This message is for those birders wanting more detailed information about
the Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area and Vicinity than is found on the OOS
website. See

 http://www.ohiobirds.org/birdingsites/showsite.php?Site_ID=8

If you are not familiar with the Funk area it is advisable to read the above
before proceeding.

Most of the Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area is within the "floodable easement
area" of the Mohicanville Reservoir. This reservoir is one of the "dry dam"
impoundments (read no permanent water retained) of the Muskingum Watershed
Conservancy District. Water levels behind all the Conservancy district dams
is controlled by the US Army Corps of Engineers under agreement with the
District. The primary function of these dams is flood control with other
uses being secondary. Behind the Mohicanville Dam, landowners of 8,800 of
potentially floodable acres, including about 90% of the 2,000 acres owned by
the Division of Wildlife, have no legal authority to control water levels.
In fact landowners cannot construct anything (new buildings, roads, dams,
dikes etc) within the flood easement area that will in any way diminish the
capacity of the reservoir. In other words the only way to "control"
waterlevels is to remove material therein thereby increasing water holding
capacity. One possible exception to waterlevel control is that drainage tile
can be broken, thus allowing some soil saturation and "natural ponding".
Note: agricultural cropping activities (growing trees, rowcrops or
pasturage) is allowed - completely at the owner's physical and financial
risk. The original (~ 1934) landowners were compensated for losses on a
one-time basis when the District bought the original easements.

Bottom line when it comes flooding: Flooding waters and drainage of the
same can come any time the Corp changes the level of the gates at the dam.
Thus wetland/water habitat (and birding "luck") is a function of these
changes. Water in any amount may be added or drained and/or retained at any
given time. Overall, it seems that about a 2-3" local daily rainfall or the
danger of downriver flooding causes the gates to be manipulated. Water is
usually drained as fast as the downstream flow will not exceed the
floodstages of various rivers downstream.

As such, a growing crop may be flooded 10 feet deep within a few days or
drained in a similar timeframe or left flooded for weeks at a time. Ditto
with all the roads in the easement area.

Bottom line when it comes to birding:  A few common cliques best describe
birding at Funk: It can be "the best of times" or "the worst of times".  It
can be easily stated that Funk is Ohio's best Goldilock-like birding
opportunity: Sometimes too little, sometimes too much and sometimes - just
right beyond all expectations. And lastly, yesterday's performance is not
necessarily an indication of tomorrow's success.

Best times/season's to bird at Funk.

Deep water- reservoir filled with more than 15 feet of water of a potential
32 feet - Poor except for seasonally present, vegetarian diving ducks.  High
water also closes most local roads, including SR 95 and on rare occasion SR
3.

Funk is not renown for its "fish-eating" ducks, as despite all the water
sometimes present, very few fish are present except those species such as
carp that love to live in mud and spawn in shallow water. In the case of
Funk, the area is a "spawning sink", in as much as very few eggs ever have a
chance to hatch in the short-term flood waters.

Moderate depths - as a gauge, when water almost reaches the base of causeway
on which SR 95 is constructed. Very good to seasonally excellent. Slightly
higher water will close Wilderness Road, the DOW "lane" to the Observation
Tower, and North Funk Road- in that order.

Low depths - < 5 feet. Sometimes very good (March to September), but
requires some walking (on DOW-owned land), a half-mile or more to reach
water/mud.  Warning: do not cross water patches not showing vegetation
growing up through it. Very narrow drainage ditches are often present at
"strange" places and although appear crossable, may be quite deep or worse,
filled with boot-losing/leg-retaining, very sticky mud.

No or very little water present- Good to excellent raptor wintering areas:
assuming the areas were not flooded so much in summer and fall as to kill
off rodent-attracting vegetation.

"Sky ponds" and mudflats present:  Usually present after localized (not
enough to cause gate-closures) heavy rains and for upwards of 2 weeks after
floodwaters have receded.      Excellent mid April to mid-May shorebirding.
Summer and fall shorebirding can be poor to very good, depending upon
rainfall, flooding and amount of vegetation present (less of the latter is
better).

Ideal times to visit Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area: Anytime if you are willing
to take pot-luck expecting only the unexpected.

In addition, if birding at and near Funk is less than ideal, the Killbuck
Wildlife Area is only 5-15 miles away. It is almost impossible to have a
less than average day both places. If one isn't up to expectations, the
other often exceeds them.

To date at least 29 species of waterfowl and 30 species of shorebirds have
been recorded at Funk.

Otherwise:

Waterfowl: Moderate water depths from ice-breakup (late Feb.-early March)
through mid-April and again in Oct-November, especially if corn crops in
vicinity were successful.

Shorebirds: late March to mid-May and Aug-Sept. unless you are looking for
early/late migrants which which case add a month on each end of each season.

Raptors: Late November to mid February- assuming sufficient, correct
vegetation is present

Summer breeding birds: June - July.  But spring/summer flooding often
inhibit nesting of some species. The drier the spring and summer the better
- except for marsh birds.

Lastly, be prepared for seasonal mosquitoes, especially in low-lying
areas/woodlands. They can be a real nuisance or worse when they are out and
about usually, but not limited to crepuscular hours.

Not to end on a biting note: if you are in the area just pre-daylight or
pre-dark, you might want to seasonally enjoy the Big and Little Brown Bat
Colony in the  church belfrey between April and September at Blachleyville.
Up to 1500 have been seen at one time, and there are usually at least 500
plus before the youngsters start to fly on their own. The best time is with
15 minutes after the church's mercury-vapor street light comes on in the
evening and equivalent light when it goes off in the a.m. Park in the church
parking lot just east of the church and look back into the setting sun,
using the church as a silhouette . The bats almost always exit to the north,
across SR 95 and into the trees.

Good birding!


Roger Troutman

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