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Home , East Fork State Park, Tar Hollow State Park, Zaleski State Forest

The Cardinal, Spring 2015

COMMENTS ON THE SEASON

By Craig Caldwell contribute to the apparent range expansion. Temperatures in Mar were below average, Andy also pointed out the dearth of good with the statewide mean, high, and low ranging shorebird habitat in the northwest this spring. between the 25th and 35th percentiles. State- A field on Corduroy Road across from Meinke wide, precipitation was a bit above average but Marina in Lucas might have been the best for varied considerably. The southern quarter of the the few days in May it held water; several rari- state received 150 to 200% of its usual amount ties spent time there. Away from the northwest, and the middle half between 90 and 200%, but Conneaut and Lost Bridge continue to provide the northwest and lakeshore received from less shorebird sightings. Their being on a lake and a than half to about 90% of their norms. river, respectively, means they’re far less depen- In Apr, the average, high, and low tempera- dent on our increasingly erratic rain events to tures statewide were all in the upper third of provide stopover habitat. Indian Lake, too, was the 121 years with data but did not break into hospitable. the highest 20%. Precipitation was above aver- The first sightings of several warblers, and of age everywhere but the northwest corner, which a few other species, were up to a month earlier received less than 90% of its norm. Rainfall in than their historical norms. Here’s an opportu- the rest of the state was up to double its usual nity for an aspiring researcher: Graph the arrival amount except for the Portsmouth area, which dates of our warblers over the last 30 years. Do was soaked with three to four times its average. Ohio data agree with that of many other areas May was among our hottest ever. The average in showing a trend to earlier arrivals? Anecdotal temperature was our 11th highest, part of a heat evidence says yes, but I’d like to see a rigorous wave which affected the entire northeast quad- analysis. rant of the country and set many records in New And speaking of research opportunities… England. The statewide average minimum and Trumpeter Swans have been breeding in Ohio maximum followed suit; they were our 14th and now since 1997, the year after the Division of ninth highest, respectively. Cleveland and Akron Wildlife began releasing them in several wildlife tied or set several record high temperatures be- areas. DOW data through 2012 show an al- tween 07 and 09 May. The lower than average most steady increase in the number of nests and rainfall overall brought no relief. The southern young since then (http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/ half of the state received from less than 25% of portals/wildlife/pdfs/research/population%20 its norm to only about 90%. Paradoxically, most status%20report/trumpeterswannestingtable. of the northern half received between 90 and pdf). By now, some of the birds we see must be at 150% of its average rainfall and small areas in least second-generation, and possibly third. Are the northeast and northwest were drenched with they here to stay? They appear to be, but do the up to triple their usual amount. data support that assertion? Records committees Weather data are from the National Weather in California and Florida, states which host many Service (http://water.weather.gov/precip/), the introduced and escaped exotics, have criteria for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- deciding if a species is established. Do Trumpet- tion (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-pre- er Swans in Ohio meet those standards? cip/maps.php and http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ Every county produced reports for the second extremes/records/), and the Plain Dealer. season in a row. Nine species (Turkey Vulture, Andy Jones posed an interesting question: Are Downy Woodpecker, American Robin, Europe- we seeing more American White Pelicans be- an Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, cause they are more common than 20 years ago, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, and or because there are more observers? He sus- House Sparrow) were found in all 88. Another pected the latter, which I agree is likely a part of nine species (Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk, the answer. However, we found that eBird data Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue show larger numbers are wintering further north Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swal- along the Atlantic coast than before, which could low, and Gray Catbird) came up one short. Thir- contribute to more pelicans crossing Ohio on the ty-seven species were seen in 80 to 86 counties. way to their nesting areas in the middle of the This issue of the Cardinal includes accounts of continent. Granted, eBird usage is also growing, 304 species, a bit lower number than is typical so the “more observers” phenomenon may also for the season. There are also 12 accounts at the

