*FEBRUARY 02, 2018 - CUYAHOGA VALLEY MONTHLY TOWPATH TRAIL CENSUS.*
*ROUTE*: Towpath Trail from Red Lock south to Merriman Valley.  *TIME*:
7:30am - 4:10pm  *TEMP.*: 18 ~ 23 ~ 20
*COND.*: Cold and gray with intermittent light snow with little to no
accumulation; winds from the W/NW at 5-10mph until 8:40am; heavy flurries
from 1:30pm to 1:50pm;
snow ending, turning mostly cloudy with some sun and blue skies. Dover Pond
and Ira Beaver Marsh both completely frozen.
*TRAIL COND.*: Terrible. Very slick and ice-covered from Red Lock to
Boston. Footbridge out/removed just south of Boston Store Visitor Center.
Had to take Cuyahoga Valley
Scenic Railroad tracks from Boston Mills Rd. to the Peninsula trestle,
where we rejoined the Towpath Trail. Trail still slick and icy from
Peninsula trestle to Deep Lock.
Some traction on trail from fresh snow from Deep Lock to end of hike. Two
more footbridges to be replaced between Deep Lock and Furnace Run. Signage
states this
will be taking place between Dec. 11, 2017 and June of 2018. Footbridge
over Furnace Run is also currently out/removed, slight detour to Valley
Trail to Riverview Rd. and
back through Szalay's Farm Market to rejoin the Towpath Trail at Bolanz
Rd.  *RIVER COND.*: Slightly above normal.
*FT.MI.*: 13.75  *OBS.*: John Henry and Douglas W. Vogus.

*I. MAMMALS*: 4 SPECIES.

   1. Eastern Gray Squirrel - 1
   2. Eastern Fox Squirrel - 4
   3. Red Squirrel - 17
   4. White-tailed Deer - 2 (doe)


*II. BIRDS*: 41 SPECIES, 1,383 INDIVIDUALS.
(NOTE: m = male; f = female; ? = bird was seen but not sexed; * = bird was
heard calling but not sexed)

   1. Canada Goose - 204
   2. Wood Duck - 1 (m)  (First February Record on Census)
   3. American Black Duck - 6 (3m,3f)
   4. Mallard - 73 (51m,22f)
   5. Lesser Scaup - 1 (m)  (First February Record on Census)
   6. Common Goldeneye - 2 (f)
   7. Common Merganser - 21 (9m,12f)
   8. Red-breasted Merganser - 7 (3m,4f)  (First February Record on Census)
   9. Rock Pigeon - 5
   10. Mourning Dove - 8
   11. Ring-billed Gull - 261
   12. Herring Gull - 5
   13. Great Blue Heron - 5
   14. Bald Eagle - 3 (1 adult,2 immature)
   15. Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
   16. Red-tailed Hawk - 3 (2 immature)
   17. Belted Kingfisher - 1 (m)
   18. Red-bellied Woodpecker - 18 (6m,4f,4?,4*)
   19. Downy Woodpecker - 16 (4m,5f,2?,5*)
   20. Hairy Woodpecker - 6 (1m,2f,3*)
   21. Pileated Woodpecker - 2 (1?,1*)
   22. Blue Jay - 21
   23. American Crow - 437
   24. Black-capped Chickadee - 21
   25. Tufted Titmouse - 20
   26. White-breasted Nuthatch - 18 (4m,3f,5?,6*)
   27. Carolina Wren - 7
   28. Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2 (1f,1*)
   29. Eastern Bluebird - 12 (6m,6f)
   30. American Robin - 1
   31. European Starling - 62
   32. House Sparrow - 16
   33. House Finch - 7 (3m,4f)
   34. American Goldfinch - 36
   35. Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
   36. American Tree Sparrow - 11
   37. Song Sparrow - 8
   38. White-throated Sparrow - 9
   39. Dark-eyed Junco - 3 (2m,1f)
   40. Northern Cardinal - 36 (15m,16f,5*)
   41. Red-winged Blackbird - 2 (m)

Unidentified Passerines - 4

Douglas W. Vogus - Akron, Ohio.

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