Thursday January 19th - Evening Grosbeaks

 

Thursday January 19th – Evening Grosbeaks

          Of the 304 species that we saw last year, we did not see an Evening Grosbeak.  It is an irruptive species, not following regular patterns of movement.  They can be seen in huge numbers and then not be seen again for years.  In general, their population has been declining dramatically and they are rare in Ohio.

          The best place to see an Evening Grosbeak would be in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or Duluth, Minnesota which is a very accessible and friendly place.  There you can find Snowy and Northern Hawk Owls and occasionally a Great Gray Owl.  There are “winter finches” such as the Pine and Evening Grosbeak and Purple Finches.  There are Red and White-winged Crossbills and Canada Jays (a.k.a. Gray Jays).  Sometimes there are Bohemian Waxwings, Boreal Chickadees and Ruffed or Sharp-tailed Grouse.  Any trip to Duluth must include a visit to the famous Sax-Zim Bog.  Wait a minute! I digress.  This is a story for another day.

          As you can see, the allure of finding an Evening Grosbeak close to home was very enticing.  We decided it was worth the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Mohican State Park which is between Mansfield and Wooster to search for a flock of about 25 grosbeaks in this area.  We arrived and very soon heard and saw the flock.  It was great to see these colorful finches that look like an oversized goldfinch.

          On the way home we stopped at nearby Pleasant Hill Lake Park and saw at least 50 Black Vultures.  We were surprised to see so many vultures roosting at this spot.

                                             Evening Grosbeak

                                           Black Vulture



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