The title for this month’s report plays on the title of the Sly and the Family Stone hit from 1969. It certainly seems appropriate for our 2016 midsummer trip: it was hot, and it was fun!
Forecasts of temperatures in the low 90s and possible thunderstorms were not enough to deter eight hardy birders. With the southbound shorebird migration well underway, our target species were obvious. It would be all shorebirds all the time – almost.
Reports over the preceding few days had hinted at only a few areas with good shorebird habitat, so we decided to try the most likely. First on the list was the large pond along LaRue-Prospect Road at Big Island Wildlife Area. We were surprised and a bit concerned that we had to drive through a good bit of fog to get there. Luckily, the fog was not quite dense enough to slow us down and it lifted nicely by the time we arrived at Big Island.
We started by walking out on the dike on the west side of the ponds, quickly finding that most of the birds were well to our east. Nevertheless, our short hike in this location got us started with a few common species such as Red-winged Blackbird, Common Yellowthroat, and Willow Flycatcher, along with the much less common — despite the name — Common Gallinule. Moving on to the central dike that divides the main pond, we quickly found hundreds of shorebirds. And glory be, the light was behind us, offering excellent views. We racked up 11 of the most common shorebird species, including both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs as well as Pectoral, Solitary, and Spotted Sandpipers, and uncounted numbers of Killdeer. We found only one slightly unusual species, American Golden Plover. Of course, there were other birds as well, including three immature Bald Eagles and well over one hundred Great Blue Herons. Bank Swallows were abundant, with the occasional Barn Swallow thrown in for variety. Oddly, we saw only a very few Tree Swallows, which usually are all over the place in habitat like this. We even heard the gurgling trill of Marsh Wrens from the vegetation behind us.
Our next stop was Big Island’s “sister” refuge to the north, Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area. We had heard that the Harold Rowe wetlands there were showing good shorebirds. In fact, the really good shorebirds were just around the corner along County Rd 71 in an area that appears to be private property but that has been known to birders — and apparently welcoming of birders — for a couple of years. We added a few interesting species here, including Ruddy and Wood Ducks. Unfortunately, other areas that we investigated within Killdeer Plains were less productive: in some ponds, the water was too deep for shorebirds, while other ponds had nearly dried out or were choked with vegetation.
By the time we left Killdeer, the sun was shining brilliantly and the temperature had risen noticeably. Several of us picked up cold drinks during a quick stop along the way as we headed for our next area with reported habitat, Billman Road north of Bellevue.
This spot, previously unknown to us, turned out to be a few flooded acres surrounded by agricultural lands. Small it might have been, but pools of water with extensive mud flats hosted a variety of shorebirds. After a quick scan, several of our group spotted a lone Stilt Sandpiper, but just as others turned to spot this much-desired species, the birds took flight. The birds settled right back in and resumed feeding as if nothing happened, so no problem, right? But the less fortunate of us then searched in vain for that elusive bird. And when we say “searched”, we mean it — every shorebird in sight was examined carefully! We’re still wondering where in the world that bird went….
Otherwise, we had plenty of time to survey the cooperative birds here. A few other species vied for attention, including a lone female Hooded Merganser. An amusing highlight was an assembly of Great Egrets standing together at attention near the back of the pond, looking like some sort of contemporary sculpture.
As we finished here, we realized that we had run out of habitat. No additional shorebird settings were being reported on electronic media. Our earlier scouting, as well as other earlier online reports, revealed that other traditional shorebird spots offered little hope. With the only likely spot at least an hour away and in the wrong direction, we decided to head for home.
But they don’t call us Avid Birders for nothing. At our next rest/fast food stop, we decided to expand our day list and swing by Hoover Nature Preserve north of Columbus. We did indeed pick up some nice birds there, including several Red-Headed Woodpeckers, four flyover Green Herons., and a pair of Belted Kingfishers putting on quite a show. f We even heard and had a fleeting glimpse of a Prothonotary Warbler, despite the fact that many of his kind had already departed for the season. It didn’t hurt that most of our easy walk in Hoover’s Area N was in the shade and that a lovely breeze was coming off the water of the reservoir.
We rolled back into our meeting place at The Shops at Worthington Place about 3:30 pm, a relatively short day but productive nonetheless. And the weather? It was pretty warm and humid, but for the most part we had some breezes and those predicted thunderstorms never did materialize. Another great day for the Avids, with a respectable midsummer list of 76 species.
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Wood Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Stilt Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Sedge Wren
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Prothonotary Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common GrackleAmerican Goldfinch
House Sparrow