This morning, Thursday, from about 8:30AM to about 12 noon, my wife Denise and I did our annual check on this years active Osprey nests and also the abundance of Cliff Swallows in and centered around the Berlin Lake Area. Berlin Lake stretches thru three counties in northeastern Ohio, the western edge of Mahoning, the southeastern corner of Portage, and the northeastern corner of Stark, with its source, The Mahoning River extending to its headwaters in Columbiana County. Twenty-six nest sites were found, with the largest concentration, 10, near the town of Deerfield. Of the nests, 16 are on cell towers, 4 on transmission towers, 4 on wooden utility poles, and 2 on wooden hacking structures, all provided by man. Amazing is the fact that during The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas of 1982 thru 1987, there were no Osprey nests recorded in Ohio. A brief description of Berlin Lake taken from US Army Corps Of Engineers data is, in summer the length of the lake at normal pool is 18.6 miles long, with 70 miles of shoreline, and a maximum depth of 76 feet at the dam. To anyone wishing to observe an Osprey nest up close and personal, go to the southeast corner of SR225 and Greenbower Road, a short distance north of the city of Alliance. The nest is about twenty-five above the edge of the road. Look for the House Sparrows residing in the lower part of the nest. A couple of interesting finds this morning were, the Bald Eagle pair with two eaglets, once again at the Osprey nest on a cell tower on German Church Road just west of SR225, that they took over a year ago, and a nest on a light pole above the ball field backstop, looking down at home plate, at Mile Branch Grange, south of the town of Sebring. The Berlin Lake Osprey count by the end of the summer could be, with an average of two youngsters per nest, an amazing total of one hundred and four. Also, as for the local Cliff Swallow population, it seems to be booming. Easiest location to view the swallows is the US224 Causeway Bridge. We found nesting at eight locations and The Berlin Dam. On the inlet structure above the dam, were approximately 175 nests being constructed and already occupied, attached to and around the concrete face. For e-birders, the inlet structure and the US224 Bridge are both in Mahoning County. The eastern portion of the concrete dam is in Mahoning County, while part of the western portion is in Portage County. Berlin Lake spillway discharges into the Mahoning River hemlock laden rocky gorge, also in Mahoning County. Of interest is the fact that all the parking areas at the dam are in Portage County. What a pleasurable three and a half hour morning adventure close to home.





Bob Lane / Mahoning County



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