APRIL 03, 2015 - Cuyahoga Valley Monthly Towpath Census.HIKE: Red Lock Trailhead to Merriman Valley. TIME: 6:55am-3:45pm TEMP.: 48-62-52 COND.: Heavy fog/low ceiling until 10:10am; fog lifting; partly sunny from 11:20am-12:10pm; turning partly cloudy then cloudy until 1:45pm; then overcast with light sprinkles at 2:40pm changing to light rain until the end. TRAIL COND.: Wet & rutted. RIVER COND.: Higher than normal & muddy.FT.MI.: 13.0 OBS.: John Henry & Douglas W. Vogus.I. MAMMALS: 6 SPECIES.   
   - Opossum - 1 (Tied Census High on 02/2010 & 02/2011)
   - Eastern Chipmunk - 8
   - Eastern Fox Squirrel - 2
   - Red Squirrel - 14
   - Muskrat - 6 (New Census High - previous was 3 on 05/2010 & 04/2014)
   - White-tailed Deer - 8 (does)
II. BIRDS: 59 SPECIES (New High for April - previous was 57 in 2012 & 2014)(NOTE: ? = bird was seen but not sexed; * = bird was heard calling but not sexed)   
   - Canada Goose - 96 (2 nests)
   - Tundra SWan - 1 (first April record on census)
   - Wood Duck - 7 (3m,3f,1*)
   - American Black Duck - 3 (2m,1f)
   - Mallard - 27 (18m,9f)
   - Ring-necked Duck - 41 (26m,15f - New Census High - previous was 29 on 04/2013)
   - Hooded Merganser - 2 (1m,1f)
   - Wild Turkey - 1 (m)
   - Pied-billed Grebe - 1 (first April record on census)
   - Horned Grebe - 1 (New Species on Census - now at 173 Species since 01/2010)
   - Great Blue Heron - 45 (New Census High - previous was 42 on 03/2012)
   - Turkey Vulture - 17
   - Red-shouldered Hawk - 4 (Tied Census High on 11/2012 & 01/2014)
   - Red-tailed Hawk - 6 (1 immature & 2 active nests)
   - American Coot - 4 (Tied Census High on 04/2014)
   - Killdeer - 10
   - Herring Gull - 1
   - Rock Pigeon - 3
   - Mourning Dove - 12
   - Belted Kingfisher - 5 (3m,2f)
   - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 8 (1m,7*)
   - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 (m)
   - Downy Woodpecker - 16 (3m,5f,1?,7*)
   - Hairy Woodpecker - 5 (1m,3f,1*)
   - Northern Flicker - 8 (1m,7*)
   - Pileated Woodpecker - 4 (1m,3*)
   - American Kestrel - 1 (m)
   - Peregrine Falcon - 1 (m)
   - Eastern Phoebe - 10
   - Blue Jay - 28
   - American Crow - 40
   - Tree Swallow - 13
   - Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1
   - Black-capped Chickadee - 16 (1 excavating a nest hole)
   - Tufted Titmouse - 13
   - White-breasted Nuthatch - 13 (6m,1f,6*)
   - Brown Creeper - 1
   - Carolina Wren - 1
   - Winter Wren - 1 (first April record on census)
   - Golden-crowned Kinglet - 24 (2m,3f,13?,6* - New Census High - previous was 21 on 04/2012)
   - Eastern Bluebird - 9 (3m,2f,4*)
   - American Robin - 65 (1 nest)
   - European Starling - 21
   - Eastern Towhee - 7 (5m,2* - New Census High - previous was 6 on 02/2014 & 05/2014)
   - American Tree Sparrow - 2
   - Field Sparrow - 1
   - Fox Sparrow - 2
   - Song Sparrow - 86
   - Swamp Sparrow - 5
   - White-throated Sparrow - 4
   - Dark-eyed Junco - 13 (8m,4f,1*)
   - Northern Cardinal - 59 (43m,12f,4*)
   - Red-winged Blackbird - 112 (69m,3f,40?)
   - Rusty Blackbird - 4 (1m,2f,1*)
   - Common Grackle - 47
   - Brown-headed Cowbird - 12 (9m,3f)
   - House Finch - 18 (7m,7f,4* - 1 nest)
   - American Goldfinch - 23
   - House Sparrow - 16
   - Unidentified Passerines - 3
REPTILES: 4 SPECIES.   
   - Common Snapping Turtle - 4
   - Red-eared Turtle - 3
   - Midland Painted Turtle - 171
   - Northern Brown Snake - 1
AMPHIBIANS: 4 SPECIES.   
   - Northern Spring Peeper - less than 20 (heard only)
   - Western Chorus Frog - 4 (heard only)
   - Bullfrog - 3
   - Wood Frog - well over 100 (7 seen)
Douglas W. Vogus - Akron, Ohio. 

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