2009 Queen City Bird Festival

Volunteered for the Queen City Bird Festival held at Hueston Woods State Park last Saturday. It was a nice change of pace for me. I enjoyed talking to children and adults about birds, much more enjoying than dealing with threats of violence from coworkers at work.

I was at the bird feet table, which teaches children about how a birds' feet are adapted to their way of life. I was able to demonstrate with real specimens. I had a good time, the children were learning - always good. It seemed to me that we had a good turnout, but there could always have been more people!

I decided to stay at the lodge, since I planed on attending both days. There were vultures sitting on the balcony just outside the door and all over the building.

Black Vulture sitting on the balcony outside the room.

I want to thank Dr.s Jill and Dave Russell and all those involved with the QCBF for taking the lead in educating people, especially youth in the tri-state about birds. Their work with the Avian Research & Education Institute and with the Queen City Birders Club is to be commended.

Sunday, I paid a visit to the banding station at Hueston Woods State Park. Some good birds were caught, including a RT hummingbird. Some pics are below.

Canada Warbler

Bander Dave Russell with a Northern Waterthrush


Young male Indigo Bunting


Triall's Flycatcher (can't be ID in hand, song must be heard to ID)


A protesting Barn Swallow (Dave's first time banding this species)


Children always love seeing the the birds like this male Baltimore Oriole up close. Hopefully he will grow up to pursue a career in science or at least gain respect for our earth.


Hummingbird bander Tim Tolford with a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird.


This is how small a hummingbird band is!

New Tree Species for Ohio Found Locally

ODNR Celebrates Discovery of Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) Tree in Ohio

I haven't seen this anywhere else, thought this was interesting. I have probably walked right past one before and not even known it, I used to spend a lot of time in the area when I was a child.

I used to be fairly up to speed and good at IDing local flora, but my "job numbness" has dried my botanical knowledge up almost completely. There are probably other species of plants along the river that are yet to be known to occur in Ohio, as the habitat is so diverse and varied.



New Tree Found Growing In Clermont County

'09 Birdathon & A Swainson's Warbler Quest

David Brinkman and I participated as a team in the '09 Birdathon last weekend. The Birdathon goes from 5pm Friday to 5pm Saturday, and just like clockwork, it started to rain right at 5 on Friday. We had a Ruffed Grouse drumming and a turkey gobbling before the start and then the rain came (we later got turkey, but no grouse). I got soaked as we continued to hike in the pouring rain and lightning. Dave jumped a Chuck-wills-widow up in the rain at Lynx Prairie in Adams Co. I did not see it. It rained all evening. The only owl we got was a nest rule Barn Owl (the hardest owl to get).

We tried to get a hotel, but they were all full for the East Fork Regatta. Camping in the mud and rain - no good (plus cost too much). We ended up sleeping in the car at the Miami Whitewater Wetlands parking lot. Our team total was 115 species, the winning team was in the 140's. I am way too much out of practice with my sounds and birding in general.



A Swainson's Warbler quest
On Tuesday, May 15th, David Brinkman and I went down to try for a Swainson's Warbler at the Red River Gorge in Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky. Swainson's Warbler would be a life bird for the both of us. Dave had old records of locations where they had been found in 1988.

As soon as we turned on the road that was marked on the old map as a potential SWWA spot, Dave heard one singing. We parked the car and walked down the road a bit to the spot the bird was singing from. We looked and looked, but I only caught a glimpse of the bird, Dave did not see it.

I decided to briefly play an audio lure to get a glimpse of the bird. Shortly after it started playing, the bird jumped up to exposed perches and started singing. It was very fast and agitated, flying around in circles around us. I got good looks, but all were brief - this bird wouldn't stop moving for nothing. I almost got a pic, but my camera was giving me all kinds of hell (it does weird things often). Even with a good camera, it would have been hard to get a shot in the dark woods. It almost seemed too easy for a life bird. It was the only SWWA we had for the day.

We had many good warblers, many spished to a few feet of us. They are not afraid of people down there. My camera was giving me hell all day, couldn't get any good shots. I need a new job so that I can get a new camera - job offers and camera donations accepted.




Black and white and Yellow-throated. My camera takes too long to focus!

Nesting Pine Siskins

Just talked to the coordinator of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II. He said that my observation of Pine Siskins carrying nesting material would qualify for confirmed breeding. This would be a first Clermont Co., OH record. Pretty cool. Right in the backyard.

Just walking around the neighborhood, I noticed (heard and seen pairs) that there are Pine Siskins in the trees everywhere. I think there are more than 30 birds.

Pine Siskin breeding in Ohio OBBA II

Upcoming birding events

Many good birding events coming up.

Birdathon '09

and the

R.I.P. Pearl

Today, when I woke up to feed my birds, I noticed my cockatiel Pearl (a pearl type) laying on her belly panting with eyes open wide. Not good I thought. I picked her up and she rolled over in my hand a gave me an odd look and closed her eyes. She was just fine yesterday.

I remember the day my ex-girlfriend and I went to go get her (and another cockatiel) from someone who had to move and couldn't keep them. It was pouring down snow - snowed 2 feet and the people lived a ways away. The couple that had them had over 12 birds free flying in their small house. Pearl had been handled incorrectly and had what appeared to me to be a broken wing. Her feet were also curled up, and she would walk on the sides of her feet. Her feathers were all goofy.

After I brought her home, I examined the wing and found that it had been broken and healed wrong, she could not fly. Instead, she would walk around on the sides of her feet. After keeping her in a cage and working with her to be able to perch on a stick again, her feet finally became normal. She had developed a nasty blood feather problem on the broken wing joint, so I worked and worked cleaning it up and keeping her from pecking it - it finally healed up. All of this stress made her a very sassy bird. I had her for about 5 years (don't know how long previous owner had her). I will miss her.

I may have to do something un-American today. I may actually do something that doesn't involve making or spending money - go outdoors and enjoy the weather to recoup my soul.

6th Annual Amish Bird Symposium

I had two days off from work in a row for the first time in over a month (except for the week I was in and out of the hospital). I figured I would try to get my mind off of the money race (I am not winning by the way) and attend the Amish Bird Symposium held in beautiful Adams County Ohio.

I was so exhausted from work, I just couldn't get into it. I haven't been birding (or for that matter, outside) in so long, I almost felt like I was new to birding. I thought to myself "How in the hell could I be burnt out on birding?" I did have an alright time though.

I enjoyed all the speakers. Got to see and hear Jeff Gordon (the birder/bird blogger).

I was surprised to see a former high school teacher of mine there with her husband. All I can remember about her was her telling me that I was a loser and would never make anything of my life. Nice to see new birders. Odd to me.

I never thought that the day would come that I would become "Americanized" and be so out of touch with the natural world. I sat there listening to the Amish talk about how connected they were to the land, how in harmony they are with nature, how slow their life is - taking in the soul healing power of nature. It came to my mind that this disconnect from the natural world is the cause of a lot (if not all) of this country's problems.