Well Matt, sounds like you were downstream while we were upstream from
Eldon Russell Park tending the prothonotaries.

We heard a black-billed cuckoo and saw a yellow-billed cuckoo along
with a pileated woodpecker, spotted sandpiper and many redstarts which
are very plentiful.
Good to hear about the sandhills.  We've been hearing them in that
vicinity during the (too) many weeks of high water.

Along the river from ERP to the first bend beyond Bridge Creek, we're
getting redstarts, red-eyed vireo's, yellow-thr. vireos, warbling
vireos, great-crested flycatcher, kingbird, phoebe, wood pewee, least
and (near the landing) Acadian flycatchers; tree swallows, grackles,
gnatcatchers, veeries, woodthrush, catbirds, rb grosbeaks, B orioles,
song sparrows, yellow warblers, yellowthroats, tanagers, redwings,
downies, hairies, flickers, red-bellied woodpeckers.  Barred owl
nested near the restrooms, fledged at least one young with an adult
barred killed and plucked on the rail fence, probably a great horned
owl.  Had lots of blackpolls the last 2 weeks of May, the high water
kept the solitary sandpipers from occupying the river for the month of
May as they annually do.

Prothonotary tally to date:  7 nests in jars, at least 3 in natural
cavities.

Dan Best


On Jun 4, 2011, at 1:46 PM, Matt Valencic wrote:

> My son and I canoed/birded about 1.5 miles of the upper Cuyahoga River
> starting at Eldon Russell Park and going downstream.  A beautiful
> morning to
> be on the river.  You can move your boat well into the trees on
> either side
> of the river making for some interesting birding.
>
>
>
> Lots of expected birds but the best were:
>
>
>
> Protonotary Warbler - 7 - at least 3 using Dan Best's artificial
> nesting
> cavities. Some great pics
>
> Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 3 - feeding actively in the upper 1/3 of
> maple trees.
> It appeared that one of the birds mounted another for about 10 - 15
> seconds.
> Mating??
>
> E. Kingbird - 3 - one sitting on nest that is currently over water
>
> Sandhill Crane - 3 that took flight as we rounded the first curve.
> Never
> seen again.
>
>
>
> There are new trees down in the  river just downstream from the boat
> launch
> but you can canoe/kayak around by staying far right or far left.
>
>
>
>
>
> Matt Valencic
>
> Chagrin Falls, OH
>
>
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