BIrd Surveys 2022

 

Barred owl photo by Rich McCarty.

Now that May is coming to an end, its time to share some bird observances from this years return of breeders that left last fall, and migraters passing through.

Ovenbird sneakily searches the forest floor for food.

Many of the breeding warblers like ovenbird, worm-eating and hooded warblers arrived to their breeding grounds right on time. 

Worm-eating warbler returns early to its breeding ground.

Hooded warbler also breeds on the preserve.

Early breeding birds like blue-gray gnatcatcher's, black and white warblers and Northern parula's produce welcoming songs which let us know that winter is over and spring is beginning.  

Blue-gray gnatcatcher

Northern parula

Black and white warbler photo by Rich McCarty

Weekly surveys allow us to know which birds have returned and the dates.  Many birds arrivals are predictable, as they are similar every year within a few days.  

Baltimore oriole photo by Rich McCarty.

Some bird species stick around throughout the winter, but their numbers may increase as relatives from the north need to move south to areas like ours where water doesn't freeze solid.  Wood ducks may seem more abundant during migration, but the residents remain and breed near our rivers, creeks and lakes.

Wood duck photo by Rich McCarty.

Male and female wood ducks hiding along the waterway.

All habitats are searched to survey possible species.  Forests, grassy fields, croplands, old fields, neighborhoods and any body of water should be visited as many species are specific to where they live.  An Eastern kingbird will be found along wires and fences in the farmlands, where shorebirds like the solitary sandpiper needs any place with shallow water to forage.

Eastern kingbird photo by Rich McCarty.

Solitary sandpiper photo by Rich McCarty.

The real fun for anyone doing bird surveys is the possibility of finding rarer migrants passing through.  Non-breeding migrants that are moving north start singing their songs as they travel.  This gives bird surveyors a chance to hear something unusual, and possibly catch a glimpse of the rarities. 

This year produced a few unusual birds we rarely get to see or hear, like this Canada warbler.  At least 4 Canada warblers were found together one morning. 

Canada warbler found along Ohio Brush Creek.

Other rarities are found and heard every year during migration, but their striking plumage never gets old.

Blackburnian warbler

Black-throated blue warbler

A couple of very hard to find birds were photographed this year.  Philadelphia vireos were verified this year.  Its the first time in at least 25 years this bird was seen.  This is one of 3 separate Philadelphia vireos photographed this year.

First Philadelphia vireo we have seen on the preserve.

Second Philadelphia vireo found.  Photo by Rich McCarty

Also this spring, a singing mourning warbler was found along Ohio Brush Creek.  A very difficult bird to see, let alone photograph, this bird stays low in shrubs, barely giving glimpses for identification.

Mourning warbler characteristically hides in bushes not letting us get clear looks.

.

All the breeding birds have returned, and the passing migrants have made their way north.  The yearly trek made by these birds is an amazing feat, and the opportunity to observe this event never disappoints.  The large and diverse landscape of the preserve supports such a wide variety of birds, its no wonder why so many people visit us to look for our feathered friends.  

2021 Christmas Bird Count

 

American kestrel

The 2021 Christmas Bird Count was very productive this year.  Closing in on the counties record of 84 species found in one day, the 20 plus participants counted every bird within a 24 hour period the weekend before Christmas and observed 81 species and 15,954 individual birds.

A hermit thrush sneakily hiding deep in the brush

This count gives the Audubon Society long term data of bird populations in the winter for many of the counties in the United States.  Adams County, Ohio has been counting bird species around this same time of year for the Audubon's Christmas Bird Count since 1974.

Red-breasted nuthatch photo by Rich McCarty

Many birds encountered are very common and birds that live in the area year round.  Others are winter visitors like red-breasted nuthatch, hermit thrush, winter wren, fox sparrow, purple finch, most ducks and many more.  But some are rare visitors that only get recorded once every several years like Merlins, ruby-crowned kinglets and rusty blackbirds, all of which were found this winters count.

