Subject: | |
From: | [log in to unmask][log in to unmask], 14 Jun 2011 03:10:34 +0000668_utf-8 Hello Birders, Major kudos to Doug Overacker, Larry Jeanblanc, and Julie Karlson. The bird shown in the photos at http://www.clarkcountyohioaudubon.org/ is definitely a Cassin's Sparrow. Overall proportions, bill shape, head shape, face pattern, and what shows of the pattern of the flanks and upperparts are all perfect and diagnostic for this species. Congratulations to the finders for a very fine piece of perceptive and expert fieldwork! Finding and identifying the bird in the first place was impressive enough in itself, but going back and getting diagnostic documentation, well, that raises it to a higher level. Cassin's Sparrow is known to [...]49_14Jun201103:10: [log in to unmask] |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:25:19 -0400 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
Today we took advantage of the nice weather and put the HMS Hoover out to
sea, well at least on water, and worked southeast along the reservoir
shoreline in search of Prothonotary Warbler territories. With the exception of
the cove near Windale Farms Circle there are no nest boxes along this
stretch. We covered the shore from the Twin Bridges Boat Launch south to Lake of
the Woods. Covering this area is like studying a Thomas English Muffin.
There are all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore with appropriate habitat
for Prothonotary Warblers. The good weather also brought out a regatta of
boats with fishermen, a condition that prevented us from checking some areas
we planned to visit, but we coexisted peacefully and were rewarded with
Prothonotaries in almost every location we could get close to. With today’s
additions we have now identified slightly over 100 Prothonotary Warbler
territories at Hoover Reservoir. Friday we will again cast off to check a few
areas we have yet to get to but it is looking like another productive year
for our golden jewels at Hoover Reservoir.
The boat was basically buzzed by a couple of male Prothonotaries, one of
which seemed to circling us with a declaration that we were on his turf. But
he was outdone by a Pileated Woodpecker that could best be described as
strafing the boat. We spotted an active Pileated nest cavity with junior
sticking his head partway out. He ducked down and “D” played a pileated call
on her cell phone AP thinking he would look out. Instead from nowhere came
dad calling loudly with a low flyby that could have been a scene from the
movie Pearl Harbor.
I spotted an adult Bald eagle carrying a good sized fish in its talons. We
have yet to find anything resembling an eagle’s nest at or near Hoover
Reservoir, but every year, all year long, for the past five years or so I have
Bald Eagles at the reservoir. All the local eagle nest sites I am aware of
have good areas to forage that are closer than Hoover Reservoir. I keep
wondering if there is a nest site that has somehow gone undiscovered. We have
two pair of nesting Osprey. A Bald Eagle would be a wonderful addition.
We also located another Red-headed Woodpecker nest cavity. There is
currently at least 14 pair of nesting Red-heads in the Hoover Nature Preserve.
Last week we had two severe thunderstorms. During our monitoring today I
observed lots of fresh damage to trees along the east shoreline. I made my
last stop Area N to see if there was damage to the nest boxes. Someone is
looking out for the Prothonotaries as the nest boxes there appear to have
been spared, but with several very close misses there might be a few neurotic
birds hunkering down.
Below is a list of some of our more interesting observations from today.
Charlie Bombaci
Hoover Nature Preserve
2011-06-12 Hoover Reservoir SE Shore Bird List
Double-crested Cormorant
Green Heron
Wood Duck
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-headed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Indigo Bunting
Baltimore Oriole
______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
|
|
|