Bird sightings you won't have in summer!
PGBird
Good afternoon, fellow birders!
It's a sunny day as I write the first edition of Lake Metroparks
birding e-mail for 2010 -- a new decade of birding has begunl!!
I've been thinking the past few days about birding experiences that we
can only have in the winter. If you read the daily postings on the e-
mail (http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OHIO.html#1197550945) bird
list serve, you'll read about gulls or ducks or unusual vagrants being
sighted somewhere in Ohio. Right now there is a report of a hermit
thrush at Lakeview Cemetary yesterday.
This past Saturday, I went down to Hayes Rd. (which runs parallel to
Rt. 528) east of Middlefield to seek out the winter birds that are
usually present in the Amish farm fields. Sure enough, several strips
of fresh manure on snow bound fields yielded snow buntings and horned
larks. Then finally, on our second trip along the road, we spotted a
rough-legged hawk -- it was the only one of the day, but it was
beautifully marked and put on a great show of kestral-like hovering in
it's quest over the corn stubble for a mouse. If you've never visited
that area, think about tagging along with the folks from Blackbrook
Audubon this Saturday, 1/17 on their annual winter field trip down
there -- they will meet at 9 a.m. at Best Lake parking lot on Rt. 44
south of Chardon. If you need more information, call Jim McConnor at
440-257-2507.
Here are some upcoming birding opportunities with Lake Metroparks.
Saturday, January 23, Pat Morse will be leading a monthly BIRD WALK AT
THE GLEN (FREE) in Penitentiary Reservation in Kirtland -- birders of
all levels are welcome! In addition, Andy Avram will host an OWL
PROWL ($5) at Girdled Road Reservation on Saturday evening, January 29
from 7 to 9 p.m. You likely find a barred owl, and maybe screech or
great horned owls. You can register for either of these programs by
calling registration at 440-358-7275!
On Saturday, January 23 from noon to 5 p.m., there will be a WINTER
BIRD OPEN HOUSE at Penitentiary Glen Nature Center in Kirtland. It's
a free event, no registration is necessary. You'll learn all about
the birds at your winter feeders, what to feed them and what feeders
work best. There will be a drawing for free bird-related prizes, a
kid-friendly bird scavenger hunt, and a chance to help count the birds
at the Window on Wildlife feeders for the national Project Feeder
Watch. For more information, call 440-256-1404. Sounds like a good
family activity!!
Finally, friends in Madison has a first ever bird event at their
feeder this past weekend when a dozen male bluebirds showed up just
before dusk. Early the next morning, they were back for more. What a
thrill to have those beauties sitting just outside the kitchen
window. The birds were likely enjoying some currants that were on
the feeder. This raises a question I'll always have -- how do the
birds know when you've put out their favorite food -- are they
checking every day? It's probably a question without an anwer, but
it's fun to contemplate.
Good birding!!
Mary Huey
Interpretive Naturalist
Lake Metroparks
mh...@lakemetroparks.com