Not a good day

Yesterday was a very promising day. Great weather and several hotspot stops planned, all around Shreve. I was planning to hit up Killbuck-Wright Marsh, Killbuck-Cemetery Road, Funk Bottoms and Wilderness Road. Since it promised a beautiful day, it should have been a great day of birding.

I headed out before sunrise, stopping to get water and a breakfast sandwich at McDonalds, and a coffee from Dunkin. Traffic was great, and I found myself in the parking lot of Wright Marsh just as the sun was rising. Greeted by the melody of a Song Sparrow, I got my spotting scope set up, put on my bins and headed out to the marsh. I arrived at the northernmost two ponds already having seen a good number of Ring-necks, and also many Red-wing Blackbirds and Song Sparrows; the sparrows seemed to be everywhere all at once.

I scoped the northern ponds and came up with the usual, well what I call usual, suspects: Northern Shovelers, Canada Geese, more Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeons, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails. The one bird I was patiently scanning for – the Eurasian Wigeon – I could not locate. I felt like the inferior birder for not being able to find the Wigeon, as I’ve noticed I feel continually like the inferior birder. Then something strange happened.

As I was scoping for ducks, I suddenly felt ill, like my system was going to shut down and I was going to pass out. Pass out right there in the middle of the marsh. All I had been doing for the past ten minutes was looking through my scope. At the same time I felt sick, my iWatch vibrated and alerted me to the fact that my pulse had been above 120bpm for longer than ten minutes. I stopped what I was doing, and as I was shaky, thought maybe I need protein, so I popped a ClifBar and ate half of it. After a few minutes, I felt a little better but not totally solid on my feet. I made the tough decision to call it quits for the day, and shakily hiked back out to my car, from which I called my doctor for an appointment. In addition to this episode, I’ve been suffering for a while from loss of breath after doing the littlest of things. Then I headed home, feeling very defeated over the Wigeon and having to cut very short my trip.

I noticed when I got home that my heart rate was remaining high and was not coming down below 120bpm. Having not received a call-back from my doctor, I decided reluctantly to go to the local ER. This really did not go well in my opinion. I explained everything to the ER doctor, who simply had an attitude towards me, and he ordered tests. I had an EKG, chest x-ray, and blood work examining my enzymes, and everything came back normal. They gave me meds to lower my bp, and an IV infusion, and my heart rate finally came down. All of the tests – for a heart attack – came back negative and I was released. Released without any sort of explanation of any cause whatsoever. I just feel that the doctor didn’t listen to me, and I was taken for granted as a “needy” patient. Meantime, I’m worried about some arterial blockage. Anyways…

So, in the end it turned out that the Eurasian Wigeon was there in Wright Marsh all along, but in a different pool to the south. And it turned out that there were White Pelicans at Funk Bottoms. And still further, shorebirds flew into Wilderness Road… Pectoral Sandpipers were seen. Damn.

Yeah, the birds will be around again, but it makes me feel distressed, like I am not the strong birder I would like to think of myself. Only two days before I was looking at a Neotropic Cormorant, only to wait for someone to confirm that that was the bird. I just want to be a good birder, and after 50 years of doing it on and off, my trust in myself gets shaken – I was so strong a birder at 12 than I am now, or so it seems. And I wish that I had someone to bird with. It gets lonely birding by self after awhile, but the way most of the “top” birders operate around here, you’re not invited unless you have something to offer and/or are in the top counts yourself. Trust me, I’ve been turned down by several I’ve wanted to bird with for their expertise, one who had over 300 birds seen in Ohio for a year. Should it ever come to pass that someone will ask to bird with me, I promise to never do that. And that’s all I will say about that.

Shreve Migration Sensation

Yesterday, I went down to Shreve, Ohio to attend the Shreve Migration Sensation. It’s a one-day event incorporating all of the birding hotspots around the town. There were also other events, including presentations/talks by several birders on topics such as wildlife management, ducks and even the movie, “The Big Year.” Greg Miller of “Big Year” fame, was going to be there to talk about his big year. I didn’t stay to see him, as I was wet, hot and sweaty!

I arrived very early, getting there at around 7:10am, as the festival was scheduled to start at 7. A word of advice; nothing happens there till around 8:30am, as the guides – they had guides with scopes at every stop – didn’t start till 9am. I checked in and then got myself some breakfast. The Amish had a nice food station set up, and for a donation you could have breakfast; eggs, sausage and gravy on a biscuit, fruit cup, it was all actually very good. They had a couple of vendors there, including Time & Optics, an Amish-owned and local birding optics store. I had to check out the Swarovski 10×42 NL bins, which are super-nice and super-expensive. The Swarovski NL and the Zeiss Victory SF bins are the best money can buy, and all reports, including Time & Optics, say they view about the same. But that’s another story.

