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.
- Eastern Chipmunk - 44
- Eastern Gray Squirrel - 6 (1 black morph)
- Red Squirrel - 15
- Common Raccoon - 1 (Second November Record on Census)
- 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)
- Canada Goose - 61
- Wood Duck - 13 (7m,6f)
- American Black Duck - 40
- Mallard - 36 (25m,11f)
- Ruddy Duck - 1 (f) (at Ira Beaver Marsh - Second Record on Census, Second November Record on Census & Tied Census High from 11/2019)
- Pied-billed Grebe - 1 (Ira Beaver Marsh)
- Rock Pigeon - 8
- Mourning Dove - 14
- Killdeer - 3
- Ring-billed Gull - 2
- Great Blue Heron - 6
- Cooper's Hawk - 3 (1 immature m,1f,1 immature f)
- Bald Eagle - 6 (4 adult,2 immature)
- Red-tailed Hawk - 14
- Eastern Screech-Owl - 2 (gray morph)
- Belted Kingfisher - 3 (2m,1*)
- Red-headed Woodpecker - 1 (along Stumpy Basin boardwalk - Second November Record on Census)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker - 18 (8m,3f,1?,6*)
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 (f) (Third November Record on Census)
- Downy Woodpecker - 9 (4m,4?,1*)
- Hairy Woodpecker - 3 (?)
- Northern Flicker - 6 (1m,1f,1?,3*)
- Pileated Woodpecker - 5 (2m,1f,2*)
- Merlin - 2 (m) (Fourth November Record on Census & New Census High - previous was 1 on 19 other occasions)
- Peregrine Falcon - 2 (1m,1f)
- Eastern Phoebe - 1 (Fifth November Record on Census)
- Blue Jay - 35
- American Crow - 712 (two flocks of 635 birds total heading to roost at end of census)
- Black-capped Chickadee - 21
- Tufted Titmouse - 5
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 (?) (Fifth November Record on Census)
- Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1 (f)
- Cedar Waxwing - 67
- White-breasted Nuthatch - 13 (1m,1f,11*)
- Carolina Wren - 9
- Winter Wren - 1
- European Starling - 311
- Eastern Bluebird - 41 (6m,4f,29?,1*)
- American Robin - 130
- House Sparrow - 68
- House Finch - 8 (3m,1f,4?)
- Purple Finch - 3 (f) (feeding on berries along Stumpy Basin boardwalk - Third November Record on Census)
- American Goldfinch - 15
- American Tree Sparrow - 2
- Dark-eyed Junco - 2 (1m,1f)
- White-throated Sparrow - 42
- Song Sparrow - 8
- Swamp Sparrow - 3
- Eastern Towhee - 1 (*)
- Red-winged Blackbird - 27 (21m,6f)
- Rusty Blackbird - 35 (1m,34 mixed flock)
- Yellow-rumped Warbler - 11
- Northern Cardinal - 17 (8m,5f,4*)
??. Unidentified Passerines - 4
III. REPTILES: 1 SPECIES.
- Midland Painted Turtle - 15
IV. FISHES: 3 SPECIES.
- Creek Chub - 4
- Bluntnose Minnow - 27 (Fourth November Record on Census)
- Northern Hog Sucker - 1 (Third November Record on Census)
V. DRAGONFLIES: 2 SPECIES.
- Shadow Darner - 1 (Third November Record on Census)
- Autumn Meadowhawk - 4 (Fourth November Record on Census)
Douglas W. Vogus - Akron, Ohio.
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