I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but the codes to me really still are very subjective depending on where you live. I hate driving very far, and that really does mean effort to me (and expense considering the price of gas nowadays). My very subjective criteria for numbers would be the following :


1 - Birds seen at least 75% of the time in the right habitat at the right time of year without any effort within a 1/2 drive. This could include areas along the Scioto River in Columbus, any Columbus Metropark (except Clear Creek),  the 
Hoover and Deer Creek Reservoirs and surrounding areas, Stage's Pond, the Hebron Fish Hatchery, and anywhere else in Franklin County, northern Pickaway County and eastern Madison County.

2 - Birds seen 25% to 75% of the time in the above areas during the right time of the year in the right habitat. Birds that can be found 75% of the time or more within a 1 hour 15 minute drive. These additional places could include Scioto 
Trail, Tar Hollow, and Zaleski State Forests, Killdeer Plains, Big Island, and Tri-Valley Wildlife Areas, Buck Creek State Park, and anywhere in Delaware, Marion, Licking, or Hocking Counties and southern parts of Pickaway and 
Wyandot Counties.

3 -  Birds that may be scarcer or harder to see, but can be usually found anually in the right time and place close to home. Birds easily found in a longer drive to places at the edges of Ohio such as anywhere along Lake Erie, Crown City and Spring 
Valley Wildlife Areas, Shawnee State Forest, Adams County, Caesar Creek Reservoir, and the Cincinnati area. 

4 - Birds that require a special trip or special effort to see or a lot of driving, or they won't be seen annually. A few review list species might fall into this category.

5 - Birds that are hard to find even with special effort.  This may include both review list and non-review list species.

6 - Review list birds I've seen only once or twice Ohio. Birds I have never seen in Ohio. This list might include a few non-review list species.


Based on the above I would probably give some birds like Dickcissel a "1" since they're a gimme at Deer Creek in the summer. Great Black-backed Gull would be a "3". Ruffed Grouse would be a 2 or 3, since it requires much less time and effort for me to see one than a Gr B-b Gull.  A review list species like Ross's Goose I would probably give a "4", since they're not that hard to find with a little effort. I would give Sabine's Gull a "6" even though it's not a review list species. I've never seen one in Ohio.  As I said, it's all very subjective.

Bob Royse


Robert Royse
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www.roysephotos.com

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