The Cardinal, Fall 2013 comments on the season

By Craig Caldwell than most, though no pattern was apparent. Perhaps the mild October played a role. Red- Statewide, average temperature and necked Grebes staged an invasion of sorts, with rainfall were below normal in August. One larger than usual numbers and appearances in record high temperature and four record lows 14 counties. Several gulls appeared in larger were set. However, a broad swath across the than usual numbers, and a couple showed up middle of the state had as little as 25% of its far from their usual haunts. Most normal rainfall, and the Toledo area and the passerines were reported in typical numbers far southeast had up to triple their norms. and locations. However, Cleveland Lakefront September temperatures and precipitation Nature Preserve hosted extraordinary numbers were about average, though 33 new daily high of sparrows of several species on 25 Oct. temperatures were recorded. Most of them Winter finches by and large stayed north where were northwest of I-71 and were increases of cone and other seed sources provided much one or two degrees. Cleveland recorded its more food than a year ago. hottest day of the year on 09 Oct when the This issue includes the results of the thermometer hit 96 degrees. Two previous lows Fall Census conducted in Cuyahoga Valley were tied and no new record lows set. Scattered National Park. Because it is an effort by many areas had up to 150% of average rainfall while groups covering a large area, its counts are others had as little as 25% of average. Fifty not included as the high numbers cited in the new daily records were set; the greatest increase Species Accounts; those are limited to numbers was 1.26 inches. by single individuals or parties. Most CVNP October’s average temperature was access was not affected by the “sequester somewhat above normal, but only one new shutdown” though the visitor centers, rest record high and one record low were recorded. rooms, and other facilities were closed. Ottawa Precipitation was above average. Stations in a was closed, which band from Cincinnati to Cleveland had up to meant that Ed Pierce and company couldn’t three times their normal monthly rain, and 67 do their usual monthly census there in October. daily rainfall records were established. All of This Cardinal issue contains reports for 310 them were in the western half of the state and species, the second highest for the season since I the largest increase, three inches, hit Cincinnati became Editor. Three hybrids are also included on 08 Oct. Four daily record snowfalls as are 11 entries at the genus or “undetermined were also recorded. November’s average species” level. Twenty-three review species are temperature was considerably below normal listed (also my second highest fall count); their but only six record lows occurred and six more names are underlined. At least one sighting of previous records were tied. Most of the East each was well documented, either directly to and lower Midwest shared this chill. Average the Ohio Bird Records Committee or indirectly precipitation was somewhat above normal. to it through an Internet posting. Individuals Though no areas exceeded 150% of their long- whose documentation supports their reports term averages, 64 daily precipitation records will be named in a future issue of the (54 of them snowfall) were set. Record snow Cardinal. However, many reports contained depths up to seven inches more than previous no supporting information and will not be daily values were set at 45 stations. published. An account for Trumpeter Swan Weather data are from the National Weather (an introduced species with no truly wild birds Service (http://water.weather.gov/precip/) ever documented here) is included as usual but and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric it is not part of the above number of Review Administration (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ List species. temp-and-precip/maps.php and http://www. The Records Committee and this editor ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/records/). urge birders to report all sightings of Review As usual we had a mix of early, late, and List species, of Core List species found at on-time arrivals and departures of migrants. unusual times, of nesting by birds previously There did seem to be more stragglers this year not known to nest in the state, and of course

