NOTES: see below
| 2nd State record for Ohio | Photo taken 1st day by V.W.Fazio III Copyright 1998.
NOTES: see below |
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At 10:26 I found an immature Northern Wheatear at the pulloff on RT 95 exactly 1 mile west of Rt 203 - this is about 4-5 miles west of Marion in Marion County.
I watched and photographed the bird for 20 minutes before heading back to Tiffin to get the word out. I will likely head back down in a few minutes.
The bird was initially within a ditch immediately east of a N-S running line of telephone poles you will find at this pulloff. You will also see a sign - NO vehicles beyond this point. As this was a parking lot before being smothered by earth moving equipment stopping here should be OK - The bird was last seen sitting atop the dike immediately west of the telephone line. All observations within 50 yards of this parking area. Indeed I was still in the car when I first spotted the bird.
Watch for a chunky, phoebe shaped bird. In flight it will flash that white rump and tail feathers but the flights it was taking were so brief that this was not as striking a feature as you might guess. Upon alighting it would pump its tail downward but eventually would came to a point where there was no tail pumping. There are plenty of pipits, Horned Larks, and lapland Longspurs around to sort through but not of these birds were any where near the wheater which would hunker down when a lark would fly over. Normally though held itself erect like a pipit. The eye-line, buffy eyebrow stripe, and black mask are clearly evident. - V.W.F.III
This afternoon I returned to locate the Northern Wheatear at Big Island W.A. As Bob Conlon posted earlier together with Gina Buckey we found the bird south of the original location across the railroad tracks on another portion of the wildlife area. From 3:00 to 3:25 the bird went undetected then reappeared atop the red valve to a water control unit, just as Dan Sanders along with Dick & Jean Hoffman were walking up. Over the next hour we merely stood in place as the bird tried out various young poplars lining a nearby agricultural ditch. Always choosing the top most perch. Another birder whose name escapes me provided nice scope views with a Meade reflecting telescope. We last saw the bird heading out to the west at 4:18 pm. All this area has recently undergone major earth moving with miles of dikes which are mostly unvegetated. They are favored by longspurs, Horned Larks, and pipits. While the bird was not directly assoiciated with these species it did occasionally settle on the dikes and possibly was foraging there. Tomorrow is looking bleak weather wise by all accounts. But I will have another look for it on Wed.
It will take awhile to process the slides but I will try to have some shots on the website as soon as possible. I have been reading various European field guides and Birds of the Western Palearctic. There seems little distinction between non-breeding adult female and a 1st winter bird. However, the prominent pale tertials, buffy eye-brow stripe, suggest immature, while the hint of a mask is stronger than BOWP suggests for a female. - V.W.F.III
I was back at areas D&F of Big Island W.A.on the north side of Rt 95 to make up for the transect I interrupted because of this bird last week. I did not start until 8:40 due to a check of Pond 27 at Killdeer Plains W.A. (no white-fronts but snows, plus Least Sandpiper, 17 Dunlin, 6 snipe, and a Greater Yellowlegs). By 9:15 I had looped around the back side of the basin dugout just west of the parking lot referred to in previous posts. There I met up with Jason Friggins and Scott Albaugh (the latter of Say's Phoebe fame). While taking in some close ups of American Pipit, Jason asked "Is that the bird?" referring to a bird perched on a drainpipe entering the basin not 20 ft away. Indeed it was. It moved to the lip of the basin toward the highway. As I was aware of birders on the south side of the tracks I went over to give them a shout. About that time while Scott and Jason had scope views of the bird, the WildOhio film crew pulls in driving right up to and parking next to the bird. The bird proved especially skittish thereafter allowing the others several quick viewings.
The prescence of this bird at this location does not suprise me and I have been encouraging birders to check both sides of the roadway. A gameplan I would suggest is to start north of RT 95, work the diked basins just west of the parking lot. If there is pipit/lark activity I would take my time to carefully examine the terrain with binoculars and not assume the bird will flush right in front of me. The bird is the color of dry dirt so blends in exceedingly well here. After I have worked the north to some satisfaction, I would cross to the tracks on the south side. From the tracks a scope scan of potential perches (tree tops, red water control valves) might save you a walk. Otherwise head immediately east, yes east. The brush-hogged track will lead to a willow thicket with another track heading southwest. Take this back toward the bird's southern haunts, first coming across the brush pile upon which it has occasionally sat. Only now you won't have the sun in your face. Work your way past the brush pile around to the bridge crossing the ditch. Scan the dike to the south and the dirt road to the northwest. - V.W.F.III
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