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e OHIO CARDINAL Devoted to the Study and Appreciation of Ohio’s Birdlife The Ohio Cardinal THE OHIO ORNITHOLOGICALThe Ohio Cardinal SOCIETY P.O. BOX 14051 ¸ Columbus,The Ohio Ohio Ornithological 43214 Society NONPROFIT ORG USUS POSTAGEPOSTAGEPAID PAID P.O. Box 14501 WESTERVILLE,SUGARCREEK, OHOH OUR MISSION . Columbus, OH 43214 PERMITPERMIT NO.NO. 55944 Welcoming backyard birdwatchers and researchers in the field alike, the Ohio Ornithological Society is the only statewide organization specifically devoted to fos- DOUBLE ISSUE tering a deeper appreciation of wild birds, fellowship Vol. 33, Nos. 1 & 2 Vol. 33, Nos. 1 & 2 Vol. and collaboration in advancing our collective knowl- Fall 2009, Winter 2009-2010 edge about them, and our ability to speak with one voice to preserve Ohio’s bird habitats. e BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dana Bollin - Oak Harbor OHIO CARDINAL Tom Bartlett - Tiffin Devoted to the Study and Appreciation of Ohio’s Birdlife Craig Caldwell - Westlake Cheryl Harner - Mansfield Ned Keller – North Bend Peter King - Westerville Contents Jim McCormac - Columbus Marc Nolls - Akron Dan Sanders - Worthington Fall 2009 Overview and Report Jen Sauter - Westerville By Craig Caldwell ................................................................................................................ 1 Bill Thompson III - Marietta Winter 2009-2010 Overview and Report By Jim McCormac .............................................................................................................46 Lichen Composition in Blue-gray Gnatchatcher Made with 30% recycled fiberand and chlorine-freeRuby-throated pulp timb Hummingbirder from well-managed Nests forests. Printed with soy ink. By Jim McCormac and Ray E. Showman ............................................................................ 72 Christmas Bird Counts 2009-2010 By Ned Keller ..................................................................................................................... 83 Columbus, Ohio 43214 43214 Ohio Columbus, ¸ 14051 Box P.O. ¸ Recent Actions of the Ohio Bird Records Committee Society Ornithological Ohio to: Mail Distributing OOS flyers within your club or community? community? or club your within flyers OOS Distributing Volunteering? By Ned Keller ..................................................................................................................... in: interested 93you Are $1,000 Lifetime Benefactor Benefactor Lifetime $1,000 How did you hear of OOS? _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ OOS? of hear you did How $500 Benefactor Benefactor $500 $250 Sustaining Member Member Sustaining $250 $ ______ Total Payment Enclosed (Please make checks payable to OOS.) OOS.) to payable checks make (Please Enclosed Payment Total ______ $ $100 Patron or Business Business or Patron $100 $40 Family or Nonprofit Nonprofit or Family $40 $ ______ Membership Dues. Dues. Membership ______ $ $25 Individual Individual $25 $15 Student/Limited Income Income Student/Limited $15 ke a one-time donation to help support OOS. OOS. support help to donation one-time a ke ma to like would I Yes - Amount Donation ______ $ (For electronic news updates) updates) news electronic (For Phone: ____________________ Email: _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Email: ____________________ Phone: City: __________________________________________ State: __________ Zip: ___________ ___________ Zip: __________ State: __________________________________________ City: Address: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Address: Organization: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Organization: Name: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Name: www.ohiobirds.org/join.php visit: application this of version online an For y Membership Application Application Membership y Societ Ornithological Ohio e OHIO CARDINAL Devoted to the Study and Appreciation of Ohio’s Birdlife e OHIO CARDINAL Devoted to the Study and Appreciation of Ohio’s Birdlife Editor Assistant Editor Andrew W. Jones Deborah R. Griffith Department of Ornithology 281 Hyview Drive Cleveland Museum of Natural History Washington, WV 26181 1 Wade Oval Drive – University Circle (304) 863-9203 Cleveland, OH 44106 E-mail: [email protected] (216) 231-4600, extension 3332 Nelson’s Sparrow sightings have become routine along the Wake Robin Trail in Mentor Marsh in Lake E-mail: [email protected] Past Publishers County. