#621 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in OH-IO!!

R.A.M.

Where is it?!?!

 It pays to bird your local state often. Now that it is fall migration, you never know what is going to show up. Day to Day, it can always change. But thanks to the wonderful birders of Ohio, and the technology we have today, the gap is closing.  I could be sitting here today writing this blog, and tomorrow morning, off driving someplace to see something new.  And with that . . here is how late Octobers usually go in Ohio.

 Sparrow season! Looking for Nelson's again(always a great year bird), and possible LeContes'(still a need for life bird). So on Saturday October 19th I saw the Nelsons at Battelle Darby MP. Yea!! Then later in the day, a great local birder reported a Rare Asian Migrant(R.A.M.) at KillDeer WA in Wyondot county. So Sunday morning by 10:30am . . .

Been here many times

Sharp-tailed piper

With Killdeer to right

#621 surrounded in confetti 

This Asian shorebird is related to our Pectoral Sandpiper, and like that species is it a long-distance migrant, traveling from Siberia to Australia and New Zealand. A few reach North America every year, mostly fall migrants in Alaska and the Pacific northwest; a casual stray in other areas, rare in spring. Very rare in Ohio, maybe first time ever?  Good news, the bird stayed for 12 days, so everyone in the state got to share the experience. 

 Distinct cap present in all plumages: vivid chestnut in breeding adult and juvenile, duller brown in non-breeding adult.

Gambill Family history:
Red & Louise: 1984, Attu Island, AK, life bird  #694; & again in 92 94 97 02'
Buddy Gambill: 5/26/1980, Attu Island, AK, life bird

Next up:  Ohio birds & Christmas in Florida!!

Where do I go from here?

Legend killer

Well, well . . . here we are again, in the middle of no where. It's the late summer of 2019 and birding is slow. Here in Ohio, the shorebirds are coming south now, with warblers to follow. So, at this point in the Blog, I thought I would do a recap of my birding adventures, and where the future leads me.



Past 7 years recap:
I saw my 500th bird, in southern Cally with my grandparents. I was a freshman in high school and just finished my last push in 1991 to get it done.  YEAH!!  Then came high school, then college, then post college, then my dads' death, then a girlfriend/wife, then my thirties, etc.  I got back into birding when I decided to visit my grandparents one spring in Texas. Then the next year, I invited my friend Sam to come done, and that's when the Code 5 Black Vented Oriole showed up . . . then off to the races. Take a look at the last 113 birds I've seen over the years, on the right side of the blog.

Today, late 2019: 
The last life bird I saw was May 19th, 2019, the Swainson's warbler, last of the east coast birds. That puts me at #620 for the ABA area and that's 9 total new birds this year. So I am very happy with my trips to MN, AZ and Dayton. So now is a good time to review my list, and write down every Code 1 and Code 2 bird left to see (minus palegic birds). Once that was done, my list shows that I only need 18--Code 1's  and 42--Code 2's.  Now, I have taken those birds and grouped them into which states I can see them and times of year. Remember, these things have wings and can fly!!
So below is my states I need to visit and what I can see there.

2013 LRGV

States                        Code 1 & 2 needs

California                   Arizona                 
Mountain Quail           Montezuma Quail             
WhiteHeaded Wp        Pinyon Jay                  
Hammonds Epmix       ComBlkHawk  2/20' TX    
Bells sparrow              Whiskered SOwl       
McGillverys                Buff-breast empidx         
CA Condor                 Mexican Chickadee
Island ScrubJay          Bendires Thrash     
PacfGldnPlvr              Rufus-winged Sp. 
                                   Varied Bunting       
                                   ThkBill KingB      
                                                           
Colorado                                 Oregon/Idaho
 Grtr SageGruse 4/21' CO       Chuckar            
 Mountain Plvr                         WhteHeadWp       
 Pinyon Jay                              Hammonds Ep. 
 MacGillivrays war                 MacGillivrays      
 Gray Crown RF                      Boreal Owl       
 Black Rosy Finch                   Cassia CrossBill
 Brown-Capped RF 4/21' CO
 Grtr Prairie Chkn
  Lssr Prairie Chkn 

