North Central Allen County
October 1, 2016
Seven birders traipsed around bits of northern Allen County this morning for Stockbridge Audubon's field trip to select Cedar Creek area properties. We met at Perry Hill Environmental Study Area, where we had a nice walk, and then followed that with stops at Payton County Park, Bicentennial Woods, Dustin Preserve (ACRES Office), and Griffin Road ponds. After the overnight storms we'd had, this morning's weather turned out to be quite nice, overall, with the sun out much of the time. True to my record for co-leading fall trips this year, though, the rain started in again just as we were finishing at our final stop. Bird highlights of our 56 species were excellent looks at Philadelphia Vireo and a couple of Lincoln's Sparrows, both species seen by the whole group and in beautiful light.
Perry Hill Environmental Study Area (I arrived 30 min. early and noted several species leaving in big flocks at first light), 37 species:
Canada Goose- 35
Wood Duck- 4
Mallard- 7
Great Blue Heron- 1
Cooper's Hawk- 1
American Kestrel- 1
Killdeer- 2
Lesser Yellowlegs- 1
Mourning Dove- 2
Belted Kingfisher- 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 1
Downy Woodpecker- 1
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 4
Blue Jay- 21
American Crow- 2
White-breasted Nuthatch- 1
Carolina Wren- 1
House Wren- 1
Eastern Bluebird- 8
Gray-cheeked Thrush- 1 calling; heard well by everyone but seen by no one
American Robin- 43; many flyovers early
Gray Catbird- 2
Brown Thrasher- 1
European Starling- 100 in mostly one flock at first light
Tennessee Warbler- 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 4
American Redstart- 1
Common Yellowthroat- 2
Song Sparrow- 3
Northern Cardinal- 1
Red-winged Blackbird- 200 in mostly two similarly sized flocks at first light
Eastern Meadowlark- 1 flyover as we were leaving
Common Grackle- 600 in 3 flocks (200, 300, 100) at first light
Brown-headed Cowbird- 20 flyovers early
House Finch- 11
American Goldfinch- 7
Payton Park (an Allen County park), 15 species, 6 of which were day-birds:
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 2
Downy Woodpecker- 1
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 1
Philadelphia Vireo- 1; a well-marked and very accommodating individual in beautiful light
Blue Jay- 2
Black-capped Chickadee- 1
Tufted Titmouse- 1
Gray Catbird- 2
Common Yellowthroat- 2
Field Sparrow- 1
Song Sparrow- 4
Lincoln's Sparrow- 1; great look in nice light
Swamp Sparrow- 2
Northern Cardinal- 2
Bicentennial Woods and a nice stop at a wet area along Dunton Road on the way there (glad we stopped here, cuz BW was disappointing); 28 species, 10 of which were day-birds:
Red-tailed Hawk- 1
Mourning Dove- 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 5
Downy Woodpecker- 3
Red-eyed Vireo- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Blue Jay- 22 (includes a migrating flock of 19 noted on the way there)
American Crow- 1
Tufted Titmouse- 2
White-breasted Nuthatch- 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Eastern Bluebird- 6
American Robin- 8
Gray Catbird- 4
European Starling- 40 mostly in one flock on the way there
Cedar Waxwing- 12
Ovenbird- 1
Common Yellowthroat- 2
Magnolia Warbler- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Black-throated Green Warbler- 1
Wilson's Warbler- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Song Sparrow- 4
Lincoln's Sparrow- 1 at Dunton Road stop; close bird with raised crest in great light
Swamp Sparrow- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Northern Cardinal- 4
Indigo Bunting- 1 at Dunton Road stop
House Finch- 1
American Goldfinch- 4
House Sparrow- 10 or so on the way there
Dustin's Preserve; 21 species, 3 of which were day-birds
Turkey Vulture- 4
Red-tailed Hawk- 1
Chimney Swift- 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 4
Downy Woodpecker- 2
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 2
Pileated Woodpecker- 1
Blue Jay- 8; a couple were vocalizing Red-shouldered Hawk calls
American Crow- 1
Black-capped Chickadee- 4
Tufted Titmouse- 4
White-breasted Nuthatch- 2
House Wren- 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 2
Eastern Bluebird- 3
American Robin- 25
Gray Catbird- 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 1
Northern Cardinal- 3
American Goldfinch- 1
Our Griffin Road pond stop was a bust; we noted only additional Canada Geese (20), Wood Ducks (5), and Mallards (20). And then the rain started, right on cue.
