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Take Three!



Take One: After work I tried for the recently reported Common and Red-breasted Mergansers at the Schmidt Boat Ramp. Did not have my scope with me and photographed a very distant duck still in Ohio waters but could not make it out. Photo sent to merganser expert, Chuck Slusarczyk Jr. in Cleveland for analysis. No new birds added. If the merganser can be identified from the photo, I may consider adding it, or wait for a more definitive bird somewhere in the county.

Take Two: Not wanting to be skunked today with no new birds added, I thought I would head to Spring Grove Cemetery, very close to my workplace, to try for Pine Siskin and Red-breasted Nuthatch. I arrived only to find a sign indicating that, for safety reasons, the cemetery grounds were temporarily closed due to icy roads. School was closed today and my wife was once again forced to work from home. Balancing family with birding, I went home to keep an eye on the kids while my wife worked. 

Take Three: My son can be a handful and since he was already required to do an outdoor activity for his Arrow of Light program in Cub Scouts, I decided to take him to Fernald Preserve where we could combine discussing the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace with a short little hike and birding. When I turned into the preserve, I quickly found a Rough-legged Hawk near the entrance. Whew! Not skunked today! Next, at Lodge Pond, I was thrilled to add Canvasback and Green-winged Teal. Although I was hoping to find the reported Northern Pintails, I was really pleased with the hawk and the canvasbacks.

Rough-legged Hawk, Canvasback and Green-winged Teal are new for the year, bringing the total to 71 (+1). The +1 is the provisional merganser, if an ID can be definitively made from the photo.

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