Eastern screech owl gives away its roosting spot by calling back to our imitating whistles

Below are the 81 species found on this years Christmas Bird Count.  The number represents how many individuals.

Red-winged blackbird  613

Rusty blackbird   1

Eastern bluebird  116

Bufflehead   1

Northern cardinal  186

Gray catbird   1

Carolina chickadee   166

American coot   6

Brown-headed cowbird   1

Brown creeper   4

American crow   236

Mourning dove   555

Rock dove   132

Ring-neck duck   100

American black duck   6

Ruddy duck   1

Wood duck   6

Bald eagle   6

House finch   32
Purple finch  57

Northern flicker  32

American goldfinch 177

Canada goose  387

Common grackle 538

Northern harrier  5  

Cooper's hawk  6

Sharp-shinned hawk  2

Red-shouldered hawk  38

Red-tailed hawk  27

Great blue heron  9

Blue jay  226

Dark-eyed junco  80

American kestrel  41

Killdeer  6

Belted kingfisher  13

Gold-crowned kinglet  31

Ruby-crowned kinglet  1 

Common loon  1

Mallard  63   

(Continues)

Yellow-bellied sapsuckers are the only winter woodpeckers that do not breed here
 photo by Rich McCarty

(continued)

Eastern meadowlark  45

Hooded merganser  18

Merlin  2

Northern mockingbird  15

Red-breasted nuthatch  3

White-breasted nuthatch  70

Barred owl  3

Eastern screech owl  6

Great horned owl  2

Ring-necked pheasant  2

Eastern phoebe  1

American Robin  4046

Yellow-bellied sapsucker  8

Lesser scaup  70

Wilson's snipe 1

Field sparrow  30

Fox sparrow  9

House sparrow  51

Song sparrow  119

Swamp sparrow  20

American tree sparrow  6

White-crowned sparrow  10

White-throated sparrow  234

European starling  5804

Green-winged teal  19

Brown thrasher  1

Hermit thrush  11

Tufted titmouse  74

Eastern towhee  19

Wild turkey  5

Black vulture  218

Turkey vulture  71

Yellow-rumped warbler  159

Cedar waxwing  311

American woodcock  4

Downy woodpecker  52

Hairy woodpecker  18

Pileated woodpecker  17

Red-bellied woodpecker  86

Red-headed woodpecker  2

Carolina wren  40

Winter wren  3

Cedar waxwings hang around in groups but are usually found by hearing their high pitch whistles
photo by Rich McCarty

It varies year to year, mostly depending on the weather of the day, on how many birds are found.  Adams Counties CBC has been lucky to have a dedicated group of returning volunteers that count the same territories each year, which helps gather a more accurate census of which birds are within the count circle.

Some common birds like Mourning doves can have high numbers during the count

Fox sparrows seem to like the ragweed fields along the floodplain of Ohio Brush Creek

Thanks to all that participate in the Adams County Christmas Bird Count, and for spending an entire day close to Christmas immersing themselves in an intense count!

Common grackle bullies other birds at a feeder during the count

Posted by Mark Zloba

Samuel James

Ambystoma jeffersonianum © Samuel James

 

You've seen his stunning photographs on this blog before, but who is he? Sam is an incredibly talented professional photographer who has become a wonderful friend to the preserve and those of us who live and work here. Sam and his family found their way into the Ohio Brush Creek Valley in 2019. We quickly made their acquaintance and the rest is history!

Frontinella pyramitela  © Samuel James

Sam has a deep love for learning and has spent the past few years literally absorbing any and all knowledge about the preserve and the Eastern Forest and all of its inhabitants: plant, animal and other. I have yet to meet another human being with such a thirst to know about the natural world. It is continually a pleasure to explore aspects of natural history with Sam. 

