“We’re leaving during the day, but I can give you a few pre-dawn hours. I might know where some Screech Owls are lurking.” With those words, Dave Horn became a Christmas Bird Count hero to me, the Columbus CBC compiler. Not only was it an audacious offer – he was leaving to visit family on Count day, after all…
We knew the birds were there, long before we could see them, mostly from the noisy begging by the juveniles. We were near several Osprey platforms with nests. Osprey calls are piercingly loud, but the adults don’t make them often. Big begging juveniles are another story; they squeal long and loud, imploring the adults to catch them…
Summary On December 20, 72 observers sponsored by CAS spent the day counting birds in different areas of Columbus. A cool, clear day capped a month of mild weather, but seemed to depress bird numbers for many teams. Despite this, observers were still able to ring up totals of 79 species and 36,865 individual birds….
As you prepare for one or more Christmas Bird Counts this month, you might wonder about the results of last year’s CBCs. Wonder no more! Information on the 115th annual CBC is available on the Audubon Web site. You’ll find all sorts of interesting tidbits, including lists of counts with more than 100 participants and…
Imagine an Ohio awash in wetlands. Every stream with slow, willow-choked meanders, most rivers with meadows and pools, all without human intervention. This was how the state must have appeared during the early 1700s, when beavers were widespread. Most of Ohio’s watercourses would’ve looked more like those in Canada or the northern Rockies, where the terms beaver…
I was gazing out at the bird-feeder when the hawk cruised in. As the birds scattered, I expected the usual Cooper’s Hawk, but was startled when a Red-shouldered Hawk did a quick turn past the feeder and chased a squirrel off into the bushes. I never did see the outcome, but made a mental note: another adaptation…