  Lewis Woodpk 1/20' CA                         


Maine                      Alaska       

Thk-billed Murre     Thk-billed Murre            
Razorbill                  Horned Puffin                              
Dovekie                    Grouse                                         
Roseate Tern
Red-billed TB
Bicknells Thrush

Florida            East Coast Palegic  

Salt Marsh sp    Parasitic Jager10/20' OH
                          South Polar Skua/Great
                          Black capped Petral
                           Manx Shearwater

Texas                                        

 Black-capped Vireo                         
 Mountain Plvr 
                                                       
Ohio                                                                             
Smith LongSpur  4/21' OH                                 
LeContes Sparrow10/20' OH                                                          
                                                                                     
                                                                                         

Wildcards

Northern Goshawk
Chesnut Collr LS
Spruce, Sooty & Dusky Grouse
Black Swift, Black Rail                          
Bohemian Waxwing                        
Hoary Redpoll                             
Baird's sparrow  


                                                                                         
                                                                                         
2020 trips

• Lower Rio Grand Valley--Mar 1
• Colorado--May 1
• Stormy Petral II Palegic--May 31
• Maine/Seal Island--July

& beyond
The goal is to see almost all the remaining 50-60 birds listed, thus that would put me within range of 700 ABA traditional area. That would set me up for my first trip to Alaska to hopefully see #700 there.

 






Wood-warblers: Needed

MacGiillvray's--code 1, west coast CA NV WA
Comila--code 3, Big Bend NP TX
Rufous-capped--code 3, AZ
Golden-crowned--code 4, south TX, missed 2018 bird
Fan-tailed--code 4, AZ
Slate-throated Redstart--code 4, Big Bend NP, TX
Bachman's--code 6, extinct, giant cane bird, no habitat left

 Feel free to leave "good" comments on the blog, maybe we can meet up and BIRD!!

Next up: Hawaii & 15 year anniversary 

#620 Swainson's Warbler in O-H-I-O

"Hang on Sloopy, Sloopy hang on
Hang on Sloopy, Sloopy hang on
Sloopy lives in a very bad part of town
And everybody yeah, tries to put my Sloopy down
Sloopy I don't care, what your daddy do
Cause you know Sloopy, girl, I'm in love with you
 And so I sing out" -- The McCoys, 1965

My Sloopy bird for the year finally showed up here in Ohio. After birding most my entire life, I've seen a lot of birds. Almost every year, I can count on Ohio bringing a life bird my way. What a great state!!

2018--Iceland Gull 2017--Calliope Hummer & Long-tailed Jeager  2016--Curlew Sandpiper  2015--Brambling & Black-headed Gull  2014--Northern Wheater


so now was does 2019 have for me?!?

Swainson's Warbler, male

#620

Limnothlypis swainsonii













A heavyset warbler of southern swamps and forested ravines, the Swainson’s Warbler has a bold, ringing song but tends to remain frustratingly hidden in the understory. This brownish songbird isn’t as brilliantly colored as other warblers, but males have a subtle chestnut tone in the crown and sometimes a lemon-yellow wash below. The species forages mostly in dense vegetation on or near the ground, where it uses its hefty bill to turn over leaves in search of insects and spiders.


Back on May 13th, a local birder in the Dayton area was checking the Tecumseh trail in New Carlisle, OH . . and heard the very distinct call of a Swainsons' https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Warbler/sounds

This young male has set up shop and the entire state of Ohio and birders afar have come to hear this bird first, then see slight glimpses, then maybe get great pictures like these. Bird was last reported June 18th, even after the Dayton Tornados on May 27th . . it survived.

7th Ohio bird reported ever on Ebird archives?  GreenLawn Cemetery 1985.

Rare for Ohio

Family history

Buddy Gambill--saw it after 1981, no exact record
Red & Louise--#650 in 1983, 85', 87'

Wow, mine was #620 and R&L was so close at #650

      

Party?

Mr. 620 Birds & 510 HP XKR Jaguar

Question:
So now that I'm at 620 ABA traditional area for life birds. What to do from here? Where to go from here?

