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May 2013

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From:
robert lane <[log in to unmask]>
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robert lane <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 1 May 2013 15:19:24 -0400
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The beginning of this adventure actually took root on Monday morning. I had already made the long drive to a hydroelectric project in Willow Island, West Virginia, that I am involved with. Birding friend Jeff Harvey called to plant the Smith's Longspur seed in my mind. By the end of the day, it bugged me enough that I had decided that if my wife Denise and I did not pursue the Smith's on Tuesday, we would probably have to wait until next year. So at the end of the day, I made the long drive back up to northeast Ohio. Tuesday morning we left home at 4AM, did the 225 mile, four hour trek, across US30, basically from the Pennsylvania border to the Indiana border. We arrived in light fog at the now famous ninety degree turn on Hill Road in Mercer County, at 8AM. We immediately heard three Smith's Longspurs calling in the nearby corn stubble to the northeast. Scouting the field we were able to see four in short flights, calling our total sightings seven. At this same location later in the morning, Dan Sanders and Doreene Linzell found fifteen. The Smith's sighting brought our Ohio Lifelist total to #349. Some of the other birds of interest seen while there, were 40+ Lapland Longspurs, numerous Horned Larks, American Pipits, Vesper and Savannah Sparrows, a single Merlin, and a single Northern Harrier, just to name a few. After exploring the area most of the morning, we headed for the Big Island Wildlife Area in Marion County. Because of being given excellent directions to the previously reported Western Meadowlark on Herr Road, we found it readily, nearby, singing. The most thrilling part of the day took place next. While at the observation platform on SR95, my wife Denise saw a flock of shorebirds fly in and land on the far west side of the water, noting that one of the birds showed a lot of jet black color. We were excited thinking it was probably a Black-bellied Plover. From the platform, even with my Swarovski scope, I was to far to identify the birds. We drove and relocated as far west as we could go to get a better view of the birds. At 2:20PM I set the scope up, took a look, and went into shock. In the midst of about two dozen Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, was a black one. I had to gather myself before I said to Denise, your Black-bellied Plover is a male Ruff. We both were silent! Words can not describe this beautiful male in breeding plumage. Mostly black looking from the front, including all of the face; back of the head was white, the rest of the back was an interesting speckled brownish color. The bill appeared mostly blackish, a bit shorter than the Greater Yellowlegs. Size appeared to be in between Lesser and Greater, favoring Greater. An unbelievable sight was seeing the Ruff display the white feathers, fanning them out, and then chasing after the yellowlegs. Of interest, is the fact that the entire time we were there, two Trumpeter Swans were very near the shorebirds; the shorebirds appearing to not be bothered. Of five Ruff sightings my wife and I have been lucky enough to have had, one in California, one in Florida, and three in Ohio, two were males with black; this one and a nearly all black one, also seen at Big Island, several years ago. With my point and shoot camera, I was unable to get a good picture because of the distance and the heat waves. Hopefully, one of Ohio's hot dog photographers, will get the opportunity to get a picture of this colorful visitor. Finally us birding road warriors were back on the move. 499 miles and fifteen hours later, we arrived home. To put the miles we traveled into perspective, we could have driven to Charlotte, North Carolina or halfway to Florida. It was a memorable day and definitely worth the effort. We recorded 62 species during the day. This is the life of a dedicated birder!
Bob Lane / Mahoning County                                        
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