At my mother's house in southwest Medina county last night I heard a bird call I could not identify. Mom says it has been calling for a week or more -- only after dark and until very late at night (at least until she finally falls asleep). She does not hear it during daylight hours. It is a lone bird, none of its calls are returned. In 31 years living there she has never heard anything similar. The call itself is a single plaintive descending shriek... 8-12 seconds apart, very loud, fairly clear. I don't believe it was an owl -- certainly none I'm familiar with. Its quality reminded me of a gull call, but much louder. I wonder if it could be some sort of misplaced domestic fowl. The calls are louder and softer, to suggest the caller is facing sometimes away and sometimes toward us. It seems to be emanating from approximately the same area every night, about 1/8 mile away, at a property that currently is unoccupied. Probably overgrown grassy and shrubby area with saplings --
 a pond and dense woods are nearby.

Any ideas?

Also, a bumper crop of NEW yard birds this year in my Copley twp. semi-rural/suburban yard:
Common yellowthroat - one was here a month ago or so and left, now another (or same?) is back - 3rd day singing on territory.
Eastern wood pewee - off and on since 5/9 -- heard it again 2 days ago. Nesting in area?
Ruby crowned kinglet - seen foraging on 6/16, as I was watching my bluebirds tend their 4 newly fledged babies.
Willlow flycatcher (lifebird) - 6/8 through 6/10
Wood thrush - two days, 5/17 & 5/18
Ovenbird - 5/14
Red headed woodpecker - 5/12 through 5/16
Hermit thrush - hung around in the pine trees for 2 days 5/12 & 5/13, then moved on.
Pine warbler (lifebird) - great looks on 5/2 & 5/3 before it continued on its way.
Yellow rumped warbler - 4/26  I've seen 10 times more YR this year than ever before! They were everywhere.
Bonaparte's gull - 10 flew over 4/19 (hey, it counts!)

How about more posts from Akron/Summit area birders...? Where are you birding? What are you finding?

Karen Gray
Summit County - Copley Twp





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