Pyractomena angulata and Photinus carolinus  © Samuel James

I think this is just one reason why Sam's photographs are so captivating. Sam's ability to immerse himself in whatever subject matter he is making photos of comes through like a shining beacon. Then, of course, there are some photos that for whatever the reason, are just ridiculously excellent. There is one such photo of Sam's that is being featured in an exhibit opening this Friday at Cincinnati Museum Center. It is part of a series of mind-blowing, long exposure shots of fireflies. If I didn't personally know Sam, I would have had a hard time being convinced that the photo was the real deal. You'll really have to see it for yourself. 

 Cladonia cervicornis  © Samuel James

The aforementioned exhibit, A Year on the Edge, is getting a reboot by focusing on the nocturnal happenings on the Edge of Appalachia Preserve System. The stars of this exhibit are Sam's immersive photos of a vernal pool and it's inhabitants, nocturnal and bizarre-looking caterpillars, a superhero version of a spider and the dizzying array of firefly species found on the preserve. These amazing photos are complemented with a diverse display of nocturnal animals from CMC collections that are found on the Edge. The exhibit opens this Friday, February 5, 2021. Click here for information on visiting CMC.

Terrapene carolina  © Samuel James

Sam has given a tremendous amount to the preserve and to all of us who have had the pleasure of viewing his art and spending time with him. Please take a moment to see more of Sam's work at his website, http://www.samueljamesstudio.com/.

Cercis canadensis  © Samuel James

Posted by: Robyn Wright-Strauss

Crystallofolia

The other day a friend and I happened to be at the right place at the right time. We got to see something that is a cold weather phenomenon known by several names.

Crystallofolia on dittany (Cunila origanoides). All the following photos show this phenomenon on the same species of plant shown here.

Ice doodles, frost flowers and ice ribbons are all names that have been attributed to these beautiful and ephemeral frozen sculptures. Not all these terms are the most accurate as these have nothing to do with frost and they really aren't flower or ribbons, though the names are very descriptive. Professor Emeritus Robert T. Harms (1932-2016) from the University of Texas at Austin, proposed the name, crystallofolia. Taken from Latin and Greek roots, it simply means "ice leaf". He does not take credit for this as original thought though. He points out that the term "eisblatt", which means the same thing, was used in the past by German botanists.

Regardless of what name we affix to them they are beautiful, interesting and rare. Like salamanders to a vernal pool in the spring, conditions have to be just right in order for these icy creations to form. Dr. Harms lists only a few native North American plants have been documented as being able to produce the ice formations. They include, dittany (Cunila origanoides), frostweed (Helianthemum canadense), white crownbeard (Verbesina virginica) and marsh fleabane (Pluchea odorata). Why some plants support this phenomenon and others do not is not yet settled by scientists. However, the process by which the ice is formed is known as ice segregation. I won't try and distill that process here, as I will freely admit to not quite grasping the physics of it myself. However, Dr. James R. Carter, Professor Emeritus of Illinois State University, explains the process in an excellent article about ice flowers published in American Scientist. The article is titled, Flowers and Ribbons of Ice. Here is the link, but in the case that it becomes outdated, simply use your favorite search engine.

The science behind the these sculptures is fascinating and worth learning about. These are also rare enough that they provide ample motivation to explore the outdoors on cold mornings. In the meantime, enjoy a few more photos of these amazing crystallofloia.

Posted by: Robyn Wright-Strauss

2020 Adams County Christmas Bird Count

An eastern towhee (Pipilio erythrophthalmus) puffs up in honor of another CBC.

 The Adams County Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on December 19, 2020.  This annual count finds birders in predetermined locations recording every bird they encounter, sight or sound.  

A pair of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) watch over their new nest site.

Eleven territories make up the Adams County circle.  Upwards of 22 people searched the fields and woods and neighborhoods of the county finding 76 species between 6:30am and 5:30pm on count day.  The weather was cooperative and the numbers of birds did not disappoint.  The total number of individual birds found that day was 23,625.  That's a lot of birds to count!

American tree sparrows (Spizelloides arborea) visit our area only in winter.

All habitats are searched for specific birds.  Ducks of course, as well as eagles are found near the rivers.  Fields are hang out spots for many sparrows like the American tree, white-crowned and field sparrows.

