Sunday, 01/04/09, started very foggy in Cincinnati, so a long distance
drive to the lake seemed unwise.  Besides, a Common Redpoll had been
reported at Caesar Creek SP on Saturday, 01/03.  Common Redpoll is a
rare visitor this far south in Ohio, so I started the day at Caesar
Creek SP Visitor Center.  Not too long after arrival, I found the bird
sitting in the trees above the feeder, and shortly thereafter, the bird
was feeding on the ground under the feeder.  I met Frank Frick there,
and he also got to see this new bird for Ohio for his list.  This is a
great bird for SW Ohio and a good addition to a January list or a state
list!  I stopped at the prairie and viewing platform on the way back to
Route 73, and found a Purple Finch in the nearby woods mixed in with a
flock of Starlings and Robins.  The lake at Caesar Creek SP was heavily
populated with waterfowl hunters, so I stopped by Spring Valley WA.  I
met Frank again at the feeders near the parking lot for the boardwalk.
We were both checking for Fox Sparrow, but had no luck.  There did not
seem to be any hunters in the area (waterfowl hunting season), so we
checked out the boardwalk.  There were at least two Winter Wrens giving
their sharp 'kip-kip" call notes, and one came in to "pisshing", and
showed itself briefly to me.  In addition, I heard two Marsh Wrens
giving their call notes farther out in the cattails.  When I got home I
checked out Marsh Wren call notes to verified that is what I heard.  At
Roxanna, I added one drake Red-breasted Merganser and several Lesser
Scaup.  I then headed west and north to West Manchester to try for the
Eurasian Collared-Doves without success.  I then went north on SR 127 to
Celina at Grand Lake St. Marys to look for the White Pelican and for the
Eurasian Collared-Doves seen there, but was unsuccessful with both.

 

At the end of the day, my January list was 73. 

Jay

 

Jay G. Lehman

Cincinnati, OH

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