Revised copy - it's 2018 - not 2017!

*MARCH 02, 2018* - CUYAHOGA VALLEY MONTHLY TOWPATH TRAIL CENSUS.
*ROUTE*: Red Lock Trailhead south to Merriman Valley.  *TIME*: 7:25am -
4:00pm  *TEMP.*: 32F ~ 39F  *COND.*: Cloudy with about 3-inches of fresh
snow on ground at start of census; strong north winds at 5-15mph, a few
gusts approaching 40mph; turning partly cloudy at 10:30am; as temperatures
got above freezing, many snow and ice clusters falling from the trees
bombing us from above; turning partly sunny from 2:15pm until end of
census. Dover Pond and Ira Beaver Marsh free of ice, river high.  *TRAIL
COND.*: Snow-covered and slushy from previous day's all-day rains turning
to snow overnight; trail free of snow from Peninsula south as temps rose.
Many limbs and branches littering entire length of trail from previous
night's high winds. Several large trees across the Towpath Trail need
cleared - one just north of Lock 30 in Peninsula and one between Deep Lock
and Szalay's northern corn fields, in particular, across entire trail and
tough to get through or around due to all the standing water on both sides.
Trail was flooded in a couple spots south of Ira Rd. from river going over
its banks. One tree near Deep Lock took out part of the side of the trail
as tree uprooted and fell into the Cuyahoga River. Trail wet and sloppy
from Hunt Farm Visitor Center south to end of route. All four footbridges
from Boston to Furnace Run are currently out - this will take until June to
complete. Had to take Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad tracks from Boston to
Peninsula trestle. Had to leave trail and take RR tracks around the two
bridges between Deep Lock and Furnace Run, rejoining the trail after
getting over the creeks; had to take Riverview Rd. from Everett Ranger
Station to Szalay's to get over Furnace Run.
*RIVER COND.*: High, muddy, and extremely swift. River still over it's
banks in some areas due to previous day's all-day rains. River backed up
into all small creeks leading into it. Lots of standing water; all remnants
of the old canal filled with water and all oxbows filled and flooded.
*FT.MI.*: 13.20  *OBS.*: John Henry & Douglas W. Vogus.

*I. MAMMALS*: 4 SPECIES.

   1. Eastern Fox Squirrel - 1
   2. Red Squirrel - 6
   3. Common Muskrat - 1
   4. White-tailed Deer - 4 (does)


*II. BIRDS*: 47 SPECIES, 744 TOTAL BIRDS.
(NOTE: m = male; f = female; ? = bird was seen but not sexed; * = bird was
heard calling but not sexed)

   1. Canada Goose - 53
   2. Wood Duck - 2 (1m,1f - Brandywine Creek)
   3. Gadwall - 4 (2m,2f - Ira Beaver Marsh)  (First March Record on Census
   & New Census High - previous were single birds on two different occasions)
   4. American Black Duck - 13 (8m,5f)
   5. Mallard - 19 (11m,8f)
   6. Ring-necked Duck - 2 (1m,1f - Dover Pond)
   7. Common Merganser - 7 (2m,5f - Cuyahoga River between Red Lock and
   Stanford Swamp)
   8. Rock Pigeon - 2
   9. Mourning Dove - 5
   10. Killdeer - 2 (Szalay's north corn field)
   11. Ring-billed Gull - 30
   12. Herring Gull - 1
   13. Great Blue Heron - 5
   14. Turkey Vulture - 2 (above Merriman Valley)
   15. Bald Eagle - 1 (adult - soaring above intersection of Ira &
   Riverview Rds.)
   16. Red-tailed Hawk - 6
   17. Eastern Screech-Owl - 1 (red morph in a sycamore hole near Boston
   discovered by chickadees & nuthatches)
   18. Belted Kingfisher - 2 (1m,1*)
   19. Red-bellied Woodpecker - 13 (6m,1f,6*)
   20. Downy Woodpecker - 6 (2m,1f,1?,2*)
   21. Hairy Woodpecker - 4 (1f,1?,2*)
   22. Northern Flicker - 2 (1?,1*)
   23. Pileated Woodpecker - 4 (1?,3*)
   24. Peregrine Falcon - 1 (f - "Gatewood" flew up under the Ohio Turnpike
   bridge to former/current? nest site)
   25. Blue Jay - 20
   26. American Crow - 46
   27. Black-capped Chickadee - 16
   28. Tufted Titmouse - 20
   29. White-breasted Nuthatch - 16 (5m,1f,2?,8*)
   30. Carolina Wren - 12
   31. Golden-crowned Kinglet - 4 (2m,1?,1*)
   32. Eastern Bluebird - 13 (5m,4f,3?,1*)
   33. American Robin - 47
   34. European Starling - 77
   35. Cedar Waxwing - 28 (one flock - north of Yellow Creek)
   36. House Sparrow - 16
   37. American Goldfinch - 4
   38. American Tree Sparrow - 1
   39. Fox Sparrow - 1 (along Szalay's north corn field)
   40. Song Sparrow - 35
   41. Swamp Sparrow - 1
   42. White-throated Sparrow - 8
   43. Dark-eyed Junco - 1 (m)
   44. Northern Cardinal - 32 (22m,8f,2*)
   45. Red-winged Blackbird - 108 (91m,15f,2?)
   46. Rusty Blackbird - 25 (19m,2f,4?)
   47. Common Grackle - 18

Unidentified Passerines - 8

Douglas W. Vogus - Akron, Ohio.

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