Birds, birds, birds

White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) are amazing birds who are able to exploit a unique foraging niche in the bird world - they can move face first down trees!  They must have an advantage this way in inspecting tree trunks for insect prey and other tasty morsels. 

It's all I think about anymore.  I have said that I've loved birds ever since they evolved from dinosaurs.  Well I guess that doesn't make complete sense, but what I mean is that I loved dinosaurs as a kid and as I got a bit older my obsession evolved from dinosaurs to birds.  I've been a casual bird-watcher since I was about 12, a more serious bird-watcher since 2006, and now I have become a BIRDER!!  I make the clear distinction between bird-watchers and birders based on a number of behaviors.  Bird-watchers are laid-back, opportunistic in their hobby, appreciate birds despite how common or rare they are, and enjoy actually WATCHING them.  Birders are crazed, hasty, they "chase" and "get" birds, and are obsessed with making lists.  I'm sure that there is a gradient between these two descriptions, but it is a slippery slope once you start falling into the "birder" category that I described!  eBird is single-handedly responsible for my transition.

Found this little owl while driving one day.  Immediately turned around and prepared my passengers for the experience haha.  It's a red morph Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio). 

Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) are tough birds.  They can handle standing in the freezing cold Cuyahoga River due to physiological adaptations that limit blood flow to the feet and legs.

Being a birder isn't SO bad, but there are some birding behaviors that bother me.  I guess it all just boils down to ethics and keeping the birds' best interests in mind.  One thing that I still haven't gotten sucked into yet is "chasing" birds.  See, when a rare bird shows up in an area and a someone reports it in today's world, this report instantly hits the communication waves.  Depending on the bird, birders may flock from all over to come see the bird - who in turn becomes a local celebirdy (hahaha).  The reason that most birders flock from all around to see these rare birds is because they need to "get" one for their list.  My best friend even chases them across the country!! I don't have a problem with other people doing this (even though they use a lot of gas).  To each their own.  I personally enjoy the excitement and the challenge of finding my own birds.  That being said, I do believe that there are some benefits to chasing birds.  Since some species can be so infrequently discovered (whether they are rare, secretive, or both), the chances are a lot lower that a single person will find them.  If you want to learn more about a particular species, the best way is to see and watch one.  Once you actually see a bird, you get an idea for what it looks like, how it moves and behaves, and where you might find it.  After you have seen a bird, you are far more likely to detect that species in the future.  So bird on my friends!!!  Let's just do so ethically : )

This pair of Redhead (Aythya americana) drakes were hanging out in a small section of open water in Lake Hodgson (Portage county).  This winter has been cold enough that most bodies of water are frozen over - so there are often many birds to be found in various open water that is available!

Back to eBird.  I just want to make mention how great of a tool that it is.  I said that eBird made me a birder because it made me obsessed with lists.  I've recorded lists and behavioral notes about birds for years (on paper), but I really just started using eBird this past fall.  Your list on eBird just looks so clean, the stats are great, and you can break down your numbers in many different ways.  You can also use eBird to view distribution data for any species in any time scale.  For example:

Here is a snapshot of Sayornis phoebe or Eastern Phoebe sightings in February of this year.  It won't be long until they make their way up to NE Ohio in big numbers!!!

I just think that this is such a cool tool to use.  There are a lot of possibilities, and as I said, I am hooked!!  One other thing about eBird that I must mention is something that I wish my prof at school wouldn't have showed me.  Under "explore data" there is a "top 100" link.  This takes you to look at the top 100 eBirders for any specified region down to county level.  I think that I can safely say that when my prof showed me this and said "You're killin' it in Portage county right now" is when I became a birder.  Since then I have been making efforts to look for birds like I wouldn't have before.  I still won't be chasing any birds, I can promise that - but I am using my knowledge of birds to find as many as I can on my own.  So if you know about any rare species around here I don't want to know about it!  Haha but seriously - if you have any thoughts on any of this birder/bird-watcher business, I'd love to read your comments.

I caught this Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo linneatus) in dragon pose while he was hunting in a lawn.

This young Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) was so cooperative that I had time to "interpret" him for almost a dozen park visitors, ride my bike home to get my camera and come back (30 minutes later) to find him still around and willing to let me capture beautiful photographs of him.