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)  Photo by Rich McCarty

Forests are checked for wintering visitors like hermit thrushes, brown creepers and golden-crowned kinglets.

Golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa) exposes its bright head stripe when excited.

Red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

This red-breasted nuthatch is another winter visitor can be found in pine stands, but more easily found visiting bird feeders eating suet and black oil sunflower seed.

Purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus)

Although many of the winter visitors can be hard to find, this year produced large numbers of seed eating birds like purple finches and evening grosbeaks.  The latter has not be found on CBC in over 25 years but 8 were seen this year. 

  

Large numbers of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were found this year including this colorful young male.

This years count had record numbers of 9 species:  ring-necked duck, black vulture, American woodcock (new this year), red-shouldered hawk, red-headed woodpecker, northern flicker, European starling, swamp sparrow and red-winged blackbirds.

Winter wrens (Troglodytes hiemalis) are extremely hard to find, and see. And harder to snap a shot of!

Downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

Above and below are a couple of our resident birds found every year on the count, so they rarely get cameras pointed in their direction.  But some birds like the downy woodpecker and American goldfinch have been counted all 40 years the count has taken place in Adams County.

American goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

One of the best places to count many birds at once is a house with bird feeders.  There you can find many common residents, or if you get lucky, find a wintering  rarity like the yellow-bellied sapsucker.

Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

Not to be confused with the red-bellied woodpecker below, which also has yellow on its belly, but red as well.  Yellow-bellieds have no red on their belly.  And most male woodpeckers have red on their heads, but it doesn't make them red-headed woodpeckers.....I know, confusing.

Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Every year some unusual birds show up and make the count exciting.  This year was the first time that American woodcocks (not pictured, only heard) were displaying right before dark as they would in March.  Never heard before in December, and new for the count, this was a pleasant surprise.  And this did not occur just in one field, but two!  Miles apart!

Here are the birds recorded on Dec. 19, 2020:

Canada goose  544

wood duck  1

American black duck  17

mallard  154

green-winged teal  1

ring-necked duck  186

bufflehead  1

lesser scaup  3

hooded merganser  27

ruddy duck  1

N. bobwhite quail  1

wild turkey  39

pied-billed grebe  1

great blue heron  10

black vulture  417

turkey vulture  5

northern harrier  1

coopers hawk  2

bald eagle  6

red-shouldered hawk  22

red-tailed hawk  45

killdeer  17

American woodcock  3

rock pigeon  177

mourning dove  640

barn owl  1

eastern screech owl  6

great horned owl  13

barred owl  4

belted kingfisher  11

red-headed woodpecker  33

red-bellied woodpecker  79

yellow-bellied sapsucker  4

downy woodpecker  41

hairy woodpecker  17

norther flicker  72

pileated woodpecker  27

American kestrel  55

eastern phoebe  2

blue jay  350

American crow  411

Carolina chickadee  120

tufted titmouse  103

red-breasted nuthatch  7

white-breasted nuthatch  53

brown creeper  6

winter wren  5

Carolina wren  64

golden-crowned kinglet  15

eastern bluebird  89

hermit thrush  5

American robin  560

brown thrasher  2

northern mockingbird  24

European starling  16121

cedar waxwing  9

yellow-rumped warbler  39

American tree sparrow  12

field sparrow  19

fox sparrow  12

dark-eyed junco  206

white-crowned sparrow  9

white-throated sparrow  128

song sparrow  75

swamp sparrow  42

eastern towhee  29

northern cardinal  281

red-winged blackbird  273

eastern meadowlark  33

common grackle  1341

brown-headed cowbird  204

house finch  8

purple finch  27

American goldfinch  101

evening grosbeak  8

house sparrow  148

White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

Winter wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)

In all, it was a great day to be outside hunting for as many bird species as possible, and our number reflected it.  Thanks to all the dedicated participants that brave the winter elements every year to record numbers for long term data curated by the Audubon Society.  

Posted by: Mark Zloba