a Short-eared ... until that is I focused in on the heart shaped faced. Yes it was the Barn Owl, or at least another Barn Owl ... could there really be more than one? Remarkably, the bird sat for 4 frames of the Sony camcorder stills before I noticed another silhouette, this one in flight, approaching. All at once the perched bird lifts off and I lose it below the horizon, and in a moment of uncommon lucidity I flipped on the Sony night vision attribute of the camera. Yes there were two Barn Owls, floating over the field in tandem before passing the tree line to the south. I expect to illustrate the raptor results on a web page as soon as I can. But for now I have placed the best image of the Barn Owl (mind you this is only a silhouette) on my birding page ... The raptor TOTALS for the IBA are as follows (refer to the website for county and property breakdowns, age and sex classes, and a comparison between CRP lands and State Wildlife Area raptor densities). Effort = 6.5 hrs and 84 miles. Bald Eagle - 5 Northern Harrier - 30 [NO ACCIPITERS] Red-tailed Hawk - 31 Rough-legged Hawk - 6 American Kestrel - 17 Merlin - 1 ... and oh yes, NO SHRIKES ... wouldn't want to spoil my personal observation rate of about 1 per 500 square miles of Ohio countryside:-) |
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cheers
Vic Fazio
Shaker Hts, OH