110 Vol. 38 No. 3 family or genus level, 12 of hybrids, and four of cluded as an addendum in a future issue. subspecies and color morphs. The hybrid count Taxonomic order and nomenclature follow was the highest of the last several years and I at- the Check-List of North American Birds, 7th Edition tribute that number to the continually increasing (1998) as updated through the 55th Supple- skills of Ohio’s birders. Seven of the hybrids ment (2014). This document is published by the were waterfowl, a family whose propensity for North American Classification Committee of the inter-species coupling is well known. The rest of American Ornithologists’ Union and is available the pairings were two of gulls, two of warblers, at http://www.aou.org/checklist/north/print. and one of sparrows. php. County names are in bold italics. Loca- Eighteen of the entries are Review Species, tions whose counties are of the same name, for birds whose occurrences (generally speaking) are example Ashtabula (city) and Delaware Wildlife rare and unpredictable. One of them is Kirt- Area, usually do not have the counties repeated. land’s Warbler, which for many years has been County names for sites described in , an annual visitor to the Lake Erie shore while Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton are also omit- returning to its Michigan breeding grounds from ted. Shortened names and a few sets of initials the Bahamas. It remains on the Review List be- are used for locations and organizations which cause it is a species of special conservation con- occur repeatedly; these abbreviations are listed cern though it otherwise meets the criteria for a here. The term “fide” is used in some citations; it move to the Core List. Five individuals were re- means “in trust of ” and is used where the report- ported, but only two were formally documented er was not the observer. for the Ohio Bird Records Committee (OBRC). A third was informally documented through Abbreviations: postings to various internet venues, but the other Alum Creek = Alum Creek Reservoir, Dela- two were merely announced and therefore will ware, unless otherwise noted not enter the official record. Armleder Park = a Cincinnati city park on the In addition to Kirtland’s Warbler, five other , Hamilton Review List species had both documented and Bayshore = a fishing-access point by the epony- undocumented reports. The Editors and the mous power plant, Lucas OBRC commend the birders who formally doc- BBS = the North American Breeding Bird Sur- umented their sightings of those five and of the vey, a joint project of the United States Geo- three species all of whose sightings were formally logical Survey (USGS) and the Canadian reported. The OBRC received nothing directly Wildlife Service about sightings of nine species; internet postings Berlin Lake = Berlin Lake (or Reservoir), Ma- about some of them have enough information for honing and Portage evaluation but a few will remain in “reported but Big Island = Big Island Wildlife Area, Marion undocumented” limbo. Blendon Woods = Blendon Woods Metro Park, The headers of Review Species accounts are Franklin underlined. No observers’ names are mentioned The Bowl = a limited-access area near the Har- unless the OBRC has voted on the documenta- rison airport tion, and only accepted records are attributed. BRAS = Black River Audubon Society The Records Committee and this editor urge BSBO = Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Otta- birders to formally report all sightings of Review wa (http://www.bsbo.org) List species, of Core List species found at unusual Buck Creek = , Clark times, of nesting by birds previously not known to Burke Airport = Cleveland Burke Lakefront Air- nest in the state, and of course sightings of birds port, Cuyahoga never before found in Ohio. Information on how Caesar Creek = , to document rarities is available at http://www. Warren ohiobirds.org/records/documentation.php. CCE = Crane Creek Estuary, Lucas and Otta- Data for the following Species Accounts come wa, viewable from both ONWR and the CCE from reports submitted directly to the Cardi- Trail which originates at Magee nal, eBird (http://ebird.org/content/ebird), the Chapel Drive = a road off Ohio 83 south of Cum- Ohio-birds listserv (http://birding.aba.org/mail- berland in Noble which traverses grasslands list/OH), rarebird.org (http://rarebird.org/fo- Clear Fork = Clear Fork Reservoir (or Lake), rum/default.asp), and the Cincinnati Bird Sight- partly in Morrow but most of the birding is ings Log (http://cincinnatibirds.com/goodbird/ done in the larger Richland Section. sighting.php). Data from The Bobolink were not CLNP = Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve available at press time and if possible will be in- (the former Dike 14), Cuyahoga

