I acknowledge what these local birders know when it comes to today's
Buckeye Lake species, and I realize the conditions for birds there have
been long governed by humans over the past century or two, and surely we
have to acknowledge that we wingless neighbors have had a huge--mostly
damaging--influence on the wildlife of the area.
        The historical birdlife of this area has a great student and
chronicler, Milton Trautman, whose 1940 book "The Birds of Buckeye Lake"
is crammed with bird-related information far more detailed than that for
any other lake in the state. This work is on the internet, courtesy of
the University of Michigan, at
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/56289  .  He has a map of
the area from 1799 on page 14, and one from his era on p. 64; this
exhaustive work of 466 pages is well worth study.
        Long ago this extensive marshland was converted into a feeder pool for
the Ohio Canal. We all know that we have many--far too many, based on
the original situation--large dull bodies of water in Ohio's interior,
while innumerable shallower wetlands have been largely eliminated. We
got more gulls and loons, but sacrificed bitterns, rails, etc. An
artificial alteration of the Buckeye Lake era seems destined to produce
a temporary change closer to its antediluvian state, as the seemingly
sacred property rights of humans, recreational fishers and boaters,
etc., are set aside.
        In his study, Trautman verified 32 species of shorebirds at Buckeye
Lake, and 50 waterbirds (plus 15 jaegers, gulls, and terns) at this
site, not to mention many other species like rails, herons, etc., that
this site attracted. Though other spots in Ohio welcomed such species in
the past, few have been as well documented, and many have vanished.
Reservoirs along the old Miami-Erie Canal in the western part of the
state probably had similar birdlife, but did not often receive the
intensive long-term scrutiny Trautman gave to the Buckeye Lake.
        So, for a while, a shallower Buckeye Lake might feature habitats it
once offered to migratory shorebirds, breeding marsh birds, etc. Absent
most of the recreational boating, more migratory waterfowl might show
up. Diving birds might prosper less, as in in the old days, but I'm
predicting a rich increase in wild birds, and I hope the folks out there
will keep us posted over the coming years.
Bill Whan
Columbus


On 4/1/2015 5:32 PM, Manon Van Schoyck wrote:
> And I for one love it. Thanks, JOE!
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Ohio birds
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joe Faulkner
> Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 3:23 PM To:
> [log in to unmask] Subject: [Ohio-birds] buckeye lake
> waterfowl relocating, HUGH sighting
>
> After a morning of working in the garden, decided to drive over to
> very nearby Clouse Lake to see if any new duckies had dropped in.  I
> was shocked at what I found.  There were at least 300 Cormorants and
> perhaps 400 gulls, mostly ring billed and a few Bonnies.  When I
> noticed about a dozen Mute Swan in the back end of the 20 acre lake,
> I knew something really odd was up. When I took a closer look at the
> Cormorants through the scope, I noticed that many of them had damaged
> bills, or bills apparently covered with mud. It then dawned on me
> that these were all likely birds relocating from nearby Buckeye lake.
> The water level in the lake was not raised on March 1st this year
> because of Damn Dam Damage, so it remains at 3 feet deep, not much if
> you're a cormorant diving for fish, or a gull. They are saying it may
> be five years before the dam is repaired, so this may be the new
> normal for little Clouse Lake, which is probably only 6 feet deep
> itself.  So, the eight or so Perry County birders (and one Licking
> county birder...you know who you are) who visit this lake, don't need
> to run out to see this magnificent site.  They will be here for a
> while, I'm guessing, and I wouldn't want any birders, humorless or
> not, to make an unneeded trip. On the positive side, if that isn't
> enough, apparently none of the Lake riffraff  have accompanied the
> birds.  I draw that conclusion from the fact that there were no beat
> up pontoon boats on the lake as of yet.  On the negative side, some
> unscrupulous realtor had already put "Lots for Sale" signs on the
> back of the dam.
>
> Joe in the woods, in a feeble attempt to keep a long tradition alive
> Somerset, Ohio Perry County

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