Some days you get the bird, and some days the bird…. OK, that’s not exactly how the saying goes, but it sort of describes the Avids October trip.
The day started well, as our first bird was a Killdeer calling from the parking lot at Cabela’s! Google Maps took us on a very circuitous route to Earth Heart Farms: some of the roads lacked painted edge lines, but our drivers were up to the task even in the early morning darkness. Three additional people met us at the farm, so we had a good group.
Unfortunately, the Nelson’s and LeConte’s Sparrows were no-shows. We searched diligently for several hours, but the “pumpkin spice” sparrows (called that because of their orange-tinted plumages) eluded our efforts. We couldn’t complain too much, though, as Lincoln’s, Swamp, Song, Savannah, Field and White-throated Sparrows all were abundant. Eastern Meadowlarks flew over the fields, and non-breeding Bobolinks were fun to watch in the grasses.
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge was our next stop. We ate our lunches at the picnic tables near the visitor center (closed due to the government shutdown), then walked out to the river, seeing Hermit Thrushes and Yellow-rumped Warblers along the way. A flock of American White Pelicans flew overhead, their white bodies with black wingtips standing out against the clear blue sky. What a sight! A few Sandhill Cranes were lounging in the grasses, and several of us saw a Wilson’s Snipe as it flew out of sight. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs gave us a chance to compare the two species. And those Pelicans that we had seen flying now were feasting on fish in the river.
As some left for home, a few of us birded around the Sportman’s Center, where a Clay-colored Sparrow had been reported. That bird was nowhere to be found, but we did spot an immature Chipping Sparrow. We also saw a Blackpoll Warbler along with some Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers. A cooperative Eastern Wood Pewee perched in a nearby tree, and we even found a female Purple Finch, a bird that’s often difficult to locate in Ohio.
Having learned our lesson with Google Maps, we took a more direct route home. Although we missed those orangeish sparrows that we had hoped for, we had a more than respectable 62 species for the trip — and a lovely, sunny day with temperatures in the 50s and light breezes.
Click on the Trip Report button below for a full eBird list of the species that we found on the trip. When viewing this report, feel free to explore the options to see detailed information on where each species was seen, along with numbers of individuals and photos of selected species.