2:30 PM- Jan. 18, 2007: Drove out of Fremont, Ohio in Sandusky Co. heading
East on Rt. 6. Just finished recording at my backyard bird feeding station:
16 House Sparrows
3 WB Nuthatches
11 House Finches
2 Gold Finches
5 Cardinals
1 Song Sparrow
8 Dark Eyed Juncos
1 Carolina Wren
While traveling East on Rt. 6, saw 2 immature Bald Eagles gliding down the
Sanduskcy River and recorded 9 Crows. Came to CR 265 by Racoon Creek
(marked on highway) and headed north on 265. There are three private
marshes here, about a quarter mile on CR 265. I've seen Tundra Swans there
earlier this fall, but it's frozen over now, so no ducks, geese, or swans
seen. Tallied 21 Canada Geese flying over, though, and counted 10 Robins
in the woods bordering these marshes. A lone Red-Tail Hawk was drifting
over the marsh when I left.
4:00 PM- Drove for several minutes on Rt. 6 and turned north on CR 254,
which borders the Western edge of Pickerel Creek WA 38(B2). I almost
always see Bald Eagles at the dead end of this road, by the woods area.
Saw none today, but 5 Tree Sparrows rose out of the thickets to see this
stranger was. Several Ring-Billed Gulls flew overhead. Saw many ducks
flying to the East in the distance, but couldn't make out the species.
Drove back on Rt. 6 and went to the Pickerel Creek observation platform.
Tallied 32 Canada Geese and 20 RB gulls in distance. The vast expanse of
marsh was frozen over. Saw a tremendous flock of ducks to the East, but
couldn't make out species. There were at least 1,000 ducks. Left and
headed East on Rt. 6 in hopes of running into huge flock of ducks. Turned
left on TR 280 and drove north on it to the dead end on Sandusky Bay,
which is the East edge of Pickerel Creek. The eagle nest by White's
Landing was visible in the trees further East, in the distance. Pareked by
the locked gate and hiked along the dike in Pickerel Creek. Saw saw 1
Northern Harrier, 2 RT hawks, and 8 Snow Buntings. The Buntings were in a
thick line of tall grasses bordering the marsh.
4:20 PM- Drove back onto Rt. 6, headed East, passed an American Kestrel on
the telephone pole line, then came to TR 290 and drove north into White's
Landing. The eagle nest I saw previously was to the West of me now and a
large Adult Bald Eagle was perched in the nest. Counted 48 House Sparrows
and half as many Starlings perched on a telephone pole wire (yuch). At the
end of TR 290 is a 90-degree turn by the Sandusky Bay. Tallied 25 Common
Mergansers. Continued around the turn and followed TR 290 to Willow Point
WA. Saw 2 RT Hawks at entrance, then followed gravel road to end at
Sandusky Bay (desolate place). Out in the bay were 4 Red-breasted
mergansers, 6 VERY wild mallards, and 1 Cardinal. Left at drove to
Castalia Pond 38(A3). There, I recorded 83 mallards, 33 Northern
Shovelers, 10 Black Ducks, 13 Gadwalls, 5 Buffleheads (3 female and 2
males), and 55 American Widgeons.
Total in this 3 hour, 30 trek was 27 species:
64 House Sparrows
3 WB Nuthatches
11 House Finches
2 Gold Finches
6 Cardinals
1 Song Sparrow
8 Dark Eyed Juncos
1 Carolina Wren
9 Crows
53 Canada Geese
3 Bald Eagles
10 Robins
5 Red-Tail Hawks
5 Tree Sparrows
55 Ring-billed gulls
8 Snow Buntings
1 Northern Harrier
1 American Kestrel
24 Starlings
4 Red-breasted mergansers
25 Common mergansers
89 Mallards
33 Northern Shovelers
10 Black Ducks
13 Gadwalls
5 Buffleheads
55 American Widgeon
In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence.
- Robert Lynd
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