After I had finished breakfast, signed in and got my guide map, I headed out. My first stop was the Funk Bottoms observation area and platform, also known as the Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area. “This 1,536-acre wildlife area in northeastern Ohio is in portions of Wayne and Ashland counties. State Route 95,
running east-west, goes through the middle of the area, from Blachleyville (east), through Funk and Lake Fork(west). The area lies in the glaciated central hills region of Ohio, with flat to moderately rolling topography. The vast majority of the wildlife area consists of seasonally flooded moist soil meadows and bottomland hardwoods.” I got to see several FOY birds while there, including Wood Duck, Sandhill Crane and Tree Swallow. There were also Trumpeter Swans, Pintails, Lesser Scaup and immature Bald Eagles. So I’ve learned about one new place to bird regularly, and when I go to Wayne County, there are several places to visit.

My next stop was Brown’s Lake Bog Preserve, which is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy. It is a 100 acre preserve that “protects a bog with a floating sphagnum moss mat and a 7-acre kettle lake.” This “well-preserved, virgin boreal acid bog” was dedicated as a National Natural Landmark in 1967. This Preserve is one dedicated to the plants growing there. I really didn’t see any birds so much as hear them. But I did see a Tufted Titmouse! Other birds heard were Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee and others. I did not spend much time there. The Bog does seem to be a great area for Rails, so I will check on that during the late spring and early summer.

Returning to town, I camped out in a coffee shop named “HeBrews,” and had a blueberry scone and a caramel macchiato. I inputted all of my bird sightings, all the while trying to kill time till the speakers started. The presentations started at 12pm, and the one I wanted to see, Greg Miller, didn’t start till 2pm. It was now 11:15am. Feeling somewhat hot, wet and sweaty after wearing my waterproof jacket all morning and getting rained on for a good portion, I made the decision to head home, and reluctantly took a pass on meeting Greg Miller.

Now, one major area that I hadn’t hit up is the Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, a 5,703 acre state wildlife area located in Wayne and Holmes counties. There are many places to bird Killbuck Marsh, and I had birded one a week ago at Wright Marsh, a part of Killbuck. As I was beginning my drive home, I noticed a bunch of cars and people with scopes, so I pulled off onto… Cemetery Road, a hotspot. There were numerous birders there. One person mentioned a Blue-winged Teal, and I asked her if she could relocate it with her scope, which she did… another FOY bird. There were also Green-winged Teal, Pintails, Gadwall, Wigeons, and other ducks being seen. I should’ve taken out my scope and spent much more time there, but I took the FOY Teal, and proceeded home. I’m going to revisit this coming week and will definitely be scoping the area.

Take-aways: Don’t go too early; the field guides aren’t at the keyed sites till 9am. Plan to get to the Town Hall by about 8:15, sign in, get the map and have something to eat, then head out. I would recommend hitting up Wright Marsh first, and its small lot fills up very quickly. The visit Cemetery Road at Killbuck. Travel over to Wilderness Road on the way to Funk Bottoms for all it has to offer. Hit up Funk Bottoms, then head back to Shreve for lunch. Attend the presentations if interested, and that’s it! Good birding!

A Golden Swan…

I’ve been doing a lot of birding lately. In the last week, I managed to get to Chagrin River Park, Nimisila Reservoir, Portage Lakes Turkeyfoot Lake, Killbuck Marsh-Wright Marsh, and Sandy Ridge Reservation. I got lots of FOY birds, and my count for the year is now at 62, an ok-enough number. Not that I’m birding for my count.

I went to a new birding hotspot for me on Sunday, the Wright Marsh in Wayne County, southwest of Wooster. It was not fun. There are two entry areas, and the first is at a deadend with a small lot for cars. I parked there, got the scope all set up, and headed out. this was a close to bushwhacking I’d ever done, walking down a tight path leading into a wide open field of scrub brush and long grasses. I just stood there for a bit; I could see the marsh, but wasn’t sure of where to go. I walked a bit toward the marsh on what appeared to be a very basic trail, and then I just stopped. It was likely the first time I didn’t feel safe. I wasn’t overly certain of the path back and I decided to go no further. So I walked back to the car, and on the way flushed a Woodcock! FOY!

