Howdy All,

On Wednesday, 01/21/09, at lunch-time, I visited the Cincinnati Nature
Center and found five Pine Siskins under the feeders.  Pine Siskin is #
101.

 

On Saturday, 01/24/09, I stayed in SW Ohio.  I looked for Wild Turkey
along Route 50 near Perintown several times throughout the day without
success, and checked without success several times for the Eastern
Phoebe on nearby Round Bottom Road at Round Bottom Recycling.  The
Eastern Phoebe had been reported there on Sunday, 01/18.  I checked
Meldahl Dam for the Peregrine falcon that has been reported there off
and on during January, but without success.  I visited East Fork SP at
South Beach, where I found about 30 Canada Geese, 50 Mallards, 6 Black
Ducks and one drake Northern Pintail.  These were far out on the lake
requiring a scope.  This flock was scattered near the saddle dam, far
removed from some waterfowl hunters who were set up in a blind well to
the east.  On the way into the beach I saw a beautiful Red-shouldered
Hawk perched and hunting at the edge of the woods across from the park
headquarters office.  I also checked the I-275 bridge across the Ohio
River for the Peregrine Falcon that is occasionally seen perched there,
but also without success.  Then I headed to Spring Valley WA.  I arrived
at about 2:00 pm.  I walked the trail to the boardwalk looking for the
open water where the Virginia rail had been seen on Thursday evening by
John Hull.  No luck there.  Then I checked the location to the northeast
of the boardwalk at the beaver dam where two Virginia Rails had been
seen by Shane Eggleston and John Habig.  In at least two previous
Januarys, I have seen Virginia Rail at this location, but not on
Saturday.  I checked this spot at least three times over about two hours
between walking to other locations at SVWA.  An adult Red-shouldered
Hawk with a full crop flew over the beaver dam area and landed nearby
during one visit.  Somewhat later, another adult Red-shouldered Hawk
flew over the trail back to the parking lot.  This one did not have a
full crop, so it could have been a different bird.  I checked the trail
to the boardwalk one last time.  I found the open water right near the
beginning of the boardwalk, where a Virginia Rail had been seen
previously.  Just for fun, I walked out the boardwalk to the end.  On my
way back to the parking, at about 4:40 - 4:45 pm a Virginia Rail was at
the open water spot!!  It was standing on the ice with its head
completely immersed in the water, apparently feeding.  I tried to take
some pictures but it was impossible, because the bird preferred to stay
hidden behind the bushes and dead cattails.  It was fun playing "hide
and seek" with this bird!  Eventually, the rail tired of this game and
ran quickly across the ice to the heavy cattails further from the trail.
Virginia Rail is #102.  At 5:15 pm, the Fox Sparrow was still under the
feeders at the parking lot.  I stayed at SVWA at dusk and tried for
Barred Owl and Screech Owl but without success.

 

On Sunday, I started late, as I was tired, and tried again for Wild
Turkey and Eastern Phoebe at the locations checked on Saturday, but
again without success.  I ended the day at dusk at the Fort Miami Power
Plant near Shawnee Lockout Park.  I did not find a Peregrine Falcon.
However, there was a Great Horned Owl perched up on the red and white
striped stack at the DuPont facility right next to the power plant.  The
owl was perched on a walkway railing that is part-way up the stack.  I
have to wonder what impact this GHOW may have on the nesting success of
Peregrine Falcons at the power plant.  In the early days of peregrine
re-introduction, Great Horned Owl, preyed on inexperienced peregrines at
night if they roosted on the top of exposed perches.   

 

Yesterday, Tuesday, 01/027/09, I checked Turtle Creek Road, west of the
I-71 underpass, in a corn field on the right.  I found 28 Wild Turkeys
there at 3:00 pm.  This is a location that John Habig told me about, but
he indicated that he hadn't seen them there recently.  I suspect that
with the snow yesterday, they returned to the cornfields to find food.
Wild Turkey is #103.  Between 4:15 and 5:00 pm, I walked the trail on
the left at the Old Newtown Golf Course across from Bass Island Park,
where Chipping Sparrows were found on the CBC and recently one was seen
and photographed there by Mark Gilsdorf on Sunday, 01/25/09.  Mixed in
with a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows and Tree Sparrows, I
found one winter plumage Chipping Sparrow.  I believe that I saw a
second one but not as well as the first one.  Chipping Sparrow is #104.
See Cincinnati Birds, Message Board for details about this location, a
link to a photograph and details about my sighting.

 

Perhaps the fun (drama!) will continue on Saturday, this weekend.

 

Jay G. Lehman

Cincinnati, OH

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