The most notable birds seen on a traipse through the grasslands of the old Coliseum site in the Cuyahoga Valley NP this afternoon were 6 Wilson's Snipe and 3 Eastern Meadowlark. Three likely Ammodramus sparrows also flushed ahead of me with low, weak flights and short tails but given their vocal silence and my skimpy field skills that is the best I can say. A surprisingly large flock (for the habitat) of 9 Bluebirds was pleasant to study in the small grove of apple trees near the middle of the site, and a single Kestrel kited above, also providing enjoyment. 

If you've walked these grasslands the past few years you have no doubt noticed the stands of the prolific Russian-Olive tree/shrub that has been steadily marching from the east into the grasslands. This autumn the NPS and volunteers cut and cleared much of this invasive plant, which bodes well for the future of the grasslands. Birdwatchers might want to send a quick acknowledgement and thank you to the NPS for this as there is not nearly as much active habitat management for birds in the park as there might be...

-Patrick Coy
Peninsula, OH

______________________________________________________________________

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]