Ohio birders,

Rise to the challenge of Rusty Blackbird identification. Tomorrow, Saturday,
March 1, 2014 is Ohio's official launch day (with 22 other states,
additional states launch 3/15) for the Rusty Blackbird Blitz. This is
important because eBird (eBird.org) will make available to you a special
reporting protocol designed to make it easy for you to add needed data about
your Rusty Blackbird sightings. If you have not used eBird in the past, now
is a great time to start using this important free tool for citizen science.
Beginning tomorrow, when you mouse-click the "Submit Observations" button
along the top toolbar, you will have the option to choose the RUBL protocol.
This is very similar to the past effort during fall migration a couple years
ago. If you participated then, you are ready for tomorrow--just review your
RUBL ID skills (I find them by sound, often).

Rusty Blackbirds forage the feathered-edge of woodland pools (if salamanders
like, rusties like it), mucky ground near shrubby wetlands, wetlands of all
sorts, wet wooded flats, farm fields with waste corn, occasionally at
feeders, and, like cowbirds, often with redwing and grackle flocks. Listen
for their calls (tyuk) and soft gurgling, partial or even full songs (ending
in high pitch ascending whistle) amid the raucous clatter of blackbird
flocks.

Russ Greenburg, champion for recognizing and acting upon the 90%+ decline in
RUBL populations in the past forty years described Rusty Blackbirds as
"champion leaf-tossers." Rusties walk along, ankle deep, and search sticks,
leaves, logs and debris with deliberate intensity, often nudging and
flipping debris in search of invertebrates, acorns, and the like.

We lost Russ to illness recently, but his determined effort to resolve
causes and solutions for the decline of rusties goes on through research by
an excellent team of scientists and through your personal efforts.

Let's go find rusties and get them reported using the new protocol.

Good birding

Tom Bain
OOS Conservation


-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom
Bain
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 7:16 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Rusty Blackbird 'Spring' Migration Blitz

Calling all birders!

They're baaack... a trickle of Rusty Blackbirds, our declining woodland
"shorebird" is returning northward. The McNulty's report early arrivals
below. I recorded my first individual bird yesterday calling with a duo of
redwings in a backyard tree.

You can help researchers better understand the poorly understood spring
movement of this species by reporting you observations in detail using
eBird. Please report all RUBL sightings. Researchers seek additional data
about habitats, associations, group sizes, locations, etc.

Online resources are available to assist you. Start here:
http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/

You may need to type the location directly into your browser, or just search
"Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz" More later...

Tom Bain
OOS Bird Conservation Chair

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bob
and Elaine McNulty
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2014 9:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Rusty blackbirds in Gahanna

We had at least 8 rusty blackbirds in the field and in our tree line behind
our house (a benefit of having a soggy, leafy natural area) They shared the
field with a large number of robins, red winged blackbirds, starlings and
flickers.

We have also observed a pair of red shouldered hawks calling and circling
above our subdivision for several days now.   Mostly along Venetian Way or
Riva Ridge Blvd.

Bob and Elaine McNulty

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at
www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at
www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]