Notes From The Field

One of my new pet projects is to collect the Warbler photos I’ve taken over the years, delete the bad ones and store the average to above average ones in a new album on my Flickr page. The recent posting of my Prairie Warbler photos was the first in the hopes of getting decent shots to fill in the many blanks.

If you’re interested in my Warbler Album on Flickr, the link is below.

“Warbler Album”

So yesterday I decided to head off to a local park where Louisiana Waterthrush can be common in the Spring. The park has a trail that cuts through a gorge with a nice flowing stream which is perfect. It was pretty quiet as I approached the area where they’ve been spotted recently. I hear their familiar song first. Now the tough part, locating the bird.

It takes several minutes before I’m able to get on the bird, then move into position to snap off dozens of shots before settling on this one.

As I was about to leave for the day and head home I decided to check my local birding Facebook page to see what’s going on. Well it turns out Ellis Lake has a Wilson’s Phalarope and 2 Cattle Egrets. So off I go.

The birds in question weren’t either in the lake, they were in the agricultural field that was partially flooded from all the rain, and the fact that the area sits in a real low lying area that’s prone to floods. The park sits so low that bordering the park sits the ancient remains of the Miami-Erie Canal.

Well the cattle Egrets were pretty easy to tick off.

Now the Wilson’s Phalarope was another matter all together. From what I gathered from other birders was that an eagle flew overhead and scattered the flock of wading birds and moved them all further away and a little more difficult to observe. So trekking out into the muddy and through standing water i was able to get some terrible photos of a great bird.

Notes From The Field

I’ve been getting in a little morning birding this week while the weather’s been good and migration is still among us. I hit up a few of my regular spring time haunts hoping for some decent birds, and some photo opportunities. So I was off to Magrish Riverlands Preserve and Shawnee Lookout Park, both are great spots for migrant warblers.

Cerulean Warbler has always been a difficult bird for me to photograph, and this individual located at Shawnee Lookout allowed me at least one decent shot, even if it’s not that great.

Blue-winged Warbler also at Shawnee Lookout.

 And how could you resist getting a shot of this Summer Tanager.

This Tennessee Warbler was found at Magrish Preserve yesterday.

Also at Magrish was this male and female Red-eyed Viroes. As I watched the male was putting on courtship displays, which I’ve never seen before.

Notes From The Field

We all know that “Life” can certainly get in the way of some of our favorite past times, and I’m no exception. My first Grand Child was born and visiting with    him up in Michigan does cut into birding time. Then I was sick with Walking Pneumonia, which took several weeks to finally get over.

Our last child moved out of the house to Georgia and I had to help with that move. My wife and myself had some minor surgical procedures that cut into any birding time available. And when I did go birding it was usually up to Caesar Creek State Park to scan for ducks.

WHEW, I’m exhausted, and in  need of Spring.

So for the past week Pine Warblers have taken up residence at Mitchell Memorial Forest and with it being such a beautiful day I had to take off to check it out.

Pine Warblers are some of the first warblers that show up in the Spring. In the past I’ve had reasonable luck with locating them, but when they’re consistently in one location I’m all over it, especially since I don’t have any pictures of one.

After arriving it didn’t take long to locate one. All I had to do was listen for a song very similar to a Chipping Sparrow, but sweeter.

 Sometimes all we’re going to get is a shot like this, from below, however diagnostic of the species.

Then one of these little beauties flew in a small tree that was just beginning to flower about 20 feet away. Holy cow, how lucky can one get!

 

Morning at Shawnee Lookout

If only I could be awoken by the song of the Wood Thrush, then I think life itself would almost be perfect.

It’s song is soft, melodic, a woodland flute.

The Wood Thrush marks the beginning and the end of each day as it’s song never wavers.

With the return each spring these beautiful birds returns my soul and slows my pace as I wander in the forest.

With some birds, we work to remember their particular song…

but the Wood Thrush is forever in me.

Notes From The Field

Shawnee Lookout Forest and the Oxbow

There were frost warnings out for the Tri-state area as I made my way over to pick up Jon for some very early migrant birding. Both Shawnee Lookout and the Oxbow can be particularly good, so with the rising sun low on the horizon we set off in a westerly direction.

Shawnee Lookout was practically empty as we set off on a couple of trails, always listening and watching. As we walked we chatted about which early migrant might make an appearance today. One at the top of the list was the Hermit Thrush. The reclusive skulker of the undergrowth is usually heard before it’s seen.

So it came as no surprise that one of the birds we stumbled across, right next to the trail was a Hermit Thrush eating a worm.

If you look real close you can see the worm on the ground.

Yellow-rumped warblers were the dominate, and only warbler species seen at Shawnee Lookout. In a couple of weeks this place will be crawling with migrating warblers, but this day wasn’t meant to be. However the male Butter-butts were all dressed in their best breeding plumage, and really it’s only a matter of time before more show up.

So as we were leaving Shawnee Lookout a question arises. We all know what happens when the chicken crosses the road, but what about the Wild Turkey?

After a short stop at Lost Bridge to count the Pectoral Sandpipers and a couple American Pipits, we arrived at the Oxbow. And quite honestly I don’t know what impressed us the most, the sheer number of Double-creasted Cormorants (we estimated about 250) or the Bald Eagles, ( which we counted 18 of them).

This immature Bald Eagle landed real close to Jon and me with a fish, and proceeded to eat it. I tried to sneak up it and get a better photo, but he didn’t that too much and promptly left.

Nothing quite as pretty as a Bald Eagle against a blue sky.

