OHIO-BIRDS Archives

October 2014

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:
Robert Evans <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Robert Evans <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 13:00:26 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (59 lines)
First of all, I personally saw a single red phalarope at the north shore
boat ramp site at Buckeye Lake (Licking County) this morning, between 10:20
and 10:40. At 10:35 the bird flew right in front of our location (I was
with four other interested birders, and a local Pleasantville photographer
who wondered what all the fuss was about as she visited the park with her
two young children.) The bird was working energetically around the boat
ramp, adjacent docks and shore. My advice is that if it isn't there
immediately upon your arrival, hang around for 20 minutes or so. The bird
was chirping as it flew from spot to spot - very distinctive. The closest
approach was within 10 feet allowing me to note that there was a vestige of
rufous breeding plumage along the sides of the belly, suggesting (to my
mind anyway) that this is an adult bird and not a first-year individual.
This was one of those 10/10 rated sightings, and I note that it is my first
Ohio red phalarope. Great bird!

 If two more showed up after that I have no personal knowledge of it.

Thanks to John Herman and Bob Foppe, each of whom wrote to tell me about
Licking County records more recent than Milt Trautman's in 1929 and 1930.
Both of Trautman's specimens are at OSU.

Bob Foppe notes a record from 10/30/1948, a female that was collected by
Ron Austing from "Buckeye Lake, Licking County." This specimen is in the
Cincinnati Museum Center collections.

John Herman wrote to me as well, informing that:

 "In Tom Thomson's "Birding in Ohio" (1983) is stated that three red
phalaropes were seen at Buckeye Lake on September 27, 1968. The exact
location is not mentioned. Thomson also states that all three species of
phalaropes have been recorded at the Hebron fish hatchery (Licking Co.).
     The ODNR's official checklist of the birds at Hebron fish hatchery
lists red phalarope as a rare migrant. George "Fritz" Griffith managed the
Hebron fish hatchery during the 1960s and 1970s. He would raise and lower
the water levels in the hatchery ponds to attract shorebirds. He reported
his shorebird and other bird sightings to Dr. Edward Thomas who used them
in his weekly nature column of the Columbus Dispatch. Possibly there is
mention of a red phalarope sighting at the Hebron fish hatchery in one or
more of these nature columns."

Thanks to these fellow Ohio birders, and to everyone else who have brought
attention to the current occurrence and historical records of this
outstanding bird.

Bob Evans
Geologist
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


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

ATOM RSS1 RSS2