Now the reason for my going to Wright was to hopefully see a Bewick’s Tundra Swan. It’s a eurasian Tundra Swan, marked by a large patch of yellow on the base of the bill by the eye, nearly 50% of the entire bill, and is a rarity. After getting back to my car, I drove to the second egress into the marsh. Hoisting the scope on my shoulder, I headed out to see what I could. This particular part was diked into several areas, and it was the furthest pond that people were gathered at. The reports from the day prior were more than 120 Tundras plus the Bewick’s. I got to the end by the pond where they were reported, only to learn that about an hour before, they had all flown away. Not a single swan was present. Tallk about timing, as the Bewick’s was with the flock, and now gone. It just made for a bad day overall. I stayed for awhile, looking at all the Canada Geese, some Wigeons and Pintails, and that was about it for me. I had had it, so I drove home.

Today was a decent day at Sandy Ridge. Its been a beautiful day, 70F in early March and full of sunshine. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any of the usual suspects; Downy Woodpecker, Tufted Tit, Nuthatch – I didn’t even hear one. But it was a good day for ducks, with American Wigeon, Hooded Merganser, Ring-billed Duck, Lesser Scaup, and FOY Northern Shovelers. I also got to watch a wonderful Cooper’s Hawk soar in the sky above me, and that was picturesque. A pair of Eastern Bluebirds seemingly followed me around the walkway, singing loudly on a branch about six feet away from me. Canada Geese were nesting all over, and many couples were looking for an appropriate nesting place. And there were two Tundra Swans, so majestic even in their molt, their loud honking calls going as they took off in flight to another part of the large pond. But still no warblers yet.

At Portage Lakes I got a number of different duck species, a whole gaggle of Coots – there seems to be Coots all over the place – and the special bird, Horned Grebes. At Nimisila, I continue to check for the return of Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers, but nothing as yet. The Double-crested Cormorants are back to begin nesting on their special tree. Today I went back to Nimisila to follow a report from yesterday of an Eared Grebe, but I dipped.

Here’s the latest mosaic for March 3rd…. movement is really starting to pick up!

Shreve Migration Sensation

The Shreve Migration Sensation is a smaller, local birding festival lasting one day, in Shreve, Ohio. They are offering a breakfast, and various birding stations around Shreve, including Funk Bottoms. I’ve never birded there, so I’m looking forward to going, and especially the prospect of meeting Greg Miller. Below is the latest flyer. You can register in advance here.

Spring Migration, Part One

Preface
This post is the first part of what to anticipate during migration this spring here in northern Ohio. Everything presented is based on data that I acquired from the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO), and later on I’ll be presenting specific species to watch for, based on their peak banding counts by BSBO for last spring.

Part One covers what we have already observed over the past two weeks or so, and what to expect during the first half of April. Part Two will cover the second half of April, which comprises the first of three major migration waves expected to hit northern Ohio. Part Three will cover the month of May, when the second and third migratory waves are anticipated, and what to expect when, broken down by weeks and dates. I hope that you find this information useful, and remember, these are guidelines, not absolutes!

So, here we are at the end of March, and birds are moving. Meadowlarks, Grackles, Red-wing and Rusty Blackbirds, Tree Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Kinglets, and other birds have rushed in. We are in the middle of waterfowl migration, likely at its peak right about now, with Loons showing up everywhere, Red-breasted Mergansers too numerous to count, and rarities like Long-tailed Ducks and Red-throated Loons making appearances. Blue-winged Teal are starting to pop everywhere, and Bonaparte’s Gulls have been showing up at many reservoirs and lakes.

Pre-breeding migration for Blue-winged Teal ~ Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Shorebirds like Pectoral Sandpipers, and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs are popping in certain marshy areas. Coots have been reported in great numbers at many hotspots, and raptors are starting their migration as well. The coming week or so should see good movement of Red-shoulder Hawks, Bald Eagles, and the continued increased presence of Turkey Vultures.

Next Week ~ April
The first half of April promises to be busy, as migration ramps up toward its climax in mid-May. Waterfowl movement will remain heavy, gradually declining throughout April. The raptor migration will continue, as Red-shoulder and Rough-legged Hawks continue their movement north. Sadly, Hawk Mountain is closed to visitors due to COVID-19, but look toward the skies in other places and you might see Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, perhaps even a Golden Eagle.

Early shorebird migration will continue and begin to ramp up as well, with American Golden Plovers on the move. Expect an influx of Flickers, Hermit Thrushes, Winter Wrens, Fox Sparrows, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Pine Warblers are also beginning to appear in the lower to mid-half of Ohio.

Duck Duck Go…

Several reports came in to Ohio Chase Birds on Facebook about the appearance of Long-tailed Ducks, including LaDue Reservoir, SIppo Lake, and Alum Creek. I managed to tick five individuals, including the male above, at Sippo Lake in Stark County. This on the heels of great numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers observed yesterday, appearing almost everywhere. Spring waterfowl migration is in motion.