I'm still scouting Block 59C6CW in northern Licking Co. for any potential
red-tailed hawk nests, which should be visible until the trees leaf out. I
found four possibilities, and one almost certainly was used last summer, as
it is within 100 yards of where I saw what I believed at the time was a very
young red-tail. However, I'm not good at ID when it comes to aging a hawk,
and I tend to err on the side of caution.
I spoke with the landowner where I saw the first possible nest last week,
and was told that three bald eagles used the tree in which the nest was
located, all winter. He has not seen any birds in the vicinity since
mid-March, at least, or possibly longer ago than that. The nest does not
appear to have current residents.
I did see:
At Smoots Lake (private)
A pair of Canada goose
A pair of ruddy ducks
A possible red-shouldered hawk, but didn't see well enough for positive ID
A belted kingfisher in an unlikely spot - very small drainage stream through
a cultivated field
A flock of about 20 wild turkeys in a corn field
Lots of field sparrows singing on territory
Lots of eastern towhees - also singing
2 brown thrashers, both singing (different locations in the same block)
1 northern mockingbird
Many pileated woodpeckers - calling, two drumming
Northern flickers - several
Downy woodpeckers
Red-bellied woodpeckers
All the regulars: robins, cardinals, chickadees, etc.
Passing through:
3 fox sparrows (possibly more, all together)
A lot of brown creepers
Based on today's observations, I think spring is just about here!
Margaret Bowman
Licking Co., OH
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