For a closer look at the photos from this blog and to see more like them, please check out my bird gallery at - http://www.naturaleye.org/

New Places Make Me Happy : )

Wow, I've really been living it up for the past week.  I've been on Spring Break at KSU and I also am currently in a transitional phase between my last job and my new job at Cuyahoga Valley NP, so I haven't worked this past week either.  Just been enjoying beautiful Ohio every minute of every day.  Bird-watching every day!

For my internship at CVNP, I will be collecting data from many different wells in some of the wetlands in the park.  Basically what that means is that I will be spending 20 hours a week hiking in the park and GETTING PAID!!!  Lucky me : )  I went out Wednesday for a training run on the routes and the methods of data collection.  It was a wonderful day, while I was "working" I kept a tally of the birds that we came by and I had a solid list by the end of it!  We saw a big garter snake, lots of painted turtles, an eagle, a pair of Cooper's Hawks, a Phoebe, a Mockingbird, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker among many others.  I can't even imagine how distracted I'm going to be when May comes around and warblers and other birds are EVERYWHERE...hopefully I don't get fired for forgetting to do my job haha.

Yesterday, Rob and I decided to go canoeing down the Cuyahoga.  I've never been on that river before, it was definitely an interesting ride.  We did about 6 miles from the North end of Kent to Munroe Falls.  It was pretty cold yesterday and the wind was blowing directly against us for a good bit of the ride.  The rapids in certain spots near downtown Kent were pretty intense and a bunch of water came into the canoe and soaked Rob!!  I felt so bad, I made him sit up front (I didn't think about getting drenched)!  Needless to say, it was a chilly ride...fun though : )  We saw some herons, Mallards, Turkey Vultures and a Red-tailed Hawk gave us the pose of a lifetime in the perfect sun (you know one of those poses that only happen when you don't have your camera).  We made it out alive and warmed up, so it was a good experience.  I think that we will wait until it's warmer until we go into the river again...

Today was a wonderful day.  It was rather cold, but the sky was my favorite : )  When I'm not pollinating flowers, I am a serious cloud-watcher, and when the sun is faintly covered by a white sky with blue and big fluffy clouds (sorry, not scientific at all cumulus??) I am really happy. Here's a picture explaining what I mean : )

Anyway, this shot was taken in Hampton Hills Metropark, near the Southern end of Cuyahoga Valley.  My new friend Ana took me here, and it is a really gorgeous place.  I have high hopes that there will be some great Spring wildflowers in a few weeks, and migrating/nesting songbirds to follow!!  I shall be back to see.  We had to take a quick peak at the Heron rookery on Bath Rd. before leaving, and I took a photo of a pair sprucing up their nest.

Ana had to work at 5, so that left me more time to go explore some place else.  I went back to Mogadore, and I finally explored an area that I've wanted to for a while.  After making my way through very dense undergrowth for a while, I discovered that the Buckeye Trail runs though where I was trying to get to!! This trail instantly became one of my new favorite spots, I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

Ok, so to explain it better, I love Mogadore Reservoir in general because it's close to my house and the birds are great.  I get to watch Osprey and Bald Eagles daily depending on the season. I heard my first Osprey back to Mogadore today!!!  I had previously spotted my first Osprey of 2011 last Sunday at East Branch Reservoir.  So exciting!  Besides big raptors, there are good waterfowl, and migrating songbirds to be seen at Mogadore.  I haven't experienced Spring migration at Mogadore yet, but Fall was great so I can't wait to see what birds turn up now through May!

The section that I finally got into today is along the Northeast area of the reservoir.  The forest bordering the reservoir is mainly Red Pine which I think is very interesting.  Walking through this area, I feel like I am in Florida.  Well I guess minus the fact that it was below freezing today!  The pines are pretty much self-pruning, where the branches and needles are really only at the tops of the trees.  There are many down trees with beautiful bright green moss all over them and ferns are everywhere.  There is also thick shrubby undergrowth and many climbing (vine) species.  It is definitely unlike any other habitat that I've seen in Ohio.  I know that there has to be an Osprey nest somewhere around here and this year I WILL FIND IT.  Here's a photo of an opening in the woods along the path that I discovered!

Hmm, I think I am about done writing for now but I will mention lastly the waterfowl that I saw at the Reservoir...Ring-necked Ducks (many), Lesser Scaups (8-10), Bufflehead (5-6), Canada Geese, Wood Duck (2), and this beautiful Pied-billed Grebe who I like very much : )  He was bathing and preening in the late sun today just before it set...ahhh lovely day