2 Vol. 37 No. 1 sightings of birds never before found in Ohio. BRAS = Black River Audubon Society Information on how to document rarities BSBO = Black Swamp Bird Observatory is available at http://www.ohiobirds.org/ Buck Creek = , Clark records/documentation.php. Detailed reports Burke = Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport, for Mississippi Kite, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Cuyahoga Fish Crow, and Common Raven are especially Caesar Creek = , important to thoroughly chronicle these species’ Warren apparent range expansions into Ohio. CCE = Crane Creek Estuary, Lucas and Data for the following Species Accounts Ottawa, viewable from both ONWR and come from reports submitted directly to the the CCE Trail which originates at Magee Cardinal, eBird (http://ebird.org/content/ Clear Fork = Clear Fork Reservoir; most birding ebird), the Ohio-birds listserv (http://birding. is done in the 2/3 of it which is in Richland. aba.org/maillist/OH), rarebird.org (http:// The rest is in Morrow. rarebird.org/forum/default.asp), and the CLNP = Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve Cincinnati Bird Sightings Log (http:// (the former Dike 14), Cuyahoga cincinnatibirds.com/goodbird/sighting.php). CNC = Cincinnati Nature Center, Clermont Data from one usual source, The Bobolink, Conneaut = the mudflats to the west of were not available at press time, so an Conneaut Harbor, Ashtabula addendum in the next Cardinal will include any CP = County Park necessary additions. All of our 88 counties are CPNWR = Cedar Point National Wildlife represented in the sources, though Putnam Refuge, Lucas provided only a Selasphorus hummingbird CVNP = Cuyahoga Valley National Park, sighting. Henry produced reports of two Cuyahoga and (mostly) Summit species, Jackson and Pike three each, and Darby Creek = Battelle Darby Creek Metro Meigs seven. Park, Franklin Taxonomic order and nomenclature follow Deer Creek = the State Park is in Pickaway, the Check-List of North American Birds, 7th Edition the Wildlife Area is in Fayette, and Deer (1998) as updated through the 54th Supplement Creek Lake is in both but mostly Pickaway (2013). This document is published by the East Fork = , Clermont North American Classification Committee of East Harbor = , the American Ornithologists’ Union and is Ottawa available at http://www.aou.org/checklist/ Edgewater = the Edgewater unit of Cleveland north/print.php. County names are in bold Lakefront Metroparks, Cuyahoga italics. Locations whose counties are of the Englewood = Englewood Metropark, same name, for example Ashtabula (city) and Montgomery Delaware Wildlife Area, usually do not have eTT = eBird Trail Tracker data entry kiosk, the counties repeated. County names for found at National Wildlife Refuges, National sites described in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Parks, and some other locations Columbus are also omitted. Shortened names Fernald = Fernald Preserve, Butler and and a few sets of initials are used for locations Hamilton and organizations which occur repeatedly; Findlay Reservoirs = several contiguous water these abbreviations are listed here. The term bodies east of town in Hancock “fide” is used in some citations; it means “in Funk = Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area, Ashland trust of ” and is used where the reporter was not and (mostly) Wayne the observer. Headlands = Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve, Headlands Beach State Park, and Abbreviations: adjoining waters, Lake Alum Creek = , Honda Wetlands = a unit of Glacier Ridge Delaware, unless noted otherwise MetroPark, Union Armleder Park = a Cincinnati city park on the Hoover NP = Hoover Nature Preserve, , Hamilton Delaware Big Island = Big Island Wildlife Area, Marion Hoover Reservoir = the northern 80% is in Blendon Woods = Blendon Woods Metro Park, Delaware, but the dam is in Franklin Franklin Kelleys Island = the island and adjoining The Bowl = a limited-access area near the waters, Erie Harrison airport. 3 The Ohio Cardinal, Fall 2013 Killdeer = Killdeer Plains State Wildlife Area; Pipe Creek = Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, outside a bit is in Marion but it’s mostly in Wyandot Sandusky in Erie LaDue = LaDue Reservoir, Geauga Pleasant Hill Lake = Pleasant Hill Lake, Lorain = the dredge spoil impoundment east of Ashland and Richland; the dam is in downtown in the city and county of the same Ashland name, unless otherwise noted Sandy Ridge = Sandy Ridge Reservation, Lost Bridge = a Great Miami River crossing Lorain on Lawrenceburg Road near Elizabethtown, Shawnee = , Scioto, Hamilton, where a covered bridge was lost unless otherwise noted to fire in 1903 Shawnee Lookout = Shawnee Lookout County m. obs. = Multiple Observers Park, Hamilton Magee = the boardwalk and immediate vicinity Sims Park = a lakefront park in Euclid, in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Lucas, Cuyahoga unless otherwise noted. The northern 1/3 SNP = State Nature Preserve of the causeway is also in Lucas, the rest SF = State Forest in Ottawa. SP = State Park Maumee Bay = Maumee Bay State Park, Springville Marsh = Springville Marsh State Lucas, unless otherwise noted Nature Preserve, Seneca Meadowbrook = Meadowbrook Marsh, a Sunset Park = Sunset Park, Lake. An Erie-side preserve in Danbury Township, Ottawa park in Mentor-on-the-Lake, not to be Medusa = Medusa Marsh, Erie, an informally confused with the Sunset Park in North named and privately owned area between Kingsville, Ashtabula. Sandusky and Bay View SWA = State Wildlife Area Metzger = Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, WA = Wildlife Area Lucas Wake Robin = a trail and boardwalk in Mentor Miami Whitewater = Miami Whitewater Forest Marsh State Nature Preserve, Lake County Park, Hamilton Wendy Park = a lakeshore Cleveland park, Mill Creek = Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, a Cuyahoga limited-access area in Mahoning Wilderness Road = a road which traverses Funk Mohican = Mohican State Forest and State Bottoms Wildlife Area, Wayne, and Park. Many trails cross the boundaries so adjoining farmland some reports include sightings from both. Winous Point = Winous Point Shooting Club, Mohican SF = Mohican State Forest, Ashland Ottawa Mohican SP = , (mostly) Winous Horseshoe = a unit of Winous Point Ashland and (slightly) Richland Shooting Club, Ottawa Mosquito Lake = Mosquito Creek Lake, also Woodlawn = Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo, called Mosquito Creek Reservoir, Trumbull. Lucas Mosquito (Creek) Wildlife Area adjoins it. MP = Metro Park, MetroPark, or Metropark depending on the system NC = Nature Center NP = Nature Preserve, except as part of CVNP NWR = National Wildlife Refuge OBBA II = Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II OBRC = Ohio Bird Records Committee OOPMP = Oak Openings Preserve Metro- Park, Lucas ONWR = Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Lucas and Ottawa ONWR Blausey and Navarre = Units of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge which are separate from the refuge’s main body. Both are in Ottawa. Pickerington Ponds = Pickerington Ponds Metro Park, Fairfield and Franklin

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