Spring Migration is here

Well, it's about that time. After mid April, the early spring migration starts here in Columbus. It is a great chance to get out and see the flowers blooming and many different species of warblers start coming back from down south. 

Common Blue Bell

There are several great spots to visit on the north east side of Columbus.  Woodside Green Park in Gahanna is great. It is located along the Big Walnut Creek, which feeds into the Scioto River. It also connects Academy Park on the east side of the creek. You can park and walk right onto the path, cross the creek and back in less than 30 minutes. 

Hyacinthoides non-scripta is a bulbous perennial plant, found in Atlantic areas from north-western Spain to the British Isles, and also frequently used as a garden plant. It is known in English as the common bluebell or simply bluebell. In spring, H. non-scripta produces a nodding, one-sided inflorescence of 5–12 tubular, sweet-scented violet–blue flowers, with strongly recurved tepals, and 3–6 long, linear, basal leaves.

Some of the birds you can get at Woodside Creek include the Northern Parula, Yellow-Throated Warbler, Blue-Headed & Yellow-Throated Vireos.  But what about this guy??  Your local Barred Owl family.  Both male and female live in the woods, and can be seen off the path. Just listen for the hoots, or if the crows are around, they will be harassing the family often.

Barred Owl

This is a picture of the female Barred Owl. It has a pale face with dark rings around the eyes, a yellow beak and brown eyes. It is the only typical owl of the eastern United States which has brown eyes; all others have yellow eyes. The upper parts are mottled gray-brown. The underparts are light with markings; the chest is barred horizontally while the belly is streaked vertically. The legs and feet are covered in feathers up to the talons.^[3] The head is round and lacks ear tufts, a distinction from the slightly smaller Short-eared Owl, which favors more open, marginal habitats.

 Another great place to visit in late April is North Hoover Reservoir Boardwalk and Area N.  Last year, Columbus Audubon did a bird walk there, so on the same weekend in 2014, I decided to visit to see if I could see the same birds. Sure enough, like clockwork, the early migrants where there.  Since the boardwalk was closed for repairs, Area N next to it is best. It is just like swamp thing, a low marshy area with standing water and large trees. This location is best know for the Prothonotary Warbler nesting sites/boxes. Fellow CA member Charlie Bombaci leads the annaul project of putting up over 200 nesting boxes for this species, and the results in over 185 pairs of Prothonotary Warbles both in boxes and natural nesting sites.

 

Male Prothonotary Warbler

 The Prothonotary Warbler has an olive back with blue-grey wings and tail, yellow underparts, a relatively long pointed bill and black legs. The adult male has a bright orange-yellow head. Females and immature birds are duller and have a yellow head. In flight from below, the short, wide tail has a distinctive two-toned pattern, white at the base and dark at the tip. It breeds in hardwood swamps in extreme southeastern Ontario and eastern United States. It winters in the West Indies, Central America and northern South America.  It is the only eastern warbler that nests in natural or artificial cavities, sometimes using old Downy Woodpecker holes. The male often builds several incomplete, unused nests in his territory; the female builds the real nest. It lays 3–7 eggs. The preferred foraging habitat is dense, woody streams, where the Prothonotary Warbler forages actively in low foliage, mainly for insects and snails. The song of this bird is a simple, loud, ringing sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet.
Other good birds to see at Area N are the Warbling Vireo, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Northern Parula and Yellow-Throated Warbler.  So stop by north Hoover/Galena boardwalk next time. Just watch out for the local fishermen.

Next up:  24 Hours of Birding!!