May 17, 2009
All the rest is just details: a Kirtland’s Warbler was found and 
photographed just shy of 1:00 afternoon by young birder Andy Johnson, and as 
word spread the boardwalk cleared while the trail behind the Sportmen’s 
Migratory Bird Center filled with displaced birders.  A team of BSBO guides 
arrived at Oak Openings at 1:10 and left at 1:15 (no crossbills flew over 
during those five minutes) after receiving the Kirtland’s call.  Large 
numbers of birders scoured the woods early in the afternoon, with the 
tension mounting as time went on and climaxing at 3:00 as the news went out 
that Special K had been relocated in the same area where it had originally 
been found.  Over 50 birders hurried to the spot and got on this highly 
sought (and remarkably skulky) endangered species, before it once again 
vanished.  It was briefly resighted by Michael Retter at 3:30, then not 
heard from again.  Many birders gave up the chase, but then, at seven 
o’clock when Iain Campbell, who also relocated it the first time, came 
through again.  Those who were persistent enough to stick around (or quick 
enough to make it from the boardwalk) got to enjoy wonderful views as it fed 
in spruce and pine trees along the southwest side of the pond behind the 
Bird Center.  A quick analysis of photos afterwards (just on the camera’s 
LCD screen) led us to believe that it is probably a first spring male, 
rather than a female as initially believed.  

Equally interesting, but significantly less tickable, were two bizarre 
sparrows near marker 3 on the boardwalk.  One is perhaps a melanistic 
White-throated Sparrow (on day two of its stay), with a remarkable pattern 
of dark gray on its face and underparts.  The other, who kept company with 
the aforementioned “dusky” sparrow and a couple of normal White-throats, 
showed a strange combination of characters typical of both White-throated 
and White-crowned Sparrows.  

Now for the “normal” birds.  While warblers were still present in 
awesome numbers, thrushes, vireos, and flycatchers were all down from 
yesterday.  Canada, Wilson’s, and Bay-breasted Warblers were particularly 
well-represented today (giving typically ridiculous in-your-face views), 
while Nashville, Tennessee, and Black-throated Green hang on in only very 
small numbers.  A couple of Mourning Warblers were their usually elusive 
selves, at time posing like catwalk models and as times vanishing like a 
rail into the undergrowth. A more cooperative Mourning Warbler was seen in 
the same area as the Kirtland’s.  Gray-cheeked Thrush continues to show 
uncharacteristically well.  Willow Flycatchers seem to have begun setting up 
territories around Magee Marsh; a silent Acadian was carefully studied at 
the boardwalk’s little loop.  The boardwalk parking lot—always a 
hotspot—hosted the day’s Black-billed Cuckoo and continues to be an 
excellent place to see Cape May Warbler.  

If the Kirtland’s in found again tomorrow, we will try to post as soon as 
possible.  It was surprisingly difficult to locate this afternoon, so if you 
do stroll behind the bird center, a large dose of patience may be in order. 

Josh Engel
Tour leader, Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory bird guide-in-residence (www.bsbobird.org)
The Guiding Light Blog (www.oxypogon.blogspot.com)


 

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]