Next Update: Plan of Bird Action to #700⇺🐦🐦

Arizona Birds +3 lifers & 99 degrees hot

In the week after Easter, my family had not rented their villa in Scottsdale, AZ. so we decided to travel for some hot sun weather . . . and of course birds!!  Actually, this trip was a quick three day lay at the pool everyday trip.  But with the west coast time change, early to bed early to rise . . . on the road at dark, making it to Cave Creek park at sunrise for this

In the Light, Led Zeppelin

safe Selfie time

I  was at Cave Creek looking for the Bendire's Thrasher, the last of the thrashers for me. Ebird reports where three weeks old.  I did hike some trails, not to far thou. Lack of water and equipment, but two hours and I found some good Arizona birds and many first of years!!

Cave Creek Parkway/Marriott birds:
Gambels' Quail--common on grounds
Swainson's Hawk--road back CC, perched
Harris Hawk--over pool, harassed by black birds
White-winged dove
Rosy faced Lovebirds--now living at Marriott
Costa Hummer
Gila wp
Say's Phobe
Ash-throated Empdix
Verdin
Curved-billed thrasher--no Bendy's
Hooded Oriole--orange and singing
Rufus-crowned sp
Abert's Towhee--at golf course

Lovebirds

Abert's Towhee

Mt. Ord & Lake Saguaro birds:
Pied-billed Grebe
Zone-tailed Hawk--look thru the buzzards, to get a Zone-tailed!!
Spotted sp
Willet
Eurasian-collard Dove
Bells Vireo
Gray Vireo--Lifer #618
Woodhouse Scrub-Jay
N. Rough-wing Swallow
Lucy's Warber--at the lake, life bird #579 seen again!
Canyon Towhee--heard only 😹
 Black-chinned Sparrow--Lifer #617
Scott's Oriole--wow, what a pretty bird and song of the mountains.

Black-chinned sparrow #617

Gray Vireo #618

 If you hear a ping-pong ball bouncing around rugged and rocky hillsides of the Southwest, look for a Black-chinned Sparrow. These small, long-tailed sparrows are gray with a pink bill and brown wings. Only the male sports the namesake black chin. They forage on the ground in chaparral and desert scrub, but they don't stay out in the open for long. They spend winters in Mexico.

Scott's Oriole

 A small, drab bird of desert scrub, the Gray Vireo shows only faint traces of the typical vireo spectacles and wingbars. Song is a halting series of 2 to 3 note phrases with a burry quality.

Zone-tailed Hawk

Woodhouse Scrub-Jay

Buckeye, AZ-- 27033 W. Harzen Rd. birds:
Inca ground dove
Common ground dove
Ruddy ground dove--Lifer #619
20 Peacocks--exotic, non-countable, just loud
Western Kingbird

Which one is Ruddy? #619

4 species in photo, w Lifer!!

Very common in the tropics, this little dove ranges north to northern Mexico, and recently it has been showing up increasingly often in our Southwest. Ruddy Ground-Doves are appropriately named after the bright ruddy-colored plumage of the male, which makes them distinctive from males of other ground-doves.

20 or more Peacocks . . .very loud

Me down the lane getting RUGR

 For not being a birding trip, boy did I bird!!! Thank you mom for the week of sun and fun. We really enjoyed it. How about my Nissan Murano/National Car rental and prepaid gas, one full tank, back on empty, 332 miles

57 species
+3 Lifers
32 FOYS

next up: Life bird in OHIO strikes again . . . I love this state

Minnesota Birds -23 degrees +5 Lifers

We came, we saw, we froze, and then we left!!!  It's time for another great birding adventure with gang out into the great cold & white open. In order for me to see new life birds, I have to travel to different places, different times of the year . . . so the chase was on to Minnesota.

With schedules getting booked, the best time we could visit was late January 2019. We flew from Covington, KY to MSP direct on Delta, landing at 8am CST on a Friday.  It was cold, but sunny.  After getting the rental and breakfast, we had a 2 hour drive to Duluth.

We tried for some Duluth birds, like the reported Tufted Duck, King Eider, Bohemian Waxwing & Northern Goshawk, but to no avail.  The cold had frozen the lake, so no chance of ducks.  Then we drove up & down Knife rd, but no luck with waxwings or goshawks. I only saw 9 species of birds the first day. It's cold here!  So off to the hotel for check-in and sleep, tomorrow is going to be all BOG!!

