It turned out to be a great day for birding in western Holmes County.  Red breasted nuthatches are still visiting the sunflower seed feeders and a group of six white-throated sparrows made their presence known by sight and song. A lone junco is still about. 

New visitors include red-wing blackbirds - odd as we really don't have red-wing habitat, but they are here in small numbers.  Male and female purple finches are making a frequent appearance as well as an increase in goldfinches and house finches.  Phoebes arrived in mid-March and a brown thrasher has been singing his heart out and frequenting our sheep pasture. 

Today we heard the arrival of the house wren, a first of the season. However, the icing on the cake was seeing a mature bald eagle fly overhead while mushroom hunting in a ravine near our home.  It was pure luck that I decided to put my binoculars on him.  His white head and tail were easy to see. The eagle lazily circled to the east of us which afforded my husband and 4 year old some great looks at this magnificent bird.  

To top that off, we paid a visit to a friend that lives on Township Road 464 next to where the old bald eagles nest was located in western Holmes County and only about 10 - 15 minutes from our house.  What a birding paradise!  Sitting in a tree across from his driveway was a mature bald eagle!  Two in one day (or it could have been the one flying over our house)!  Another highlight was a beautiful red-headed woodpecker which is nesting in a tree snag in his backyard.  

Other birds of the day included: 

Red-tailed hawk, cooper's hawk, tree and barn swallows, canada geese, great blue heron, a pair of wood ducks and a yellowlegs, bluebirds, red-wing blackbirds, and grackles. 

There's no place like home! Happy birding! 

Michele Skolmutch, between Nashville & Glenmont, Holmes County, Ohio.

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