Chuck-will's-widow

 

May 22nd  

          This morning Mike and I left for southern Ohio but took a round about way of getting there.  First, we went east to Lorain to look for several birds that had been reported there.  We did find a Cattle Egret at the Lorain Impoundment which is a marshy area near the boat launch and pier.  Cattle Egrets are common in the South but are scarce in Ohio.  Our view of the egret was somewhat obstructed, but it was definitely in full breeding plumage.

          From here we headed south for our destination which was Shawnee State Park.  Some of you will remember that we were here just about a month ago with Ann and Howard Rosenberg. That trip ended with the “stomach flu” episode.  We arrived about 4:00pm today and went out for a walk.  There had been a report of a pair of Mississippi Kites seen near the firepit in the cabin area.  We found the spot and immediately saw a kite perched high on a dead snag.  As Mike was taking pictures, I spotted the second kite.

          This was a great find, a very special and rare bird in Ohio.  The Mississippi Kite nests in the South so it is unusual to find them here.  It is a small, slender raptor with narrow, pointed wings and a long tail.  It is graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air.  The kite will zero in on flying insects then catch and devour them on the wing. Mississippi Kites are known to dive-bomb intruders that come too close to their nest.

          After dinner at the lodge, we went out to search for the Chuck-will’s-widow which was the real purpose of our trip.  We got to Hamilton Rd. about 8:00pm and drove slowly down the road listening for the bird.  The call of the Chuck-will’s-widow sounds just like its name.  This is also true of the Whip-poor-will.  Both birds are in the Nightjar family. 

We didn’t hear any Chuck-will’s-widow, so we moved on to the Edge of Appalachia Preserve.  Again, we heard nothing as night continued to fall.  We had one more spot to try and thankfully right after we turned onto a side road, we both heard the call of the Chuck-will’s-widow loud and clear.  Success!

A Chuck-will’s-widow is also a southern bird and only a small number breed in the most southern parts of Ohio.  This was a very good day of birding and worth all the driving we did today.  Mike forgot the connector to download his pictures onto the computer so photos will follow later. 

(3 new species, total 271)

Chuck-will’s-widow (rare)

Cattle Egret (scarce)     

Mississippi Kite (rare)

                                                 Mississippi Kite

                                                 Another view

                                                  Cattle Egret



 

Comments

  1. AnnMay 23, 2022 at 12:20 PM

    Congratulations. You are getting some tough Ohio birds.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 1, 2022 at 12:47 PM

    Thoroughly enjoying your comments and photos!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 1, 2022 at 4:14 PM

    So enjoying you posts and related information about the birds

    ReplyDelete

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