Avids in April: April 2024

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Common Yellowthroat - Photo Earl Harrison

Our April Avid Birders trip, the second of the year, located 69 species including 5 vireos and 13 warblers.

We departed from Scioto Downs at 6:00 am for Shawnee State Park: participants and leaders hopped into the Bunnymobile and headed for the hills. A couple hours later we arrived at the Shawnee State Park Marina. We started by birding the parking area, noting a Belted Kingfisher and hearing a Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and White-eyed Vireo, along with other resident birds.

Blue-winged Warbler - Photo Tracy Wiczer
Blue-winged Warbler – Photo Tracy Wiczer

Moving on to Shawnee State Forest, we proceeded along the main forest roads. We paused to admire 4 Blue-winged Warblers singing and feeding at eye level, oblivious to our presence. Persistence paid off when we located a Cerulean Warbler after listening to it singing for awhile.

Despite our mid-April trip date, earlier than trips here in past years, most trees were leafed out, making seeing birds challenging. But we were up to the challenge, spotting a Worm-eating Warbler, which we heard on one of our stops as soon as we exited the vehicle, and sunlight reflected beautifully off a Yellow-throated Vireo in the same area. A bit farther on, we stopped to observe a Northern Parula and Louisiana Waterthrush, which we first heard, and eventually located.

Vesper Sparrow - Photo Tracy Wiczer
Vesper Sparrow- Photo Tracy Wiczer

After over four hours on forest roads, we stopped at the campground in the state park. A Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer were on the sand along the lake. A couple of Warbling Vireos were directly above us as we watched the shorebirds, and Tree, Barn, Cliff, and Rough-winged Swallows flew above the water catching insects. In mid-afternoon we departed the park, stopping in Pickaway County on the way home, where we found Vesper Sparrows at the county airport. We also saw Eastern Meadowlarks, Horned Larks and a Field Sparrow along River Drive.

We returned to the Casino about 6:00 pm. Our list of species seen is below.

  1. Canada Goose
  2. Rock Pigeon
  3. Mourning Dove
  4. Killdeer
  5. Spotted Sandpiper
  6. Great Blue Heron
  7. Black Vulture
  8. Turkey Vulture
  9. Bald Eagle
  10. Red-Tailed Hawk
  11. Buteo sp. (Possible Broad-winged)
  12. Belted Kingfisher
  13. Pileated Woodpecker
  14. Northern Flicker
  15. Eastern Phoebe
  16. Eastern Kingbird
  17. Yellow-throated Vireo
  18. Blue-headed Vireo
  19. Warbling Vireo
  20. White-Eyed Vireo
  21. Red-Eyed Vireo
  22. Blue Jay
  23. American Crow
  24. Carolina Chickadee
  25. Tufted Titmouse
  26. Horned Lark
  27. Tree Swallow
  28. Barn Swallow
  29. Cliff Swallow
  30. Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
  31. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
  32. White-Breasted Nuthatch
  33. Carolina Wren
  34. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
  35. European Starling
  36. Gray Catbird
  37. Northern Mockingbird
  38. Eastern Bluebird
  39. American Robin
  40. House Sparrow
  41. House FInch
  42. American Goldfinch
  43. Chipping Sparrow
  44. Field Sparrow
  45. Dark-eyed Junco
  46. White-Crowned Sparrow
  47. White-Throated Sparrow
  48. Vesper Sparrow
  49. Savannah Sparrow
  50. Song Sparrow
  51. Eastern Towhee
  52. Eastern Meadowlark
  53. Red-winged Blackbird
  54. Brown-Headed Cowbird
  55. Common Grackle
  56. Ovenbird
  57. Worm-eating Warbler
  58. Louisiana Waterthrush
  59. Blue-winged Warbler
  60. Common Yellowthroat
  61. Hooded Warbler
  62. American Redstart
  63. Cerulean Warbler
  64. Northern Parula
  65. Yellow-Rumped Warbler
  66. Yellow-throated Warbler
  67. Prairie Warbler
  68. Black-throated Green Warbler
  69. Northern Cardinal
  70. Indigo Bunting
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