111 The Ohio Cardinal, Spring 2015 CNC = Cincinnati Nature Center, a non-govern- m. obs. = multiple observers mental entity whose Long Branch Farm and Magee = the boardwalk and immediate vicinity Rowe Woods units are in Clermont in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Lucas, unless Conneaut = the mudflats to the west of Con- otherwise noted. The northern third of the neaut Harbor, Ashtabula causeway is also in Lucas, the rest in Ottawa. CP = County Park Maumee Bay = , Lucas, CPNWR = Cedar Point National Wildlife Ref- unless otherwise noted uge, Lucas Medusa = Medusa Marsh, Erie, an informally CVNP = Cuyahoga Valley National Park, named and privately owned area between Cuyahoga and (mostly) Summit Sandusky and Bay View Darby Creek = Battelle Darby Creek Metro Metzger = Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, Lucas Park, Franklin Mill Creek = Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, a Deer Creek = the State Park is in Pickaway, the limited-access area in Mahoning Wildlife Area is in Fayette, and Deer Creek Mohican = Mohican State Forest and State Park. Lake is in both but mostly Pickaway Many trails cross the boundaries so some re- East Fork = , Clermont ports include sightings from both without East Harbor = , Ottawa distinction. Eastlake Power = the Lake Erie viewpoint east of Mohican SF = Mohican State Forest, Ashland the First Energy plant in Eastlake, Lake Mohican SP = , (mostly) Edgewater = the Edgewater unit of Cleveland Ashland and (slightly) Richland Lakefront Metroparks, Cuyahoga Mosquito Lake = Mosquito Creek Lake, also Fernald = Fernald Preserve, Butler and called Mosquito Creek Reservoir, Trumbull. Hamilton Mosquito (Creek) Wildlife Area adjoins it. Findlay Reservoirs = several contiguous water MP = Metro Park, MetroPark, or Metropark de- bodies east of town in Hancock pending on the system Funk = Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area, Ashland NC = Nature Center and (mostly) Wayne NF = National Forest Headlands = Headlands Dunes State Nature NP = Nature Preserve, except as part of CVNP Preserve, Headlands Beach State Park, and OBRC = Ohio Bird Records Committee adjoining waters, Lake Old Highland Stone = that company’s wa- Holden = Holden Arboretum, Lake, except for ter-filled gravel pits,Highland its Stebbins Gulch unit in Geauga OOPMP = Oak Openings Preserve MetroPark, Hoover NP = Hoover Nature Preserve, Lucas Delaware ONWR = Ottawa , Lu- Hoover Reservoir = the northern 80% is in Del- cas and Ottawa aware, but the dam is in Franklin ONWR Navarre = A non-public separate unit in Indian Lake = Indian Lake State Park, Logan Ottawa east of the main ONWR Jones Preserve = Jones Preserve at Long Point, on Pickerel Creek = Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area, Kelleys Island, Erie Sandusky Kelleys Island = the island and adjoining waters, Pickerington Ponds = Pickerington Ponds Metro Erie Park, Fairfield and Franklin Killbuck = Killbuck State Wildlife Area, Holmes Pipe Creek = Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, in the and Wayne city of Sandusky, Erie Killdeer = Killdeer Plains State Wildlife Area; a Rocky Fork = Rocky Fork State Park, Highland bit is in Marion but it’s mostly in Wyandot Sandy Ridge = Sandy Ridge Reservation, LaDue = LaDue Reservoir, Geauga Lorain Lake Erie Bluffs = a Lake Metroparks parcel Scranton Flats = a section of the Towpath Trail whose popularity among birders is blooming. in Cleveland on the left bank of the Cuyahoga Lake Hope/Zaleski = and River surrounding , Vinton Seneca Lake = most of the lake and the (non- Lorain = the dredge spoil impoundment east of state) Park are in Noble, while the dam is in downtown in the city and county of the same Guernsey name, unless otherwise noted SF = State Forest Lost Bridge = a Great Miami River crossing Shawnee = , Scioto, unless on Lawrenceburg Road near Elizabethtown, otherwise noted Hamilton, where a covered bridge was lost Shawnee Lookout = Shawnee Lookout County to fire in 1903 Park, Hamilton

112 Vol. 38 No. 3 Sheldon Marsh = Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve, Erie SNP = State Nature Preserve SP = State Park SWA = State Wildlife Area Tar Hollow = and sur- rounding State Forest, mostly in Ross but with small portions in each of Hocking and Vinton TNC = The Nature Conservancy (http://www. nature.org) WA = Wildlife Area Wendy Park = a lakeshore Cleveland park, Cuyahoga Wilderness Road = a road which traverses Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area, Wayne, and adjoining farmland The Wilds = a limited-access big-mammal breed- ing and research facility in Muskingum, also used generically to include the surrounding reclaimed Ohio Power strip mines Winous Point = Winous Point Shooting Club, Ottawa Zaleski = Zaleski State Forest, Vinton

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