OHIO-BIRDS Archives

July 2010

OHIO-BIRDS@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
[log in to unmask][log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Andy Sewell
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 5:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] More osprey nests, purple martins

It's highly unlikely that the 1831 sighting was of European Starlings,
as they were not successful introduced to North America until 1890.
Perhaps it was not the physical appearance of the birds that so offended
the author of the 1831 letter, but [...]40_7Jul201017:55:[log in to unmask]
Date:
Tue, 6 Jul 2010 08:48:18 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (90 lines)
 In response to Kenn's inquiry, I have seen Barn Swallows nesting on natural cliff faces on the south side of South Bass Island, and the north side of Gibraltar Island- a very similar situation to West Sister. Not quite as natural, but certainly interesting are Barn Swallows that nest on the sides of several limestone quarries in the Columbus area. 

Good birding,

 

Steve Landes


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Kenn Kaufman <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, Jul 6, 2010 1:01 am
Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] "Raptor nest sites?"  A report


I agree with Bill Whan that it would be a fine thing to see more actual 
discussion on Ohio-birds, and I have no idea why such discussion doesn't 
take place.  A few times I have posted things that I hoped would spark some 
discussion, and in those cases I have usually gotten some private responses 
but often no public responses on the listserve.  Seems a little odd. 
 
Regarding the Peregrine introductions to urban sites, in areas where they 
had not been known to nest historically -- I am uneasy about that practice. 
Sure, we all love Peregrines and love to see them, and a few isolated pairs 
out of place probably don't have too much impact on the ecosystem, but still 
... A couple of years ago I was going out repeatedly to the "sky ponds" 
east-southeast of Fremont during mid to late summer, when that area had big 
numbers of shorebirds.  It seemed that every time I focused on a big 
shorebird concentration, a Peregrine would make a pass and flush all the 
birds.  Historically it would have been exceptionally rare for a Peregrine 
to be around this area in early August, but now the urban birds from 
downtown Toledo probably make the rounds of all the shorebird spots in n.w. 
Ohio every day during peak season, repeatedly flushing the birds and adding 
one more bit of stress to populations that are already facing a variety of 
challenges. 
 
Regarding birds that are shifting, or have shifted, to nesting on manmade 
structures:  I've always been fascinated by this phenomenon.  Chimney Swift 
is a prime example: their propensity for nesting in chimneys was already 
well established two centuries ago.  Purple Martin is a bird that goes both 
ways:  populations in eastern North America practically all nest in houses 
put up for them, but in the Southwest they still nest commonly in natural 
cavities.  Barn Swallow is another bird that has adapted to our structures 
in a big way.  In years of birding around North America I had seen Barn 
Swallow nests in barns, of course, and on porches, in sheds, under bridges, 
in culverts, etc., but until a couple of years ago I'd never seen a Barn 
Swallow nest in anything that could be considered a "natural" site.  When I 
got to visit West Sister Island out in Lake Erie, I was impressed by a lot 
of things about this federally-designated wilderness area (the only one in 
Ohio?), but one of the impressive small things was the presence of Barn 
Swallows nesting on the cliffs on the east side of the island.  The cliffs 
have enough of an overhang that the nest sites appear to be protected from 
the elements.  It seemed like a hint of the kinds of situations the swallows 
would have used before we so thoughtfully provided all these structures for 
them. 
 
I would be interested to know: Has anyone found Barn Swallows nesting in 
truly natural situations elsewhere in Ohio?  What about Purple Martin or 
Chimney Swift? 
 
Kenn Kaufman 
Oak Harbor, Ohio 
 
______________________________________________________________________ 
 
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] 

 

______________________________________________________________________

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]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2