Late spring Ohio birding

Well, this is it. It's almost officially summer, the temperature is up, and the birding slows down. By now, you usually make your list of year birds seen so far, and then you start to tackle the individual birds that you've missed for the year. Summer is usually slow, so when you do go out, it's to see specific birds in locations that you know you can see them.  Sometimes though . . . a rarity or lifer may show up.  Keep you eyes and ears peeled.

 So off to the summer chase. One the best locations to bird in central Ohio, is on the far west side, off Broad St./SR40 outside the outer belt. It's call Battelle Darby Metro Park. Really, it comes down to the Teal Trail/Harrier Loop and South Kuhlwein Rd wetlands area. There are lots of birds to see there, including many species of sparrows like Grasshopper, Vesper, Savannah, Henslow, Song, Chipping, Field, and Nelson's. It's a great place to bird. I stopped by on June 8th for the reported nesting pair of Blue Grosbeaks.  When looking for them, you just have to listen for the grosbeak call, and sure enough, right off the Kuhlwein Rd. parking lot, walking south on the bike path . . .

Male Blue Grosbeak

better pic, singing away

A large, vibrantly blue bunting with an enormous silver bill and chestnut wingbars, the male Blue Grosbeak sings a rich, warbling song from trees and roadside wires. He and his cinnamon-colored mate often raise two broods of nestlings in a single breeding season. A bird of shrubby habitats, these richly colored birds can be hard to spot unless you hear them singing first. They are widespread but not abundant across the southern U.S., and are expanding their range.

After that, I looked for the reported Bells' Vireo in the Teal Trail parking lot, but no bird was there. So, I went up to Heritage Park Trial in Hilliard, where the Bells' Vireo have nested the last 2 years, but no luck yet, but I'm sure later this summer I'll hear them singing there. But I did get a Willow Flycatcher 

Willow Empid. singing "fitz-bew"

A small drab flycatcher of wet, brushy areas, the Willow Flycatcher is best identified by its voice. Nearly identical to the Alder Flycatcher; the two species were considered the same until the 1970s.

On Sunday June 15th, I spent the morning chasing warblers and tanagers that I have missed so far this year.  Off the http://birding.aba.org/maillist/OH, there where reports from early June of many nesting warblers at Black Hand Gorge State Park in eastern Licking County. I have never been there, but the pictures looked amazing. I contacted fellow birder Charlie Bombaci for details and a map of the trails. I arrived at 8am, and parked in the lot for the Marie Hickory Trail. I walked south along the gravel road, pass a the first oil containers, and heard the distinct call of the Prairie Warbler

Singing Prairie Warbler

 A tail-wagging yellow warbler with black streaks down its sides, the Prairie Warbler is found in scrubby fields and forests throughout the eastern and south-central United States, not on the prairies. I saw several last year in Florida, but this was my first Ohio species seen in the last couple of years.

From there I drove over to the main entrance/parking lot of the park, and walked down the paved Blackhand trail. At the marker "D", I walked up the Quarry Rim trail into the woods, about 30 feet, I heard the very distinct call "chuuree, chuuree, churee" of the Kentucky Warbler.

Singing male Kentucky

A bird of the deciduous forests of the southeastern United States, the Kentucky Warbler's loud song can be heard far more frequently than the brightly-colored bird can be seen. It stays near the ground and the lower levels of the forest, and nests on the ground. Sure enough, it took me over 30 minutes of chasing this bird around, you could hear it, but seeing it is very very tough. I got lucky and it finally landed in a good spot, enough for me to get this photo.
 So BAMM, I've added three more new year species for the year, bring my BIGYEAR total to #292, with 4 states visited. Not bad so far, my goal is to best 2013's mark of #338. Hopefully with more Ohio summer birding, a Washington trip in October, and maybe an August trip somewhere, I should be able to get 47 more birds.  Enjoy the summer, and keep birding

Next up:  Life Bird chase to St. Louis, MO for a sparrow??