At one time as we approached a line of trees that separates two fields we counted 12 individual Bald Eagles. It was quite a sight, but considering the distance a photo wouldn’t have done justice. However the bird of the day was yet to come.

As we continued driving along the dirt road that cuts through the Oxbow we notice small brown birds foraging along the edge. And one had white edges on the tail. I quickly pull over as we get our bins on the bird. Vesper Sparrow. Very good bird, especially for this part of Ohio.

Now you might be saying to yourself that this is a pretty common bird where I live, but in southern Ohio we have maybe a 2 week window where Vesper Sparrows can be seen before they move North. And this one cooperated.

That’s the thing with Jon and me, we love Sparrows, and for us this was a great bird.

We made one more stop in Lawrenceburg Indiana where we walked a bike trail hoping to pick up the same birds we saw there during the Christmas Bird Count.

It was a good day. Notable birds for the day include:

1. Black Vulture
2. Turkey Vulture
3. Bald Eagle
4. Red-tailed Hawk
5. American Kestrel
6. Wood Duck
7. Mallard
8. Northern Shoveler
9. Blue-winged Teal
10. American Coot
11. Pied-billed Grebe
12. Hooded Merganser
13. Great Blue Heron
14. Great Egret
15. Double-creasted Cormorant
16. Wild Turkey
17. Mourning Dove
18. Pileated Woodpecker
19. Red-bellied Woodpecker
20. Hairy Woodpecker
21. Downy Woodpecker
22. Northern Flicker
23. Blue Jay
24. Eastern Phoebe
25. American Crow
26. Tufted Titmouse
27. Northern Cardinal
28. Carolina Chickadee
29. Carolina Wren
30. Yellow-rumped Warbler
31. Yellow-throated Warbler
32. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
33. Golden-crowned Kinglet
34. White-breasted Nuthatch
35. Hermit Thrush
36. American Robin
37. Brown-headed Cowbird
38. European Starling
39. Common Grackle
40. Red-winged Blackbird
41. Eastern Towhee
42. White-crowned Sparrow
43. White-throated Sparrow
44. Song Sparrow
45. Vesper Sparow
46. Field Sparrow
47. Chipping Sparrow
48. House Finch
49. American Goldfinch
50. Canada Goose
51. American Pipit
52. Pectoral Sandpiper
53. Killdeer
54. Ring-billed Gull
55. Bonaparte’s Gull
56. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
57. Tree Swallow

Notes From The Field

I’ve neglected my blog lately…and I’m blaming work. Have you ever had one of those weeks where you come home after a super busy day at work and feel like just vegging out for the evening and go to bed early. That was me this week. And despite having a wonderful day birding with Jon last Saturday, I just couldn’t find the energy to sit down and write a blog post. Sorry everyone.

Like I said last Saturday Jon and myself hit the woods hard looking for migrants at some of our local hot spots. Shawnee Lookout Park, Lost Bridge, The Oxbow, Smith Tract, and Armleder Park.  It was a beautiful day and the birds on a whole were plentiful in some areas, however in others it wasn’t. Trying to find where the wading birds are can be a challenge, and last Saturday was no different as we tried several spots where we’ve seen them before, only to strike out every time.

Warblers were plentiful and as always another challenge for myself trying to get any kind of serviceable photograph. Our day list was pretty good, so instead of boring you with week old birding news I’ll just skip to the list of birds intermixed with some photos. You see I need to keep this blog post short because I still have to get ready for when I go to my favorite birding hotspot tomorrow, Boone County Cliffs.

Notable birds for the day include:

1. Bald Eagle
2. Ring-billed Gull
3. Double-creasted Cormorant
4. Bonaparte’s Gull
5. Cooper’s Hawk
6. Red-shouldered Hawk
7. Red-tailed Hawk
8. American Kestrel
9. Killdeer
10. Blue-winged Teal
11. Mallard
12. Northern Mockingbird
13. American Robin
14. Gray Catbird
15. Mourning Dove
16. Canada Geese
17. Tree Swallow
18. Chimney Swift
19. Barn Swallow
20. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
21. Northern Cardinal
22. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
23. Tufted Titmouose
24. Carolina Chickadee
25. Carolina Wren
26. House Wren
27. Wild Turkey
28. Wood Thrush
29. Northern Parula
30. Eastern Towhee
31. Eastern Goldfinch
32. Red-bellied Woodpecker
33. Pileated Woodpecker
34. Hairy Woodpecker
35. Northern Flicker
36. Prothonotary Warbler
37. Green Heron
38. Great Blue Heron
39. Song Sparrow
40. White-throated Sparrow
41. Wood Duck
42. Yellow-throated Warbler
43. Chipping Sparrow
44. Yellow-rumped Warbler
45. Eastern Phoebe
46. Blue-winged Warbler
47. White-eyed Vireo
48. Warbling Vireo
49. Red-eyed Vireo
50. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
51. Brown-headed Cowbird
52. European Starling
53. Red-winged Blackbird
54. American Crow
55. Yellow-throated Vireo
56. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
57. White-breasted Nuthatch
58. Black-throated Green Warbler
59. Field Sparrow
60. Orchard Oriole
61. Baltimore Oriole
62. Common Yellowthroat
63. Indigo Bunting
64. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
65. Turkey Vulture
66. Black Vulture
67. Common Grackle
68. Cerulean Warbler
69. Blue Jay
70. Louisiana Waterthrush
71. Prairie Warbler
72. American Redstart
73. Osprey
74. Hermit Thrush
75. Northern Shoveler
76. American Coot
77. Eastern Meadowlark
78. Wilson’s Snipe
79. Yellow Warbler
80. Eastern Kingbird