- RBA 
* Ohio 
* Statewide 
* October 5, 2009
* OHST0910.05

- Species Mentioned (Caps denote a review list species):

American Bittern
Brant
American Avocet
Marbled Godwit
Baird’s Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Laughing Gull
Franklin’s Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black Tern
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
Olive-sided Flycatcher
VERMILLION FLYCATCHER
Golden-winged Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Clay-colored Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
LeConte’s Sparrow

This is the Ohio Rare Bird Report for October 10, 2009. 
Compiler: Gabe Leidy. Email: [log in to unmask]
 
Species in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE REVIEW LIST SPECIES. Details of these sightings are desired by the Ohio Bird Records Committee. Careful observation, not ornithological expertise, is the only qualification for submitting your data. For details and pointers see: http://www.ohiobirds.org/records/documentation.php

American Bittern:  One was an exciting  new yard bird for Inga Schmidt in Geauga Co. 28 Sep.  Equally exciting was one well-photographed by Sherrie Duris and Dan B 4 Oct at Pearson MP near Toledo.  

Brant:  While elusive at times, the Conneaut bird continued through the weekend for m.ob.  It spends much of its time feeding close to the break wall, often quite a ways from shore.

American Avocet:  Doreen Whitley discovered three at Whittier Peninsula near downtown Columbus 25 Sep, where four were present 26 Sep (Bruce Miller), and again three on the 27th. (Gene Stauffer).  Heather Raymond was pleased to discover one at Hoover Reservoir 28 Sep, and Rob Thorn one at Alum Lake SP the same day.  

Marbled Godwit:  Charlie Bombaci observed a pair drop into the mudflats at Hoover Reservoir, along Dustin Rd 5 Oct, but Ben Warner could not relocate these birds the same day.  

Baird’s Sandpiper:  Single Baird’s visited Conneaut 30 Sep (Craig Holt) and 4 Oct (John Pogacnik).  

Red-necked Phalarope:  A single Red-necked joined the phalarope frenzy at Conneaut 1 Oct (Emil Bacik) and by the next day three were present  for Jerry Talkington.  At least one was still present here through 4 Oct (m.ob.).  The phalarope invasion also extended inland to Pleasant Hill Lake, where a bird was located 1 Oct (Laura & Tim Dornan).  

Red Phalarope:  Certainly one of the highlights of this action-packed last week were the Red Phalaropes that were a near-constant presence at Conneaut Harbor.  Craig Holt reported the arrival of first two at the harbor 30 Sep, and numbers had climbed to six 2 Oct (Bob & Denise Lane), splitting time between the swimming beach and sandspit.  Birds were still present here through 4 Oct (m.ob.).  John Pogacnik discovered a single bird at Lorain Harbor 3 Oct.  

Laughing Gull:  Indian Lake SP’s Old Field Beach hosted one 30 Sep (Dan Sanders).

Franklin’s Gull:  Two visited East Fork SP’s beach 4 Oct (Andy Bess).  Dave Slager and Ben Warner discovered the harbingers of a mini-invasion, when they found ten birds at Hoover Reservoir 28 Sep.  This crowd had dwindled to five later in the morning (Charlie Bombaci, Doreene Linzell), and none could be found that same afternoon (Heather Raymond).  Nearby, Rob Thorn counted twelve at Alum Lake SP also on the 28th, and these birds were a bit more cooperative, multiplying to 20 the following A.M. (Julie Davis).  One remained here 3-4 Oct (Ken Davis, Rob Thorn).  In the NW, Kenn Kaufman found two on the beach at Maumee Beach SP 28 Sep.  On 30 Sep, the often-productive Indian Lake SP beach produced a bird, as did Lake St. Mary’s fish hatchery for Dan Sanders.  Su Snyder found one a bit further east at Pleasant Hill Lake 30 Sep.  A first-cycle bird was discovered at Findlay Reservoir by Rich Aracil, Lauren Harter, and David Vander Pluym 3 Oct. 
 Finally, one found its way to Caesar Creek SP’s beach 4 Oct (Larry Gara).  

Lesser Black-backed Gull: A second-cycle bird was at Huron Pier 27 Sep for David Vander Pluym, et al.  Inland, a first-cycle birds visited Indian Lake SP 30 Sep (Dan Sanders) and Pleasant Hill Lake also 30 Sep (Gary Cowell, Cheryl Harner, Su Snyder).  More expected was a bird at Conneaut 4 Oct (John Pogacnik). 

Black Tern:  Several at Indian Lake SP 30 Sep capped an excellent visit for Dan Sanders.  

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE:  This species has taken the small town of Celina, Mercer Co. by force; Dan Sanders counted 11 birds here 30 Sep.  

Olive-sided Flycatcher:  Mark Gilsdorf discovered a bird at Cincinnati-area’s French Park 25 Sep.  One at West Creek Reservation in Cuyahoga Co. 28 Sep was running late (Gabe Leidy).  

VERMILLION FLYCATCHER:  Funky weather patterns, featuring treacherous west/southwest winds preceded this bird’s appearance by several days.  Birders had been scouring their local patches in hopes of a wind-blown vagrant, and Jim & Kent Miller and Ben Morrison made our dreams come true when they discovered this beaut of a female at Headlands Beach SP 2 Oct.  Dressed in subtle shades of pink and yellow, the bird foraged cooperatively on the Headlands dunes into the afternoon before disappearing for several hours.  It reappeared in the evening for Larry Rosche and Julie West, but unfortunately moved out that night.  This is the fourth state record.

Golden-winged Warbler:  Birds visited the Cincinnati-area backyards of both Lori Brumbaugh (28 Sep) and Debra Hausrath (Oct 5).  

Prairie Warbler:  Amazingly, and of extreme local significance, Nancy Anderson discovered migrants at Wildwood SP on the Cleveland lakefront, both 27 Sep and 4 Oct.

Clay-colored Sparrow:  Ellis Lake near Cincinnati hosted two 27 Sep (Mike Busam, Jay Lehman), where one continued 28-29 Sep (Mark Gilsdorf, fide Kirk Westendorf).  

LECONTE’S SPARROW:  David Vander Pluym pinned one down at a site near Van Buren, Hancock Co. 3 Oct.  Birds were viewed intermittently at Wake Robin Trail, within Mentor Marsh NP from 29 Sep on (m.ob.).  

Nelson’s Sparrow:  Shari Jackson found the season’s first at Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahoning Co. 27 Sep., where it was also viewed by Bob & Denise Lane and Ronnie Macko.  Jen Brumfield nailed another at the Coliseum site, within CVNP, 28 Sep.  David Russell banded a bird at Miami-Whitewater Wetlands 1 Oct.  Two were at a grassy site near Van Buren, Hancock Co. 3 Oct (Rich Aracil, Lauren Harter, and David Vander Pluym).  Two were kicked up at Big Island WA 4 Oct (Jack Stenger, Sean Williams).   Up to five frequented Wake Robin Trail in Mentor throughout the past week.

- End transcript

Gabe Leidy
Cleveland






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