End of Spring Bird Tally

In April and early May it's all about the songs of courtship here in southern Ohio. Now, late May it seems to be all about the fighting to defend breeding territory and resources. Males are diving and chasing one another, while some females are already feeding babies and training fledglings.

In northern Ohio...Magee Marsh to be exact...birders were still getting good sightings as migrants tank up on caterpillars and insects in the surrounding wetlands and forests for their journeys even further north. I am experiencing a tinge of regret that I didn't make a second trip up after going at the end of April before The Biggest Week in American Birding began. The Facebook reports and photos from the boardwalk indicated a convergence of warblers, good weather and good winds. But I wanted to take a beginning birder friend who had never been on the boardwalk before, and not overwhelm her with the crowds that would show up the following weekend. We had a good time together, saw some beautiful warblers, and she got started on her life list.

While I love going to other places where warblers congregate, I love taking my binoculars and camera out at Prairie Pond Woods even more. There is such a comfort knowing which habitat...prairie, pond, woods, thicket or riparia...I can walk to so I can spot the Common Yellowthroat or Scarlet Tanager or Yellow-throated Warbler. No, I don't get some of the sexier warblers, but these birds on my list are like returning friends. Many have probably made the long journey and returned here year after year. That warms my heart. Every spring, when I hear the first song or see the first migrant I always make a point to say hello out loud and welcome them back.

Below is a list (in taxonomic order) I like to tally of the birds that were seen or heard at Prairie Pond Woods this March, April & May 2016. Since I am not always at the retreat, if I hear a bird, I am confident that given enough time I would have seen it...or have seen it other years. For this reason, I am sure I am also missing a few warblers whose songs I am still not familiar enough with to confirm. I've thrown in a photo or two...I am not the best at capturing rapidly moving creatures against the sky or hiding within foliage...so you'll have to use a bit of your imagination!

Great Blue Heron

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Cooper's Hawk (who is this Cooper?)

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailded Hawk

 Wild Turkey

American Woodcock

Mourning Dove

Yellow Billed Cuckoo

Barred Owl

Chuck-will'-widow

Whip-poor-Will

Ruby-throated Humming Bird

Belted Kingfisher

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Eastern Wood Pee-wee

Eastern Phoebe

White-eyed Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Tree Swallow

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

Carolina Wren

House Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

Eastern Bluebird

Swainson's Thrush

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

Blue-winged Warbler

Northern Parula

Magnolia Warbler*

Cape May

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Pine Warbler

Prairie Warbler

American Redstart

Worm-Eating Warbler

Ovenbird

Northern Waterthrush

Common Yellowthroat

Hooded Warbler

Yellow-breasted Chat

Scarlet Tanager

Eastern Towhee

American Tree Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Baltimore Oriole

House Finch

American Goldfinch

That's a total of 79 species...well short of the overall 98 species recorded at

Prairie Pond Woods