Oxbow, Inc.
Protecting and Preserving Wetlands
Recent Sightings in the Oxbow - 2010
Date: Saturday, December 25, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge area
Reporter: Bruce Leonhardt
2 Northern Harriers hunting the field between Lawrenceburg Rd. & the gravel pit pond. Also photographed 3 Bald Eagles (2 adults and a 3rd year juvi, and a red tail hawk. 4 American Kestrel along Lawrenceburg Road between Rt. 50 and Suspension Bridge Road. 3 Eastern Towhee's at my feeder today, FOS for me.
(While we usually only included just GMR Floodplain (Oxbow area) comments we are including the Ohio River Christmas Count report which is centered in the Oxbow and includes many areas near and adjacent to the Oxbow. It turns out this year was a super count.)
Date: Saturday, December 18, 2010
Location: Ohio River Christmas Bird Count circle
Reporter: Paul Wharton
Other Birders: 9 other CBC counters
!0 people participated on the Ohio River CBC on Saturday and found a count-record 84 species. Waterfowl, raptors, sparrows and blackbirds were the highlights. We found 16 species of waterfowl with 2 more count week (Cackling Goose and L. Scaup), an incredible 13 Bald Eagles, 1 extended close range look at an Osprey (2nd record for this count), 1 Rough-legged Hawk, 1 Short-eared Owl at the Tanner's Creek boat landing, 2 American Pipits, 1 Lapland Longspur, 1345 American Tree Sparrows, 11 Savannah Sparrows, 49 Fox Sparrows, 99 Swamp Sparrows, 267 White-crowned Sparrows, all the blackbirds including 89 Rusties and 3 Brewer's Blackbirds from 2 different locations. All these numbers are tentative at this time, but still, a fine job by the participants. With lots of area that didn't get covered well due to lack of counters, 90 is a very realistic number. Obviously, a few very dedicated counters hit the Ohio River and Great Miami River bottoms very hard and really came up with some great sparrow numbers. Well done to all!
Date: Saturday, December 18, 2010
Location: Ohio River Christmas Bird Count circle
Reporter: Paul Wharton
Other Birders: 9 other CBC counters
Add a first count-record Lincoln's Sparrow to the list of highlights. This was a good look by a very well respected local birder. The Brewer's Blackbirds were also well documented by very experienced and respected birders. I got lucky on the Osprey and found it perched on a wire along the Ohio River from less than 50 yards. It was at the AEP Power Plant in Lawerenceburg, IN.
Date: Friday, December 17, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Spent 45 minutes at the Lost Bridge this evening and saw the following: Bald eagle 2 (1 adult flying East on the river and 1 sub-adult flying West), Harrier 2, Coopers Hawk 1, Horned lark 22, Canada Geese 1700, CACKLING GOOSE 1, Mallard 100, Black Duck 3
The geese were in the corn field located West of the gravel pit pond until approximately 4:40PM. They then flew to the gravel pit pond over the next 45 minutes. If you park at the base of the bridge you can watch them fly right overhead.
The Harriers were hunting the vegetation on the edge of the gravel pit.
Date: Saturday, December 11, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge & Shawnee Boat Ramp Highlights
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Lost Bridge: Ruddy Duck - 12, Canada Geese - 50, Mallard - 20,
While participating in the Hamilton County Park bird count we observed 2 Harriers hunting the field East of the Shawnee boat ramp.
Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Brian Wulker
Other Birders: Gale Wulker
Oxbow: 5 Northern Shovelers, 2 Mallard and about 20 Great Blue Heron on a halfway dried up Oxbow Lake. Also 1 immature Bald Eagle with a fish by osprey lake. By Jackpot pond and the road to it, there were ~60 sandhill cranes (fly over), 30+ American Tree Sparrows, 3 American Kestrel and 1 Northern Harrier, 120 Canada geese, 20 Mallard, 1 Northern Pintail, a few coots and 3 Hooded Merganser. By the railroad tracks past jackpot pond, there were easily 100+ Mourning Dove on the power lines, in the trees, and on the tracks. Within all of this, we were able to pick out at least 2 Eurasian Collared Doves. Also back by the tracks were 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, and 1 Red-tailed Hawk.
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Pat Bell
1 Immature Bald Eagle; 1 American Kestrel (who really did not like the eagle...), 1 Osprey - he pulled a nice fish from the river,
2 Red Tailed Hawks, a bunch of great blue heron
Date: Sunday, November 7, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: boy scouts and families
52 Great Blue Heron, 1 Great Egret, 1 Turkey vulture, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 150 Ring-billed Gull, 350 Mallard, 7 Black Duck, 100 Red-winged Blackbird, 25 Mourning Dove, 3 Chickadee, 2 Downy Woodpecker, 200 American Crow.
