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January 2009

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From:
Robert Royse <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Robert Royse <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:38:04 -0800
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Local birding has been good for me the past few days. On the 14th a Common Grackle stopped at my feeder. Yesterday, Jan. 14th, my feeder joined the list of hosts of Chipping Sparrows. The CHIPPING SPARROW was still present this morning. Yesterday along the bike path on the other side of the Scioto River 5 WOOD DUCKS were present. I didn't check it out today, but I would guess that most of this stretch of the Scioto is frozen now since it wasn't moving fast. Most of the ducks along this part of the Scioto are now probably concentrated below Griggs or Greenlawn Dams now I would think.

This morning I was very happy to add a new species onto my "backyard" list when 4 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen in a spruce just out of my front door. I saw them around 8:00 and couldn't relocate them. They could have just been moving through on their way to West Virginia or they could be roaming the area. There are quite a lot of spruces and hemlocks loaded with cones here and across the river in Grandview, but they're spread over a large area. 

Today's plan was to to head to Shawnee for some photography, but the crossbills delayed me a while and I didn't make it there until 11:00. I tried to check out some different areas than my last visit, but the dirt roads on the ridges were icy and I didn't want to risk getting stuck up there without 4 wheel drive. I basically saw the same species as my last visit but more Pine Siskins and Red-breasted Nuthatches were seen today. I saw 3 groups of about 6-8 siskins - all were feeding in sweet gums. I counted 8 Red-br Nuthatches, which is probably only the tip of the iceberg for them. Most were seen along the Upper Twin Creek, but some were in other areas as well. Hermit Thrushes are unbelievably numerous there. I saw about 25 of them today also. It was to see at least one E. Phoebe hanging in there along a frozen stream. The valleys get shady very early at this time of year, and my visit was way too short.

On the way home I found that mother lode of blackbirds. Flying over the Scioto and Rt. 104 near Jasper were Common Grackles in the tens, possibly hundreds of thousands. They were already passing overhead flying east to west as far as the eye could see when I got there. They seemed to be about 95% Common Grackles with some Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds mixed in. The light was too dim to try to pick any Rusties out of that group.

About 2 thousand of ducks were concentrated at the little bit of open water at Lake White. The ducks were probably keeping the water open. Mallards and Canada Geese dominated the numbers, but there were also Am Black Duck, Am. Wigeon, N Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Canvasbacks, C. Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, and Ruddy Ducks.  I didn't see the Snow Geese from a few days ago.

It was about 6:00 when I got to Chillicothe and the light was dim, but 4 Snow Geese were easy to pick out with a quick glance in the borrow pit on the E side of Rt. 23 just S of Chillicothe. Thousands of waterfowl were there, conspicuously more than Lake White. I couldn't tell if there was any open water as I passed by. If there was, it wasn't much. Most of the ducks looked to be sitting on the ice.

Bob Royse



Robert Royse
[log in to unmask]
www.roysephotos.com

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