The Black Swamp Bird Observatory Annual Banquet field trips to Ottawa N.W.R.
and Metzger Marsh were today. Kenn Kaufman, Mark Shieldcastle, Phil Chaon,
member of the OYBC, Bill Heck (BSBO board member), and I had a wonderful
morning of birds and birders from all over. Even our quest speaker, Norman
Smith from Massachusetts joined us. He really enjoyed seeing 3 American
Kestrels today. Massachusetts has only 1 nesting pair left in the entire
state and that couple is in downtown Boston. The leading cause of the
American Kestrel decline in Massachusetts is the increase of Cooper's Hawks
who ARE EATING the American Kestrels. They are finding the kestrel remains
in Cooper's Hawk nests. WOW
Norman Smiths 25 years of banding Snowy Owls at Logan Airport is legendary.
His program on Snowy Owls at our banquet was just amazing and very touching
as his 2 children have been helping him since they were two or three years
old! Later, while in high school, his daughter decided to do a banding
project on Northern Saw-whet Owls in an area where there wasn't suppose to
be any migrating owls! Even her dad was scratching his head! Well, this
young woman, (thinking outside the box) produced ground-breaking and
stunning results. Birding clubs told her that no migrating owls pass through
the area and none have been seen here. Believing it was the perfect place,
with the right winds during migration, she put-up her nets and began her
program. She was also able to get a grant for $5000.00 dollars for night
vision equipment. The birding world became amazed with her catches of
well-over two thousand N. Saw-whet Owls. The night vision equipment showed
that many more owls were flying over the nests and/or bouncing-off or just
going around the nets. She also banded a large amount of Long-eared, as well
as two Barn, a Barred, and many Eastern Screech Owls. She also banded a
variety of hawks to boot at that location during her high school years. Then
she tried her parents yard and guess what, she caught Northern Saw-whet
Owls! Both Smiths continue their incredible work banding owls and hawks and
our hats are off to them.
Thank you so much Mr. Norman Smith for that memorable program. We will never
forget you and your wonderful studies of Snowy Owls and other birds of prey
in Massachusetts. Your research and results from that dedicated work are
incredible. I never thought I could learn so much from one program.
Last word of thought! Getting our youth involved with nature and wildlife,
is one of Norman Smiths and the Black Swamp Bird Observatories greatest
goals and were are making it come true. Get back to nature people; it's a
great way to live.
Here is our bird list for today from Metzger and Ottawa National Wildlife
Refuge.
1. Canada Geese - both places
2. Mute Swan - Metzger
3. Trumpeter Swan - both places
4. Tundra Swan - Metzger
5. Wood Duck - 2 flyovers at Ottawa
6. Gadwall - both places
7. American Wigeon - both places
8. American Black Duck - Ottawa
9. Mallard - both places
10. Northern Shoveler - Ottawa
11. Northern Pintail - Metzger
12. Green-winged Teal - both places
13. Canvasback - Metzger
14. Redhead - both places
15. Ring-necked Duck - both places
16. Lesser Scaup - Metzger
17. Bufflehead - both places
18. Hooded Merganser - Ottawa
19. Common Merganser - Metzger
20. Ruddy Duck - Metzger
21. Pied-billed Grebe - both places
22. Horned Grebe - both places
23. Great Blue Heron - both places
24. Great Egret - (2) - Ottawa parking lot
25. Black-crowned Night Heron - Metzger
26. Bald Eagle - both places
27. Northern Harrier - Metzger
28. Red-tailed Hawk - Ottawa
29. American Coot - both places
30. Sandhill Cranes - 4 - calling and flying; Ottawa
31. Killdeer - both places
32. Wilson's Snipe - Ottawa
33. Ring-billed Gull - Ottawa
34. Herring Gull - Metzger
35. Mourning Dove - both places
36. Great-horned Owl on nest - Ottawa
37. Red-bellied Woodpecker - Ottawa
38. Downy Woodpecker - both places
39. N. Flicker - both places
40. American Crow - Ottawa
41. Horned Lark - Metzger
42. Tree Swallow - Ottawa
43. Winter Wren - Metzger
44. American Robin - both places
45. Yellow-rumped Warbler - Ottawa parking lot fly-over
46. European Starling - Metzger
47. American Tree Sparrow - Ottawa
48. Song Sparrow - both places
49. White-throated Sparrow - Metzger
50. Northern Cardinal - both places
51. RWBB - both places
52. Eastern Meadowlark - Metzger
53. Rusty Blackbird - Ottawa
54. C. Grackle - both places
55. Brown-headed Cowbird - Metzger
56. American Goldfinch - 1 male - Ottawa
Later birding fans,
Chris Knoll
Education Director
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Call us anytime: 419-898-4070
Christopher J. Knoll
Education Director
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
13551 West State Route 2
Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449
Phone: 419-898-4070
Fax: 419-898-1363
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