Date: Friday, November 5, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: Mt. St. Jo class
32 Great Blue Heron, 55 Ring-billed Gull, 300 Mallard, 5 Black Duck, 1 Blue-winged Teal, 75 American Crow. Quick run through with the class. No sign of Great Egrets. Mallard numbers increasing dramatically.
Date: Sunday, October 10, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Mark Gilsdorf, Harris Abramson, Jeff Strottman
The four of us decided to check out Lost Bridge after the ASO Class. We were there from about 1:30 to 2:15 pm. We were able to find only one of the previously reported two American Golden Plovers. That bird was seen foraging in the riffles on the north side of the bridge. There was also a flock of 40+ American Pipits foraging on the sandbars.
Some of our better finds at Lost Bridge included; Osprey 1, Bald Eagle 1 (im), Red-tailed Hawk 2, American Golden Plover 1, Killdeer 25+, Spotted Sandpiper 1 (fairly late), Lesser Yellowlegs 2, Tree Swallow 10~, Barn Swallow 2, and American Pipit 40+
Date: Sunday, October 10, 2010
Location: lost bridge
Reporter: Frank Frick
About 1:00pm could not find any plovers today except killdeer. Did see four american pipits.
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge & Oxbow
Reporter: Allan Claybon
The 2 American Golden Plovers were still at Lost Bridge at 5:30 PM today.
Images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsxbirder/5065781727/. An adult Bald Eagle passed over the observation area at Oxbow and moved on to a perch at Jackpot pond.
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Leslie Houser
Arrived at 11:00 am and the American Golden Plovers were still there on the up stream side. There were 2 of them. Along with a Bald Eagle, Osprey, Lesser Yellow-legs, Great Blue Heron, and lots of Killdeer.
Date: Sunday, October 3, 2010
Location: The Oxbow & Lower Great Miami River
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Paul Wharton, Mark Gilsdorf & many other obs.
After the mornings Audubon Society Birding Course we again chose the Oxbow area as the destination for the field trip portion of the class. The American Avocet was still present at Oxbow Lake and was easily viewed from the Oxbow Lake Overlook. Other highlights from our 2.5-hour midday trip included a great close up look at an adult Peregrine Falcon that was perched on the transmission tower adjacent to the Overlook and 3 Ospreys and a Merlin at Lost Bridge.
Some of the more interesting species we found today included; Blue-winged Teal 4, Northern Shoveler 3, Wild Turkey 6, Double-crested Cormorant 10, Great Blue Heron 45, Great Egret 3, Black Vulture 1, Turkey Vulture 15~, Osprey 3, Cooper’s Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 5, American Kestrel 1, Merlin 1, Peregrine Falcon 1, Killdeer 15~, American Avocet 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1 (fairly late), Greater Yellowlegs 1, dowitcher species 1, Ring-billed Gull 8, Chimney Swift 300 (250 in one flock), Belted Kingfisher 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Blue-headed Vireo 1, American Crow 225 (200 in one flock), Tree Swallow 200~, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3, Barn Swallow 8, Magnolia Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 15+, Palm Warbler 6, American Redstart 1, Common Yellowthroat 1, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 4, Indigo Bunting 12 and Red-winged Blackbird 900+ (in several flocks).
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jonathan Frodge
After the MWW field trip I went over to the oxbow for a bit. Without a scope I was unable to positively ID some of the waterfowl. It was interesting to be able to access the edges of many of the ponds due to the low water levels. I walked to the back of Osprey Lake using the dry edge, turning up many sparrows. LIst: Double-crested Cormorant (2), Gr. Egret (10), Blue-winged Teal (I think), Mallard, Bald Eagle (1) soaring over the Ohio Rv., Redtail, Turkey Vulture, Gr. Yellowlegs (1), Am. Avocet (1), Short-billed Dowitcher (1), Killdeer (50+), Swallows (LOTS)- Tree, Rough-winged, Barn, Brown Thrasher (1), Palm Warbler (1), Indigo Bunting (++), Am. Pipit (4), Sparrows- Swamp, Song, Savannah, White-crowned.
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010
Location: oxbow/shawnee
Reporter: Albert Scruggs
Other Birders: julie morris
American Avocet still at Oxbow and Julie got her lifer near south end,in middle of the "lake" ..other good birds at oxbow were winter wren, yellow rumped warbler, "best guess late" Pine warbler, Swamp sparrow. At Shawnee, fun sightings were Tennessee, Blk-th-green, Sharp-shinned hawk, Rose-breasted grosbeak, Lincoln's sparrow, Blue-headed vireo, Yellow-throated vireo, 5 woodpecker species-Pileated, Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Red-bellied, Flicker, Downy.
Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge, Oxbow & Miami WW Wetlands
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Nice night for birding
Lost Bridge: Bald Eagles 3 (2 adult 1 jeuv); Osprey 1 (The jeuv Bald Eagle was chasing the Osprey over the river trying to grab it's fish)
Oxbow: In addition to Alan's sightings I also saw a Green Backed Heron and watched a falcon herd a group of blackbirds.
Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Allan Claybon
The American Avocet continues at the South end of Oxbow Lake. It was near the large downed tree that herons, egrets, and cormorants frequently perch. It could be seen from the Observation area with a scope. I parked near the restricted sign at the point where you turn right to head for Jackpot Pond and walked about 50 feet to the edge of the water. It followed close behind a group of Shovelers, moving its head in sweeping motions in the water stirred up by the ducks. A small group of 3 Dowitchers (?)landed nearby, before moving North up the shoreline. The Avocet moved South and settled down on edge of the shore.
Other than Killdeer, I did not find any other shorebirds, although there is now mudflat edging around much of the lake. Images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsxbirder (find the Oxbow file under Cincinnati locations, Avocet photos near end of photo set)
Date: Monday, September 27, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Andy Bess
The Avocet was still present in the same area as yesterday.
Date: Sunday, September 26, 2010
Location: Lower Great Miami River Valley
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Paul Wharton, Mark Gilsdorf & many obsv.
After our Sunday morning Audubon Society Birding Course, Paul and I (and ably assisted by Mark) led the class participants to the Shawnee Lookout boat ramp, Lost Bridge and the Oxbow. We were in the field from around 11:45 am until 2:30 pm. Some species were obviously on the move while general birding was rather slow, possibly due to the time of day. Our most notable sighting was of a large “kettle” of 45 Broad-winged Hawks seen overhead from the Shawnee boat ramp. We also saw three dowitchers at the south end of Oxbow Lake but at 800 yards we were unable to identify them to specific species (although Short-billed would seem the most likely). We did not see the previously reported American Avocet.
Some of the more interesting species we found in the Lower Great Miami River Valley this afternoon included: Blue-winged Teal 4, Double-crested Cormorant 630 (including three distinct migratory overhead V formations totaling 600+ individuals), Great Blue Heron 50+, Great Egret 15~, Black Vulture 1, Osprey 1, Bald Eagle 2 (1 well north of Lost Bridge and 1 in the lower Oxbow), Sharp-shinned Hawk 3, Broad-winged Hawk 45~, Red-tailed Hawk 7, Lesser Yellowlegs 6 (Lost Bridge), dowitcher species 3 (Oxbow), Eastern Wood-Pewee 2, Blue Jay 50+ (obvious migrants), Tree Swallows 200+, Northern Rough-winged Swallows 40~, Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 (fairly early), Cedar Waxwing 20+, Palm Warbler 8, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 9, Indigo Bunting 6, and Red-winged Blackbird 500+ (mostly in one large flock).
Date: Sunday, September 26, 2010
Location: oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: GOW Tour Group and other guides Steve Pelikan, Kani Meyer and Velda Miller
Great Morning, 1 AMERICAN AVOCET (south end of Oxbow Lake) along with 3 Dowitchers (take your pick on the species - too far to tell), 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 9 Killdeer, 2 Imm. Bald Eagle, 44 Great Blue Heron, 25+ Great Egret, mixed flock of Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: GOW tour group and other guides Steve Pelikan and Velda Miller
A Congregation of 48 Great Egrets crowded into the south end of Oxbow Lake as the sun went down. Others around: 2 Belted Kingfisher, 2 Black-crowned Night Heron, 31 Great Blue Heron, 5 Wood Duck, 6 Killdeer, small flock of Cedar Waxwings.
Date: Monday, September 20, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Highlights of todays sightings 52 Great Blue Heron, 53 Great Egret, 1 Green Heron, 1 Immature Bald Eagle, 25 Double-crested Cormorants, 2 Wood Duck, 3 Mallard, 18 Canada Goose, 2 Blue-winged Teal, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, 45 Killdeer, 1 Turkey Vulture, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Kestrel, 80 Tree Swallow, 30 Rough-winged Swallow, 150 Red-winged Blackbird, 50 Brown-headed Cowbird, 25 Mourning Dove
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Bruce Leonhardt
Other Birders: John Getzendanner
12 GWE's in Jackpot Pond. Juvi Bald Eagle across Oxbow Lake. A Merlin chasing a flock of starlings or blackbirds near the viewing area. The tail bands were definitely dark, and agile like a Kestrel.
