Day Two - January 2, 2018

Noisy Blue Jays in the neighborhood were new for the year today.

I worked again at Metro (usually happens on weekdays). I had to catch the route 31 bus to my relief point so I could relieve a driver on the route 32. While standing at the bus stop, 3 Ring-billed Gulls flew over my head. I missed these in the county last year. Later, while driving the route 32, I added Northern Mockingbird and Red-shouldered Hawk.

New birds for the year today: Blue Jay, Ring-billed Gull, Northern Mockingbird, Red-shouldered Hawk. 2018 Year List = 20.

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Lake Barber and Metro additions.

Wednesday January 3 I worked a split shift today at Metro. Two Black Vultures flew over my head near Colerain Ave. and I-74 as I was headed to the end of the line. After my morning work, I had some time so I went to Lake Barber Park (near Evan's Landscaping off Roundbottom Rd. in Newtown). Five Long-tailed Ducks were reported here on the Cincinnati CBC. When I arrived, I found that most of the eastern lake was frozen over and only a lone Mute Swan standing on the ice. I walked back to the car and grabbed the scope, and decided to find the western lake that I saw on the map. As I walked I added White-breasted Nuthatch. When I arrived at the western lake, I found some open water and flushed a group of Mallards out toward the other distant ducks and geese. Fifteen Tundra Swans stood on the ice. With my scope I scanned the raft of ducks. Among Canada Geese and Mallards were Redheads, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks and A...

Chippies are back!

March 23, 2018 Chippies, as my great aunt used to call them, are back in Cincinnati. On my way home from work I made an impromptu decision to pull into Old St. Joseph Cemetery where I expected to find them. I've seen Chippies in cemeteries many times, so I figured it is as good a place as any to look. I didn't take long before I heard one singing. Already this year I had found a Pine Warbler at Mitchell Memorial Forest and Dark-eyed Juncos have been singing in my neighborhood. Both of these birds sound superficially similar to the Chipping Sparrow, but the Chippie has a drier, more monotone song than these two. The Pine Warbler's song was easily recognized as sweeter, more musical. The Dark-eyed Junco's song seems to be somewhat in between the Chipping Sparrow and Pine Warbler in terms of dryness and musical quality. The Chippie was seen on the ground eating grass seeds from the growing stems, and another was heard in a nearby tree. After changing from my work clot...

Long awaited target birds finally found!

Although not rare in March in Hamilton County, Ohio, it was still thrilling to add three species to my county year list on Monday March 19th. My first stop was a Kilby Road Gravel Pits where Common Loon is usually reliable in the right season. It was a target bird and the reason for my visit there. As I scanned the water, the first waterbird I found on the water after the usual Canada Geese was a single Common Loon which later I was unable to relocate after scoping six female Red-breasted Mergansers, two pair of American Wigeon with a male Lesser Scaup swimming with them. The reason for being unable to relocate the loon was made evident very quickly when it flew over my head and, assuming it was the same bird circling the lake, flew over my head a second time, this time lower and more directly, enabling me to get this photo. My next stop was Miami Whitewater Forest. My plan was to search for Eastern Phoebe at the restrooms in Bowle's Woods area where they have nested in past y...

David's Hamilton County Big Year 2018

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