Tuesday, August 26, 2014

That's not a BIG Gull, it's a . . .

LITTLE GULL!!!  A rare Code 3 gull has shown up here in Columbus at Alum Creek State Park beach area on August 19th. I stopped by at 8am on Wends 20th, and got these great pics.

Little Gull  Larus minutus
The first sighting was on August 15th at Buck Creek SP near Springfield, OH. But then it disappeared for two days, next thing you know, there is a sighting of a Little Gull at Alum Creek. I think it is the same bird that flew some 50 miles over to central Ohio.

black spot behind eye, black bill

Chillin at beach


Some fun Little Gull facts:
The smallest gull in the world, the Little Gull is common across Eurasia. A few pairs have been nesting in North America since the 1960s, and the species is now a rare, but regular, visitor to the East Coast and the Great Lakes. In North America the Little Gull is most frequently observed during winter and on migration in groups of one to three, usually associated with larger flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls. A Little Gull chick banded in Sweden was found dead on the road in Pennsylvania in its first summer(Wow!!! World traveler). Breeds in shallow, freshwater wetlands, such as marshes. Winters along coasts, large lakes, and rivers.

only 11" in size, diagnostic red legs

Hangin with Ring-billed gulls








This was only my 2nd time ever seeing a Little Gull, my first was 2/4/1989 at the Lake Erie shores, where most gulls are in the dead of winter. I am very happy to get the bird, in the summer, in my hometown, and great pictures!!
Looking at the family archives, Red&Louise have seen the bird only a few times, but every year from 1982 to 1986 and again in 1991. Probably all Ohio records at Lake Erie.  My father Buddy first saw a Little Gull on Nov 17, 1978 in Huron, Ohio-- again probably by the lake.

This puts my #BIGYEAR2014 number at #303 for the year!!

Next up:  Viva Las Vegas!!! Birding with John Taylor at Henderson Bird Preserve. My target is 15 new FOYs and maybe a lifer . . . the Lucy's Warbler



Saturday, August 9, 2014

Life Bird Dance time!!

Just when I thought things were slowing up in middle of summer . . . a bird sighting comes along and pulls me back in!!  And where do you go in central Ohio to see a vase array of different birds?? Well the Battelle Darby Metro Park-- Teal Trail/Harrier Loop. This place can either be the death of you, or the life that pumps energy back into you. Why? Because you can go and walk the 1.5 mile loop and get zero, or you can go and get a wide variety of species. From sparrows to wrens to owls to waterfowl and shorebirds.  I've seen great ones at Battelle Darby like Blue Grosebeak, Buff-Breasted Sandpiper, Red Phalaorope, and Short-Eared Owls.

Your Tombstone


The early morning of August 6th, I arrived at the grain elevator parking lot, opened the doors, and heard the very distinct call of this . . . . Sedge Wren(ABA lifer #553)





A small, secretive wren that breeds in short grass and sedge marshes. Perhaps because of the highly transitory nature of its nesting habitats, the Sedge Wren moves around a great deal from year to year, not staying in one place for long.
The Sedge Wren is one of the most nomadic territorial birds in North America. On a given area, it may be present in numbers in one year, and be completely absent the next.

Opened the door with a smile, I hear you Sedge Wren Lifer!!

So when you go to the Teal Trail, the Sedge Wren is out in the open grass fields, right from the parking lot, you can hear and see this one. I walked the trail to left(backwards loop) and heard a second Sedge Wren calling between the west loop and the main road, looking at the entrance sign to the visitor center. Once I walked back towards the marsh areas on the loop, I heard and saw several Marsh Wrens, an FOY bird. Sorry no pictures of them, moving too fast for my camera focus.
With the Teal Trail done, I headed over to Kuhlwein Rd. south parking lot, and took out the mountain bike. Time for some biking for birds. I rode the Darby Creek metro trail north, crossed the road, turned right at the horse barns, and rode back the training loop. I needed to get two species of sparrows, both reported there, but no luck. On the ride back near the barn, guess who rests on the telephone wire???

Belted Kingfisher

Bigger are Barn Swallows, the smaller are

Bank Swallows!! FOY#300 bird
And since I took a picture of a RED bird(Summer Tanager), I had to take a picture of a BLUE bird . . .
Indigo Bunting

Notes or phrases are often repeated in pairs: "what! what! where? where? see it! see it!"










So that wrapped up a great Wednesday morning birding adventure. 33 total/3FOYs/1Life.

Next up: More Ohio FOYS please!!!

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Summer Tanager Time

Well, here we are again, in the middle of summer, and not a lot of birding going on here in Ohio. The weather has been cooler the last two weeks, which has been nice. But now we are in the hot summer month of August.

I've made a list of 37 available Ohio species I can get before the end of the year. Now it's just about getting out and ticking down these birds. I have not seen either species of Tanager's this year, can you believe that? So with the help of ebrig.org, on July 20th at Horns Hill Park in Newark, Ohio, I was able to pinpoint a location for reliable Summer Tanager, and guess what? . . .

Male Summer Tanager


BANG.

Is that a Cardinal that sounds like a Robin???

Just ate a wasp
The only completely red bird in North America, the strawberry-colored male Summer Tanager is an eye-catching sight against the green leaves of the forest canopy. The mustard-yellow female is harder to spot, though both sexes have a very distinctive chuckling call note. Fairly common during the summer, these birds migrate as far as the middle of South America each winter. All year long they specialize in catching bees and wasps on the wing, somehow avoiding being stung by their catches. (Notice the bug limbs in his mouth).


Beautiful back shot
The oldest Summer Tanager on record was at least 7 years, 11 months old when it was captured and released by a Texas bird bander in 1986






So, there goes another one, now if I can just find that Scarlet Tanager, I'd be set. How funny, I saw a Western Tanager in Colorado in May, before either Ohio species.

Next up:  I need Ohio FOYs!!!

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