Rumors of a Snowy Owl at the Ball Park

I had an early shift this morning so I was able to bird later in the morning and into the early afternoon. A Snowy Owl had been reported at Great American Ball Park by the Cincinnati Reds grounds crew. It was confirmed with a photo, sitting on the railing at the edge of the ballpark. I decided to go down and pay the $4 to park along Mehring Way and go birding at Smale Riverfront Park which is between the ballpark and the river. I didn't get the owl, but I did find a very cooperative and close Pied-billed Grebe in Ohio waters. Then a flock of 4 Red-breasted Mergansers were first picked up flying over Ohio waters but landed in the river across the Kentucky state line. Since I first saw them flying over Hamilton county, I'm counting them. A Merlin, not new for the year, flew over my head and across the river to Kentucky. Just a few minutes later, a young Peregrine Falcon came flying across the river from near the Daniel Beard bridge and kept on going toward the skyscrapers in downtown Cincinnati!

After the excitement on the river, I decided to give Mitchell Memorial Forest a try at Red-breasted Nuthatch and Pine Siskin. I first started hearing Pine Siskins then saw 5 of them land in a nearby tree. Then as I walk around the pines, I found a tree containing 19 Pine Siskins! I heard but did not see a Red-breasted Nuthatch calling softly and very infrequently. Doesn't count for my list yet until I see one. I later found 3 more Pine Siskins in another area of the park for a total of 22 birds. A singing Fox Sparrow, although not new, was noteworthy.

I added 4 new species to the list today, bringing the total to 83 birds! Birds added (in order) were: Pied-billed Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser, Peregrine Falcon and Pine Siskin.