Etched in my memory is an experience that few birders encounter and one that will not soon be forgotten. I was a student at Hocking Technical College from 1984-1986 and at one time during those years I lived off campus in Buchtel, OH, right smack in the middle of Wayne National Forest in what I believe is Hocking county. There was an extensive forest behind the house where I stayed and I would often hike back in those hills, sometimes getting lost. At the time I owned a full body bark camouflage suit, a camo hat and camo mesh to put over my face. One particular day as I was hiking in those hills I founded a log that had some fresh scat on it. Having had a game animals class at school where we learned how to identify bird and mammal scat, I quickly recognized this scat as belonging to a ruffed grouse. I knew this had to be a drumming log and the male grouse would return eventually to the log. Uphill from the log was a large tree. Using my full body camo outfit, including camo gloves, I sat down and leaned up against the tree. Sure enough, after a period of patient waiting and keeping very still and quiet, I witnessed one of my fondest birding experiences in recent memory. A male ruffed grouse hopped up onto the log and began drumming. I only carried binoculars that day. My only regret is not having a camera, but I can still see this grouse to this day in my mind. It would be a shame to see this wonderful bird disappear from that region. David A. Brinkman, M.Ed.7th and 8th grade Science TeacherSouth Dearborn Middle SchoolAurora, IN
From: Cheryl Harner <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, October 2, 2015 11:06 AM
Subject: ruffed grouse, habitat, yard sightings
Birding Friends,
Sorry to read of Mark's report and a lack of ruffed grouse in Zaleski. If
successional habitat alone created grouse, Zaleski should be teaming with
them. ODNR even advertises "Excess Lumber For Sale to Public at Zaleski
State Forest" on their Forestry website.
There is no shortage of successional habitat* in Ohio. The private lands
which provide the 95% of timber products produced in Ohio are all
successional. Private property owner are certainly encouraged to manage and
produce timber products on their lands- if they choose. However, old-growth
habitat is arguably the rarest habitat in Ohio. One would hope our State
Forests would be managed for the needs of the future, not as the 1950 models
dictate. Let's leave the timbering to private land owners. Ohio needs our
contiguous forests to provide for biodiversity- like box turtles and
bobcats.
Mohican Forest has one small parcel of old-growth trees protected as a State
Nature Preserve. Other lands at Mohican are schedule to be timbered this
year. Timbering will not help Mohican's tourist base. Those successional
lands created by timbering will not produce grouse either, as we have not
seen a grouse in Mohican for at least 20 years.
This year Hocking Hills' Forest came very close to losing a large old stand
of oaks and mixed hardwoods to the saw. However, the Hocking Hills Tourism
Association challenged Forestry's idea of management and the timbering is on
hold for a year. Tourists now have a little time to go and enjoy a last
view of these trees, in case Forestry decides to follow through with the cut
next year.
Ohio Ornithological Society (the owner of this list-serv) as well as Black
Swamp Bird Observatory, Mohican Advocates, Ohio Environmental Council,
Flora-Quest and North Central Ohio Land Conservancy have been joined by the
Hocking Hill Tourism Association in calling for rededicating Ohio's State
Forestry System.
If you are under the mistaken assumption that Ohio's Division of Forestry is
strictly protecting forests lands, you need to know O.D.F. is timbering
them, too. Let's find better ways of raising funds for local schools and
fire departments than cutting down our natural heritage for a short term
profit. The tourism tax dollars in Ohio's most visited State Forests far
out produces timbering as an economic driver.
"Hugging" our old trees makes good economic sense and drives eco-tourism
commerce. More importantly to this list-serv, the birds like trees too.
Nature will provide for natural succession, it always has.
Cheryl Harner
OOS Conservation Chair
*Seen today in my succession sub-urban yard: Northern Cardinals, Tufted
Titmice, Downey Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robins,
American Goldfinches and others.
-----Original Message-----
From: Marc Behrendt
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2015 9:39 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] ruffed grouse
As a follow up for ruffed grouse reports, I spent Sunday, Sept 27 in Zaleski
State Forest, and did not hear any drumming, nor did I flush any birds.
I remember "the old days" when grouse were common.
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______________________________________________________________________
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:
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Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________________________
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]
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