We're off to a good birding start in 2012
Columnist Bruce Glick relates happenings in the birding world, with emphasis on the local Wayne/Holmes area. This week Bruce shares some birding results for the first week of the new year. Find out more in the "Gone Birding" column.
I had planned to summarize the local Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) but some data is still coming in, so watch for that report next week. Meanwhile, the usual number of birders headed out on January 1 or 2, hoping to see 100 or more species in Ohio by the end of the month. One group of birders has a tradition of spending the first three days driving all over the state chasing rare birds.
One difference I've noticed this year is that several birders are planning to do Big Januarys or Big Years in their home counties. Birders have been posting early results from the Cincinnati area and locally in Wayne and Holmes Counties. On the statewide scene the rarest bird to see is the Black-tailed Gull which is still in the Ashtabula harbor area. Other rare gulls seen last week include Black-legged Kittiwake and Little Gull, both at Wendy Park in downtown Cleveland. A Columbus park is still hosting an Ovenbird, very rare for winter in Ohio.
The Rufous Hummingbird that first showed up in mid-October was still at our feeders east of Millersburg on January 1 and 2. It spent a lot of time at the feeders and seemed especially active. It looked fatter(for a hummingbird!) and healthy. The weather then turned cold and windy and sure enough, on Tuesday, January 3, the bird didn't show up all day. It also was not seen at the Weavers, where it spent most of the last several months. While the bird could still show up, it seems very likely that the urge to migrate further south finally kicked in. Rufous may well spend the next months in Florida or the gulf states before flying back to Oregon, Washington or British Columbia for the summer.
One of the unique things so far this year is the incredible amount of water everywhere. It looks like March or April at our local wildlife areas and other wetlands. The result is a lot of water-birds. At least 150 Tundra Swans have been seen at the Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, with more at Funk Bottoms. Many species of ducks are here, unusual for the beginning of January. I visited Funk Bottoms on January 1 and 3, finding a Canvasback, several Redhead, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Black Ducks and up to 1500 Mallards.
Funk also produced a Rough-legged Hawk, adult Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, two Northern Harriers and several American Kestrels. At dusk I was glad to see four Short-eared Owls quartering the land south of Wilderness Road, at the east end of the that road.
However, the biggest draw for birders at Funk has been the Northern Shrike that has been hanging out about a mile north of Funk. I met several other birders there and we had to wait 30 minutes or so until the shrike showed up. It then moved several times over the next half hour but provided nice looks and some digiscoped photos (photos taken through a spotting scope with a small digital camera).
Good birding!
Bruce Glick
birderbruce@yahoo.com
330-317-7798