Rodger Rang and Margit Codispoti, co-leaders
Allen County
October 1, 2016
Seven birders traipsed around bits of northern Allen County this morning for Stockbridge Audubon's field trip to select Cedar Creek area properties. We met at Perry Hill Environmental Study Area, where we had a nice walk, and then followed that with stops at Payton County Park, Bicentennial Woods, Dustin Preserve (ACRES Office), and Griffin Road ponds. After the overnight storms we'd had, this morning's weather turned out to be quite nice, overall, with the sun out much of the time. True to my record for co-leading fall trips this year, though, the rain started in again just as we were finishing at our final stop. Bird highlights of our 56 species were excellent looks at Philadelphia Vireo and a couple of Lincoln's Sparrows, both species seen by the whole group and in beautiful light.
Perry Hill Environmental Study Area (I arrived 30 min. early and noted several species leaving in big flocks at first light), 37 species:
Canada Goose- 35
Wood Duck- 4
Mallard- 7
Great Blue Heron- 1
Cooper's Hawk- 1
American Kestrel- 1
Killdeer- 2
Lesser Yellowlegs- 1
Mourning Dove- 2
Belted Kingfisher- 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 1
Downy Woodpecker- 1
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 4
Blue Jay- 21
American Crow- 2
White-breasted Nuthatch- 1
Carolina Wren- 1
House Wren- 1
Eastern Bluebird- 8
Gray-cheeked Thrush- 1 calling; heard well by everyone but seen by no one
American Robin- 43; many flyovers early
Gray Catbird- 2
Brown Thrasher- 1
European Starling- 100 in mostly one flock at first light
Tennessee Warbler- 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 4
American Redstart- 1
Common Yellowthroat- 2
Song Sparrow- 3
Northern Cardinal- 1
Red-winged Blackbird- 200 in mostly two similarly sized flocks at first light
Eastern Meadowlark- 1 flyover as we were leaving
Common Grackle- 600 in 3 flocks (200, 300, 100) at first light
Brown-headed Cowbird- 20 flyovers early
House Finch- 11
American Goldfinch- 7
Payton Park (an Allen County park), 15 species, 6 of which were day-birds:
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 2
Downy Woodpecker- 1
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 1
Philadelphia Vireo- 1; a well-marked and very accommodating individual in beautiful light
Blue Jay- 2
Black-capped Chickadee- 1
Tufted Titmouse- 1
Gray Catbird- 2
Common Yellowthroat- 2
Field Sparrow- 1
Song Sparrow- 4
Lincoln's Sparrow- 1; great look in nice light
Swamp Sparrow- 2
Northern Cardinal- 2
Bicentennial Woods and a nice stop at a wet area along Dunton Road on the way there (glad we stopped here, cuz BW was disappointing); 28 species, 10 of which were day-birds:
Red-tailed Hawk- 1
Mourning Dove- 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 5
Downy Woodpecker- 3
Red-eyed Vireo- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Blue Jay- 22 (includes a migrating flock of 19 noted on the way there)
American Crow- 1
Tufted Titmouse- 2
White-breasted Nuthatch- 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Eastern Bluebird- 6
American Robin- 8
Gray Catbird- 4
European Starling- 40 mostly in one flock on the way there
Cedar Waxwing- 12
Ovenbird- 1
Common Yellowthroat- 2
Magnolia Warbler- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Black-throated Green Warbler- 1
Wilson's Warbler- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Song Sparrow- 4
Lincoln's Sparrow- 1 at Dunton Road stop; close bird with raised crest in great light
Swamp Sparrow- 1 at Dunton Road stop
Northern Cardinal- 4
Indigo Bunting- 1 at Dunton Road stop
House Finch- 1
American Goldfinch- 4
House Sparrow- 10 or so on the way there
Dustin's Preserve; 21 species, 3 of which were day-birds
Turkey Vulture- 4
Red-tailed Hawk- 1
Chimney Swift- 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 4
Downy Woodpecker- 2
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 2
Pileated Woodpecker- 1
Blue Jay- 8; a couple were vocalizing Red-shouldered Hawk calls
American Crow- 1
Black-capped Chickadee- 4
Tufted Titmouse- 4
White-breasted Nuthatch- 2
House Wren- 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 2
Eastern Bluebird- 3
American Robin- 25
Gray Catbird- 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 1
Northern Cardinal- 3
American Goldfinch- 1
Our Griffin Road pond stop was a bust; we noted only additional Canada Geese (20), Wood Ducks (5), and Mallards (20). And then the rain started, right on cue.
Rodger Rang and Margit Codispoti, co-leaders
Allen County
