NOVEMBER 03, 2023 - CUYAHOGA VALLEY MONTHLY TOWPATH TRAIL CENSUS.
ROUTE: Red Lock Trailhead south to Merriman Valley, with a stop at Trail Mix in Peninsula.
TIME: 7:50am - 5:20pm  TEMP.: 36F ~ 60F ~ 57F  COND.: Brisk early with full sun and blue
skies, breezy all day with winds from the south; turning partly cloudy from 2:20pm until end of census.
TRAIL COND.: Recently leaf-blown and good with a few wet and muddy spots in the usual low areas;
Freshly laid crushed limestone from Botzum Trailhead south to Merriman Valley (Summit Metro Parks section).
RIVER COND.: Normal and very clear.
FT. MI.: 13.55  OBS.: John Henry and Douglas W. Vogus.

I. MAMMALS: 5 SPECIES.
  1. Eastern Chipmunk - 44
  2. Eastern Gray Squirrel - 6 (1 black morph)
  3. Red Squirrel - 15
  4. Common Raccoon - 1  (Second November Record on Census)
  5. White-tailed Deer - 8 (10-pt. buck,9-point buck,5-point buck,half a 4-point buck - the other antler was sheared off,4 does)

II. BIRDS: 53 SPECIES, 1,854 TOTAL BIRDS.
(NOTE: m = male; f = female; ? = bird was seen but not sexed; * = bird was heard calling but not sexed)
  1. Canada Goose - 61
  2. Wood Duck - 13 (7m,6f)
  3. American Black Duck - 40
  4. Mallard - 36 (25m,11f)
  5. Ruddy Duck - 1 (f)  (at Ira Beaver Marsh - Second Record on Census, Second November Record on Census & Tied Census High from 11/2019)
  6. Pied-billed Grebe - 1  (Ira Beaver Marsh)
  7. Rock Pigeon - 8
  8. Mourning Dove - 14
  9. Killdeer - 3
  10. Ring-billed Gull - 2
  11. Great Blue Heron - 6
  12. Cooper's Hawk - 3 (1 immature m,1f,1 immature f)
  13. Bald Eagle - 6 (4 adult,2 immature)
  14. Red-tailed Hawk - 14
  15. Eastern Screech-Owl - 2 (gray morph)
  16. Belted Kingfisher - 3 (2m,1*)
  17. Red-headed Woodpecker - 1  (along Stumpy Basin boardwalk - Second November Record on Census)
  18. Red-bellied Woodpecker - 18 (8m,3f,1?,6*)
  19. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 (f)  (Third November Record on Census)
  20. Downy Woodpecker - 9 (4m,4?,1*)
  21. Hairy Woodpecker - 3 (?)
  22. Northern Flicker - 6 (1m,1f,1?,3*)
  23. Pileated Woodpecker - 5 (2m,1f,2*)
  24. Merlin - 2 (m)  (Fourth November Record on Census & New Census High - previous was 1 on 19 other occasions)
  25. Peregrine Falcon - 2 (1m,1f)
  26. Eastern Phoebe - 1  (Fifth November Record on Census)
  27. Blue Jay - 35
  28. American Crow - 712  (two flocks of 635 birds total heading to roost at end of census)
  29. Black-capped Chickadee - 21
  30. Tufted Titmouse - 5
  31. Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 (?)  (Fifth November Record on Census)
  32. Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1 (f)
  33. Cedar Waxwing - 67
  34. White-breasted Nuthatch - 13 (1m,1f,11*)
  35. Carolina Wren - 9
  36. Winter Wren - 1
  37. European Starling - 311
  38. Eastern Bluebird - 41 (6m,4f,29?,1*)
  39. American Robin - 130
  40. House Sparrow - 68
  41. House Finch - 8 (3m,1f,4?)
  42. Purple Finch - 3 (f)  (feeding on berries along Stumpy Basin boardwalk - Third November Record on Census)
  43. American Goldfinch - 15
  44. American Tree Sparrow - 2
  45. Dark-eyed Junco - 2 (1m,1f)
  46. White-throated Sparrow - 42
  47. Song Sparrow - 8
  48. Swamp Sparrow - 3
  49. Eastern Towhee - 1 (*)
  50. Red-winged Blackbird - 27 (21m,6f)
  51. Rusty Blackbird - 35 (1m,34 mixed flock)
  52. Yellow-rumped Warbler - 11
  53. Northern Cardinal - 17 (8m,5f,4*)
??. Unidentified Passerines - 4

III. REPTILES: 1 SPECIES.
  1. Midland Painted Turtle - 15

IV. FISHES: 3 SPECIES.
  1. Creek Chub - 4
  2. Bluntnose Minnow - 27  (Fourth November Record on Census)
  3. Northern Hog Sucker - 1  (Third November Record on Census)

V. DRAGONFLIES: 2 SPECIES.
  1. Shadow Darner - 1  (Third November Record on Census)
  2. Autumn Meadowhawk - 4  (Fourth November Record on Census)

Douglas W. Vogus - Akron, Ohio.
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