October 14, 2007

I got out his morning for about a solid forty-five minutes in the "back forty" of our upland farm. The "back forty" is actually about six acres of successional field. I wasn't really planning to spend that much time in one place during the walk but once I arrived there it was obvious I had to spend a little time. Sparrows were everywhere in the weeds and scrub, a conservative estimate being two hundred birds. Almost all were white-throated sparrows, except for maybe half a dozen song sparrows among the thirty birds I saw well enough to identify.

Jane and I walked through this patch yesterday morning as well, with no such birds. My guess is this overnight arrival represents the southward push of the surge seen at the North Coast a couple days ago. There is no particular concentration of white-throated at the feeders. I have only seen one there today.

Since I arrived home on Tuesday night (after three weeks in California) I have seen no juncos here. This somewhat mirrors my experience with Spring migrants. Juncos are being seen elsewhere in the state, even at lower latitudes. Our juncos have yet to arrive. In the Spring common yellowthroats, hooded warblers, etc. will be seen throughout the state before our local breeders arrive. Maybe it reflects late arrival to a marginal patch of land, or maybe it is just that "our" birds are late movers.  This is pretty average Appalachian upland and ravine with nothing special to make it a trap for migrants, but it is still a destination for the seasonal populations. 

Last month, September 15, ( this is a very late report) I saw an orange-crowned warbler in the lower reaches of the field where all the sparrows were today. I have become accustomed to seeing this species in southern California, where I have spent more time the past couple years than I have at home. (Hey, sometimes you have to work.) In SoCal, orange-crowned warblers are rather common in "Winter," the rainy season, and they are brighter that our rather nondescript regional population. But birds in both places move in the same distinctive way through the shrubbery and undergrowth, using a fluttering motion described as hover-gleaning. This helped me make the ID. I have probably seen these guys in Ohio before, but I have always lacked confidence in the ID. Now I think I get it.

Orange-crowned warbler is the 124th species for the 57 acre farm.

Wednesday and Thursday (10/10 & 10/11) there was a red-breasted nuthatch visiting the feeder for sunflower and occasional suet. I never saw more than one at a time, although there were (and still are) many white-breasted nuthatches using the feeders.

A red-shouldered hawk has been cruising around this stretch of the Flint Ridge upland the past week. I have seen or heard it almost every day, including today. Last Thursday a Cooper's hawk swooped on an infestation of house sparrows sitting on my tractor. Go get 'em Coopie! This afternoon about one, I was out in the front yard and saw a kestrel take off from our big poplar and fly out over the alfalfa field across the road, calling its rapid-fire, two-syllable screech. 

While I was watching the sparrows this morning, a pair of pileated woopeckers flew across the field, from one wooded ravine to another. I always thrill at seeing these birds. Later I heard drumming, kind of reminiscent of early Spring.

Bluebirds are present and singing.

It's good to be home, which I will be most days for the next week.

Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County
DeLorme 70 A1

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