Zeb Acuff and I birded three locations in eastern Hamilton county this morning with ambient temperature of -2 degrees Fahrenheit at the beginning and a balmy 15 degrees Fahrenheit by the time we were finished.
Our day began before sunrise in the main parking lot of Otto Armleder Park hoping for Short-eared Owls at dawn, but we did not find any of those. We located the area where several field birds were recently reported in the soccer field. We quickly found several Horned Larks and a lone Snow Bunting among them. It took a little bit more scope work to locate two Lapland Longspurs. I initially estimated 30 birds, but when we returned from the bean field with better light as we headed to the cars we were able count 82 birds using only binoculars, one of which is a Snow Bunting, at least two of which are Lapland Longspurs (scope was in trunk by this time) and at least 70 or the majority of the birds were Horned Larks. On our way to the bean field I added White-crowned Sparrow to the year list. Next, we got into the warm cars (its a good thing because my toes were frozen) and headed to the canoe launch area where I added a much needed Brown Creeper. I had been checking my hackberries and pines in my backyard for my recent visitor to no avail. Thus I was ecstatic to find a creeper today! Another addition to the list at the canoe launch was a male Eastern Towhee.
Armleder addtions: Horned Lark, Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur, White-crowned Sparrow, Brown Creeper, Eastern Towhee bringing the year's total to 54 species!
Next we headed to Camp Dennison. We started at the AIM building and found the lake to be completely frozen over. No additions there, and only a few songbirds present, so we moved on to the entrance to Grand Valley Preserve (really still part of Camp Dennison but with restricted access). While standing behind the No Trespassing sign making sure not to violate any rules, we scoped the ducks on the small patch of open water. Mostly Redheads (not new) and one Ring-necked Duck and two American Black Ducks. Two Herring Gulls flew to the north low over the ice. Near the entrance we also located a Fox Sparrow! What a surprise to find this bird. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find one for my January 100 list. While at the gate, a car pulled up and the driver rolled down his window - "Are you birding?". We replied "yes". I told him we didn't have a permit. He said we could go in with him as his guests. It was Rick Dunning, an Indian Hill resident. Only Indian Hill residents have access to the preserve under normal circumstances. What a treat to be able to bird the area as his guests. We parked our cars and scanned the gull flock on the ice ... all Ring-billeds. The 17 Redheads took flight. Rick led us on a trail through a variety of habitats. As we walked we found 7 Eastern Bluebirds together, 6 of which were males. Walking further we found a male American Kestrel that landed on a distant wire. I put my scope on it and shared it with Rick, Zeb and two other birders who were heading back to their car. Excellent views of a beautiful little falcon. Rick had found a mixed flock of berry eaters earlier in the week that contained a Hermit Thrush. We did not find the thrush, but I added Cedar Waxwing as two birds flew silently over our heads. On the way back to the car, Zeb spotted a Field Sparrow (not new) and three American Tree Sparrows feeding on the ground right in front of us.
Camp Dennison additions: Herring Gull, Ring-necked Duck, American Black Duck, Fox Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, American Kestrel, Cedar Waxwing, American Tree Sparrow bringing the year's total to 62 species!
Zeb and I looked at the time and made a decision to check one last nearby place and then call it a day. Lake Barber seemed like the place to go, as I had a variety of waterfowl there last Wednesday. The lakes were mostly frozen over with less open water in the western lake than on Wednesday. Swans were gone and the only waterbirds remaining in the lake were several American Coots, a lone Mallard and a few Gadwall. Nothing new for the year. One surprise, however, was a bird I had been hoping to find this month, a Belted Kingfisher!
The kingfisher was the only addition here bringing the total to 63 species!
Our day began before sunrise in the main parking lot of Otto Armleder Park hoping for Short-eared Owls at dawn, but we did not find any of those. We located the area where several field birds were recently reported in the soccer field. We quickly found several Horned Larks and a lone Snow Bunting among them. It took a little bit more scope work to locate two Lapland Longspurs. I initially estimated 30 birds, but when we returned from the bean field with better light as we headed to the cars we were able count 82 birds using only binoculars, one of which is a Snow Bunting, at least two of which are Lapland Longspurs (scope was in trunk by this time) and at least 70 or the majority of the birds were Horned Larks. On our way to the bean field I added White-crowned Sparrow to the year list. Next, we got into the warm cars (its a good thing because my toes were frozen) and headed to the canoe launch area where I added a much needed Brown Creeper. I had been checking my hackberries and pines in my backyard for my recent visitor to no avail. Thus I was ecstatic to find a creeper today! Another addition to the list at the canoe launch was a male Eastern Towhee.
Armleder addtions: Horned Lark, Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur, White-crowned Sparrow, Brown Creeper, Eastern Towhee bringing the year's total to 54 species!
Next we headed to Camp Dennison. We started at the AIM building and found the lake to be completely frozen over. No additions there, and only a few songbirds present, so we moved on to the entrance to Grand Valley Preserve (really still part of Camp Dennison but with restricted access). While standing behind the No Trespassing sign making sure not to violate any rules, we scoped the ducks on the small patch of open water. Mostly Redheads (not new) and one Ring-necked Duck and two American Black Ducks. Two Herring Gulls flew to the north low over the ice. Near the entrance we also located a Fox Sparrow! What a surprise to find this bird. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find one for my January 100 list. While at the gate, a car pulled up and the driver rolled down his window - "Are you birding?". We replied "yes". I told him we didn't have a permit. He said we could go in with him as his guests. It was Rick Dunning, an Indian Hill resident. Only Indian Hill residents have access to the preserve under normal circumstances. What a treat to be able to bird the area as his guests. We parked our cars and scanned the gull flock on the ice ... all Ring-billeds. The 17 Redheads took flight. Rick led us on a trail through a variety of habitats. As we walked we found 7 Eastern Bluebirds together, 6 of which were males. Walking further we found a male American Kestrel that landed on a distant wire. I put my scope on it and shared it with Rick, Zeb and two other birders who were heading back to their car. Excellent views of a beautiful little falcon. Rick had found a mixed flock of berry eaters earlier in the week that contained a Hermit Thrush. We did not find the thrush, but I added Cedar Waxwing as two birds flew silently over our heads. On the way back to the car, Zeb spotted a Field Sparrow (not new) and three American Tree Sparrows feeding on the ground right in front of us.
Camp Dennison additions: Herring Gull, Ring-necked Duck, American Black Duck, Fox Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, American Kestrel, Cedar Waxwing, American Tree Sparrow bringing the year's total to 62 species!
Zeb and I looked at the time and made a decision to check one last nearby place and then call it a day. Lake Barber seemed like the place to go, as I had a variety of waterfowl there last Wednesday. The lakes were mostly frozen over with less open water in the western lake than on Wednesday. Swans were gone and the only waterbirds remaining in the lake were several American Coots, a lone Mallard and a few Gadwall. Nothing new for the year. One surprise, however, was a bird I had been hoping to find this month, a Belted Kingfisher!
The kingfisher was the only addition here bringing the total to 63 species!
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