- RBA * Ohio * Statewide * December 12, 2010 * OHST1212.10 - Species Mentioned (Caps denote a review list species): Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Rosss Goose Cackling Goose BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Red-necked Grebe Purple Sandpiper Little Gull EMPIDONAX FLYCATCHER SP. Northern Shrike Dickcissel Yellow-headed Blackbird - Transcript This is the Ohio Rare Bird Report for December 12, 2010. Compiler: Sean Williams. Email: [log in to unmask] Species in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE REVIEW LIST SPECIES. Details of these sightings are desired by the Ohio Bird Records Committee. Careful observation, not ornithological expertise, is the only qualification for submitting your data. For details and pointers see: http://www.ohiobirds.org/records/documentation.php Greater White-fronted Goose: One bird in a flock of Canada Geese ³on the north side of Rt 703 just a little east of the Mercer Waterfowl Refuge. This is on the south side of Grand Lake² St. Maryıs on 10 Dec (Charlotte Mathena). Snow Goose: 33 birds were seen flying over Balding on 6 Dec (Bobolink RBA). One blue-phase bird reported on 10 Dec ³on the north side of Rt 703 just a little east of the Mercer Waterfowl Refuge. This is on the south side of Grand Lake² St. Maryıs (Charlotte Mathena). Rosss Goose: One bird with Canadas at Mercer Wildlife Area on 10 Dec (Jill Bowers). Cackling Goose: 2 birds reported ³on the north side of Rt 703 just a little east of the Mercer Waterfowl Refuge. This is on the south side of Grand Lake² St. Maryıs on 10 Dec (Charlotte Mathena). BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK: The bird was reported through 6 Dec, but there have been no negative reports either. Details from previous RBA: This bird, found by Linda Houshower several weeks ago, is at Buckeye Lake in Bluffton, Allen County. Further directions from Sherrie Duris: ³The bird is being seen along the west end of the quarry/lake. From I75 get off at exit 142 and head west on 103. Turn right at Main street and go north to the parking lot of the quarry on left. Follow trail left between creek and quarry to west end." Photos courtesy of Linda Houshower here: http://rarebird.org/forum/uploads/319/P1030199.JPG White-winged Scoter: At Killbuck Wildlife Area along Cemetery Road, two birds were reported on 9 Dec (Su Snyder and Bobolink RBA). Long-tailed Duck: One bird was at Deer Creek Reservoir on 8 Dec (Bob Royse). A truly remarkable 31 (!) birds were reported at Caesar Creek State Park, near the end of Harveysburg Rd., on 9-12 Dec (Shane Egleston et al.). Red-necked Grebe: Two birds at Caesar Creek State Park at the end of Harveysburg Rd., on 10 Dec (Jason Cade). One bird remained here through 12 Dec (Jay Lehman). Dave Slager found one at Hoover Reservoir in Franklin County on 11 Dec. Purple Sandpiper: On 7 Dec, two birds were off Buckeye Point on South Bass Island (Lisa Brohl). On 12 Dec, Jay Lehman found one bird at Caesar Creek State Park, ³at the North Boat Ramp accessible from the entry road off Route 73.² Little Gull: Two birds, an adult and juvenile, reported at Lorain Harbor on 6 Dec by John Pogacnik. EMPIDONAX FLYCATCHER SP.: I have this capitalized because an Empidonax flycatcher reported at this time of the year in northeastern United States may be a western Empidonax rather than a native Empidonax. Neill Cade, the finder of this bird on 11 Dec, reports the following details: ³The bird was sighted on the Silver Creek property portion of Mitchell Memorial Forest... bordering the northeast corner of the property. This habitat is a "bald", with some cedars and briers, surrounded by hilly woodland. The bird was roughly the same size as the juncos, fairly dark green upperparts, with two beige wingbars, dark bill, yellow on the breast and belly, and a noticeable eye-ring. The head was noticeably peaked. The bird did not vocalize... At no time did the bird wag its tail, vocalize, or flycatch. It remained 10-20 feet above the ground the whole time I saw it (as did the juncos, oddly enough). The bird was sighted at approximately 2:00 PM on Saturday. The weather was overcast, 45 F, with light wind (5-10 mph).² Northern Shrike: One bird seen at Bath Nature Preserve in Summit County on 11 Dec (Doug Vogus). Dickcissel: A very late Dickcissel has been hanging out with a bunch of House Sparrows on some private land near Cuyahoga Valley National Park since 26 Nov. Yellow-headed Blackbird: One flew over Farmerstown on 9 Dec (Bobolink RBA). - End Transcript Good birding, Sean Williams Delaware, OH --- Sean Williams, '11 Undergraduate of Ornithology of Dr. Jed Burtt Ohio Wesleyan University HWCC 724 Delaware, OH 43015 617-470-4094 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. 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