Today on the boardwalk around dawn I heard a Northern Saw-whet Owl calling
from the east end area (my first ever). Kim Kaufman found a Saw-whet Owl
pellet under one of our Red Cedar trees 2 days ago at the Black Swamp Bird
Observatory. So these little owls are still coming through the marsh people.
Keep checking all the thickets and evergreen trees.



Dan & Barb Myers had 2 Golden Eagles, an Osprey, a Merlin, about 9 American
Kestrels, one Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawks, Coopers and
Sharp-shinned Hawks from the observation tower near the bird center
yesterday to mention a few. I had a Northern Harrier in the marsh today
along with several Bald Eagles. Three young eagles were chasing each other
and all the ducks around for fun it seemed.



There were lots of ducks this morning in the marsh and on the small pond at
the boardwalk. Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard,
Blue-winged & Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler,

Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, American Coots, and Hooded Mergansers.
Killdeer were flying all-over the place.



Benton Carroll Road (Ottawa NWR property) and the diked-in marsh still had
several pairs of Northern Pintail, American Black Ducks, Blue-winged and
Green-winged Teal. Still present were a few yellowlegs.



Tree Swallows were in good numbers on the boardwalk, but only in the south
areas, deep in the shrubs where they were out of the cold wind. Brown
Creepers, Winter Wrens, Golden-crowned Kinglets, American Robins, Fox and
Tree Sparrows, Red-winged and Rusty Blackbirds were in good numbers as were
Common Grackles. One male Purple Finch braved the cold and wind while
singing by his favorite White Ash Tree. Love those Canoe paddle-shaped
seeds. Several Northern Flickers and Downy Woodpeckers were also calling in
the cold wind.



The gravel walking trail near the observation tower (by the Sportsman's
Migratory Bird Center) had lots of singing Fox Sparrows and Yellow-rumped
Warblers. One Blue jay was actually fly-catching from branch to branch.
After looking closer, he was eating those large midge flies that hatch-out
in springtime. These guys were sitting on the thin branches and as the Blue
jay jumped, they flew and he caught them in mid air. It was really funny to
watch this large bird fly-catch on such thin branches of a small maple tree.
Food is getting scarce and when most of the berries, nuts, and seeds are
gone, they eat whatever they can.



Hugh and Judy Rose have Barn Swallows on their property now. They live just
past Route 19 off of Route 2 only a few of miles from Magee Marsh. They had
Red-winged Blackbirds fly-catching yesterday too.



The Window on Wildlife at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory had several
White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows this morning.



That's all for now,



Christopher J. Knoll

Education Director

Black Swamp Bird Observatory

13551 West State Route 2

Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449

Website: www.bsbobird.org

Phone: 419-898-4070

Fax: 419-898-1363




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