Woodbury Wildlife Area, a great place for viewing grassland birds

Woodbury Wildlife Area, a great place for viewing grassland birds
                        
Approximately five miles west of Coshocton on state Route 541 you will find yourself entering a long level area with grasslands stretching out on both sides. This is the heart of the Woodbury Wildlife Area, and one of the best places to hear and see typical grassland birds. Here in our local area we have a number of small grasslands but nothing approaching what Woodbury has to offer. Woodbury was mined for many years. The small mining town and coal mine were also connected with the making of soap for the Woodbury Soap Company. In 1934, 779 acres were set aside as a game refuge, and in 1948 the area was opened for hunting. It remained a fairly small area until negotiations with the Peabody Coal Company and the Hurst Trust led to the purchase of 14,615 acres in 1991 and 1992 by the Ohio Division of Natural Resources (ODNR). The area that was mined after 1972 resulted in many acres of open grasslands. The wildlife area includes 116 ponds and 42 wetlands. While hunting is the primary focus at Woodbury, birders know that it is an excellent place to visit. For a number of years I did breeding bird surveys at Woodbury in early to mid-June. I was amazed to find 75-100 singing male Henslow’s Sparrows. Here at home we are lucky to find a few Henslow’s in our small patches of grasslands. Henslow’s Sparrows have a short, unique “song” which can be heard as one drives slowly down the roads through the grasslands. One of my favorite birding experiences involves driving these roads before dawn on a quiet morning. Henslow’s sing at night and the “slick”, “slick” songs sometimes come from all sides. On these pre-dawn drives we may also hear American Woodcock, three different owls, and at times cuckoos, Field Sparrows and other early risers. Other typical Woodbury birds include Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler, Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrows and at times lots of Dickcissels. Since there are now a lot of small trees and shrubs in some areas, Orchard Orioles seem to be common. Ruffed Grouse are residents but you still have to be lucky to see or hear them since the population still seems to be very small. Bobwhites may also be heard. There is also excellent habitat for Blue Grosbeaks, a rare species in Ohio. Short-eared Owls are also present, and Northern Harriers may be around all summer as well as during the winter, when they are joined by Rough-legged Hawks. The many ponds host a wide variety of waterfowl, especially during spring and fall migration. Woodbury is certainly worth a trip. It doesn’t take long to get there and a long morning of birding should yield some very interesting birds. Good birding! Contact Bruce Glick at birderbruce@yahoo.com or 330-317-7798.


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