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has been removing the invasive Phragmites along the boardwalk here, and the seed bank that persisted in the soil has reseeded the site with ideal plants for John Herman (1978-1980) Season Editors Edwin C. Pierce (1980-2008) these fall migrants. Le Conte’s Sparrows have been regularly seen here as well. Judy Semroc photographed Ethan Kistler and Gabe Leidy this Nelson’s Sparrow on 30 Sep. Spring Season Past Editors Instructions for Contributors Paul Rodewald and Matt Shumar John Herman (1978-1980) Summer Season Edwin C. Pierce (1980-1991) The Ohio Cardinal would not exist without contributions from readers. Thomas Kemp (1987-1991) We solicit contributions, including sightings, brief notes on unusual Craig Caldwell Robert Harlan (1991-1996) observations, in-depth scientifi c articles, historical accounts, book reviews, Fall Season Victor W. Fazio III (1996-1997) essays, artwork, and photographs, from all observers. All contributions Bill Whan (1997-2008) must be directly related to Ohio and its birdlife. Jim McCormac Winter Season Reports of bird sightings for each season are requested. Although individual season editors compile the reports, all reports should be submitted directly to the incoming editor-in-chief Dr. Jill Russell. She can be contacted by e-mail [email protected] and by postal mail: Dr. Jill M. Russell College of Mount St Joseph 5701 Delhi Rd Cincinnati, OH 45233-1670 Deadlines are as follows: Thanks to the Cleveland Museum of Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb) — 25 March Natural History for their support of The Spring (Mar, Apr, May) — 25 June Ohio Cardinal. Summer (Jun, Jul) — 25 August Fall (Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov) — 25 December The Ohio Cardinal is a quarterly publication devoted to the study and appreciation Please refer to previous issues of The Ohio Cardinal and to our website of Ohio’s birdlife. (www.ohiobirds.org/publications/cardinal/aboutcardinal.php) for general guidelines on style and formatting. Back cover: On the cover: Northern Wheatears appear irregularly in eastern North America during their epic fall migration to sub- These drowsy looking Eastern Screech-Owls were photographed by Judy Semroc on 19 Feb near her Saharan Africa. Ohio has hosted just a handful of records. This particular bird was fi rst identifi ed by home in Stark County. The plumage colors in this species were formerly called “phases,” but because Emory Yoder on his farm in Holmes County on 12 Sep, and it persisted at this site for another three days. this term incorrectly implies that their color will change, “morph” is a more apt term. Both morphs can During the visit, over 600 people came to enjoy this vagrant. Steve Landes photographed the bird on 13 freely interbreed, and they can produce offspring that are gray, red, or intermediate; the genetics involved Sep, and another of his photographs appears inside this issue. in these color variations are not yet well understood. The Ohio Cardinal, Fall 2009 & Winter 2009-2010 Avocet, the three phalaropes, Yellow- Fall 2009 Overview and bellied Flycatcher, and Red-breasted Report Nuthatch for some notable exceptions to the general pattern. Waterfowl observations were By Craig Caldwell greatly expanded this year by a series of Lake Erie survey flights 1270 W. Melrose Dr. conducted by the Division of Wildlife. Westlake, OH 44145 Phenomenal counts were obtained [email protected] of several species, such as Redhead, scaup, Common Loon, and Double- crested Cormorant. Many record-high temperatures The 2008 shorebird bonanza was were set in early and mid-August not repeated because the wetland near and in late October, and a few in Bellevue that flooded then did not November. Scattered record-lows flood again. Nevertheless, respectable occurred around the end of August, numbers of all the expected species the end of September, and the middle were found. The Conneaut flats, of October. None of the records, Hoover Reservoir, the south beach of however, deviated much from the East Fork Lake, Pickerel Creek Wildlife previous highs and lows. Rainfall was Area, and the state fish hatchery at a different story: much heavier than Grand Lake St. Marys remain reliable normal rains across the north-central sites for seeing these migrants. part of the state during the third Warbler sightings were numerous week of August resulted in some new and widespread, though few extremes daily records that were triple the old were noted. The much-sought Le ones. Similar rains in the Ohio Valley Conte’s and Nelson’s sparrows were during the second week of September thick along Mentor Marsh’s Wake produced at least one record that Robin Trail, where Phragmites had was five times the previous high for been cut back to allow bird-friendly the day. October saw heavy rains, vegetation to grow. Fall sightings