From Duluth, it's only a 30-40 min drive to the BOG, too bad it's negative 20 degrees this early in the morning.  We used the map and driving tour guide to follow. It's a great resource for any birders first time at the BOG.  Here is the link: https://saxzim.org/plan-your-visit/

Dawn at BOG

Its COLD

Starting at the Warren Nelson bog, we missed the Black Backed Woodpecker, she was there, seen by others, but I just never got to see her.  So we left and visited some feeder stations.   From there we headed up Rt 29 to the next feeder stations . . . . and finally . . . . much needed

Pine Grosbeak, #613

Female & Male PIGR

LIFE BIRDS!!! Both several Pine Grosbeaks and Sharp-tailed Grouse where patiently feeding at the stations.  Hey this map thing works.

Sharp-tailed Grouse, #612

A chicken-like bird of open prairies and parklands, the Sharp-tailed Grouse uses a wider variety of habitats than its close relatives the prairie-chickens. Short, pointed tail, white at base.

The grayish bodies of Pine Grosbeaks are decked out in pinkish reds on males and yellows on females. They easily crush seeds and nip off tree buds and needles with their thick and stubby bill. Pine Grosbeaks inhabit open spruce, fir, and pine forests as well as subalpine forests. In winter they tend to use mountain ash, maple, and ash forests with abundant seeds.


OK, got the pressure off now, two life birds, with more to come!!  Off to the visitor center now.  It was not open yet, but the feeders had several more PIGR, Common Redpoll, Pine Siskins to photo.

By now we had traveled up to ZIM rd., and where coming back south down McDavitt Rd., in hopes of hawk owl spot.  We spotted 6 cars parked on the road. Again it was COLD.  Only two cars had people in them, the other where empty. So we loaded up the gear, and started walking on this winter path east.  We finally passed some birders, who said "yea--it's there just keep walking". OK, it's COLD but we keep walking this narrow snow path. Once we made the turn, there up in a tree . . .

Northern Hawk Owl, #614

Hey, looky here

Lifer for ALL birders who brave

A bird of boreal forests, the Northern Hawk Owl behaves like a raptor, but looks like an owl. Its oval body, yellow eyes, and round face enclosed by dark parentheses are distinctly owl. Its long tail and habit of perching atop solitary trees and hunting by daylight, though, are reminiscent of a raptor. It is a solitary bird that tends to stick to the boreal forest, but some winters it moves south into the northern United States delighting birders near and far.

OK, WOW. What a journey, such fun to share the experience with friends and birders, but now its back to the car, because it's COLD.

Now we head down to Sax Rd., then back north on Admiral Rd. to the world famous "Admiral Feeders".  A spot that has been know of for years and most reliable for Boreal Chickadee. We pull up, and there's about 10 cars, about 30 birders, all real close to the feeding station. I walk up and ask a guy about our two target birds . . . and he points and says "yeah, they are right there" . . . .

Canada Jay, #615

Boreal Chickadee. #616

Admiral rd. feeders

The deceptively cute Canada Jay is one of the most intrepid birds in North America, living in northern forests year-round and rearing chicks in the dark of winter. Highly curious and always on the lookout for food, Canada Jays eat just about anything, from berries to small animals.

A brown-capped chickadee of the northern boreal forest, the Boreal Chickadee is one of the few birds living completely within that biome in Canada and bits of the United States. Brownish gray overall with a brown crown, small white cheek patch, and cinnamon flanks.

And with that, the life bird train came to a close.  We missed several other lifers for me, but that only give me a reason to travel the county and come back to the BOG in the future.

Evening Grosbeak

Northern Shrike

Squirrel and Rib cage meat

Mary Lou's feeding station

 Trip stats:
31 species
5 life birds
-40 degrees w wind chill
740 miles driving
Never about 0 degrees

Lifers Missed:

Black-backed Woodpecker

Bohemian Waxwing

Northern Goshawk

Hoary Redpoll

Boreal Owl