January 1st

 

Hi all,

Mike and I have decided to do an Ohio Birding Big Year which means we will try to see as many species of birds in Ohio as possible during the calendar year.  I am doing a little blog about our adventures and thought you might be interested.  If you want to opt out, get too many emails etc. just let me know.  I will not be offended.

Cathy 

January 1st

 I awoke at 4am and wondered what my first bird of the year would be.  I was hoping to hear a Great-horned Owl hooting while lying in my bed.  This had happened to Mike the night before, but it was not meant to be.  We got out of bed about 6:30am and decided to chase a Snowy Owl that had been reported the day before at the Lorain Marina/boat launch area on the Lake Erie shore.  

When we left the house, it was still dark, and the fog was as thick as the proverbial pea soup.  While driving, I saw my first bird which was not exciting (European Starling).  We got to the marina about an hour and a half later and could barely see a thing.  I noticed a woman with binoculars walking on the breakwall.  She directed us toward the female or immature Snowy which was perched on a light post.  We could hardly see her, and Mike couldn’t get any good photos.  Just as we were about to leave, the fog miraculously lifted, and we got great views.  After seeing lots of ring-billed, herring, a few Great Black-backed Gulls, a female Greater Scaup and a couple of Cormorants, we left.

 Next, we headed for the Magee Marsh Causeway in search of a Northern Shrike, but we dipped.  Finally, we went to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to look for Long-eared Owls.  Again, we got lucky.  We drove down the causeway and there was a woman pointing her camera at the owl.  A two-owl day is always a good day of birding.  It was starting to drizzle so we decided to call it a day except for a few feeder birds back at the house. All and all, it was a pretty good start to the new year.  (30 bird species)

Canada Goose                  Ring-billed Gull                            Red-tailed Hawk     

Trumpeter Swan                Herring Gull                                 Snowy Owl (scarce)

Tundra Swan                     Great Black-backed Gull       Long-eared Owl (scarce)

Mallard                              Double-crested Cormorant           American Kestrel

Greater Scaup                   Great Blue Heron                        European Starling   

Rock Pigeon                      Northern Harrier                           House Sparrow      

Mourning Dove                  Bald Eagle                                                                 

Feeder Birds:

Red-bellied Woodpecker              Red-Breasted Nuthatch               American Goldfinch

Downy Woodpecker                     White-breasted Nuthatch        White-throated Sparrow

Hairy Woodpecker                       House Finch                                        Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee    

                                           Snowy Owl
                                           Long-eared Owl
                                         

 

 

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