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010
Location: Shawnee Lookout, Lost Bridge, Oxbow
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Cincinnati Bird Club, 16 Participants
Fifteen participants on this Cincinnati Bird Club field trip enjoyed what began as a very pleasant and clear morning. Around 10 a.m. a pretty steady down pour drove us to cover. The rain ended the trip for some but several of us waited it out and got another hours birding in before noon. Migrants were generally below expectations for this date of which I will blame overnight southwest winds. We only had 7 species of warblers but we did have some decent birding. Our highlight was a good look at another Olive-sided Flycatcher, a generally rare species that has not been so rare in the Shawnee Lookout boat ramp parking lot where one has been seen each of the past three weekends.
Some of the species our group found at Shawnee Lookout this morning included: Wild Turkey 4, Green Heron 3, Great Blue Heron 6, Bald Eagle 2 (Lost Bridge, 2 im, a 2y & 3y), Lesser Yellowlegs 2 (Lost Bridge), Least Sandpiper 6 (Lost Bridge), Chimney Swift 12+, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3+, Belted Kingfisher 2, Northern Flicker 2, Pileated Woodpecker 2+, Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 (boat ramp), Eastern Wood-Pewee 5, Empidonax flycatcher species 2, Eastern Phoebe 2. Great Crested Flycatcher 3, White-eyed Vireo 1, Yellow-throated Vireo 2+, Tree Swallow 50+, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 10~, Barn Swallow 3, House Wren 2, Gray Catbird 1, Cedar Waxwing 30~, Tennessee Warbler 1, Black-throated Green Warbler 1, Bay-breasted Warbler 1, Black-and-white Warbler 1, American Redstart 4, Common Yellowthroat 3, Wilson’s Warbler 1, Eastern Towhee 3, Chipping Sparrow 3, several Song Sparrows but one adult still attending a late fledgling, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1, Indigo Bunting 10~ and Orchard Oriole 1 (fairly late).
Needless to say, several warblers remained unidentified. Some common but notable migrants included: Blue Jay 40+, American Robin 150+, and Red-winged Blackbird 600+.
After Shawnee a quick trip to the Oxbow yielded 30 Wood Ducks, 35 Double-crested Cormorants, 45 Great Blue Herons, 35 Great Egrets and 2 Black-crowned Night-Herons. While the Oxbow has a little exposed mud we found no shorebirds besides Killdeer during our short visit.
Date: Thursday, September 9, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Kathi Hutton
Final stop for the day, hoping for shorebirds. Had really good luck here just 12 days ago. Spent about 30 minutes and found: Killdeer (lots). Also, kettle of Turkey Vultures, Great Blue Heron (2), the world's boldest Green Heron, patrolling the middle of the river with the killdeer, many American Crows, being really vocal till they finally chased a Cooper's Hawk out of the tree line and down river, and, just as I was about to fold up the spotting scope, one Lesser Yellowlegs. Not a good day for shorebirds.
Date: Monday, September 6, 2010
Location: Shawnee Boat ramp
Reporter: Albert Scruggs
Other Birders: julie morris and others
At Shawnee , with many other birders-- Philadelphia vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-bellied flycatcher, Olive-sided flycatcher, Mourning Warbler, Tennessee , Black and white, Am Redstart, House Wren
Date: Sunday, September 5, 2010
Location: Shawnee Lookout and Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Mark Gilsdorf
Mark and I birded Shawnee Lookout and the lower Great Miami River this morning from 7: 30 am until 10:30 am. Some of the species we found included Great Blue Heron 8, Green Heron 4, Black Vulture 3, Osprey 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Peregrine Falcon 1, Killdeer 30~, Lesser Yellowlegs 3 (Lost Bridge), Least Sandpiper 7 (Lost Bridge), Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1, Chimney Swift 5, Northern Flicker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 3, Eastern Wood-Pewee 5, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1, Willow Flycatcher 1, empidonax species 2, Great Crested Flycatcher 3, White-eyed Vireo 3, Yellow-throated Vireo 1, Blue-headed Vireo 1, Philadelphia Vireo 2, Red-eyed Vireo 6, Blue Jay 50+ (obvious migrants), Tree Swallow 100+, Barn Swallow 4, Cliff Swallow 3, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5, Swainson’s Thrush 6, Gray Catbird 8, Cedar Waxwing 40+, Tennessee Warbler 1, Nashville Warbler 1, Magnolia Warbler 3, Blackburnian Warbler 1, Bay-breasted Warbler 1, American Redstart 4, Common Yellowthroat 3, Eastern Towhee 7 and Indigo Bunting 4.
Date: Sunday, September 5, 2010
Location: Shawnee boat ramp and adjacent river
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Other Birders: Walt Herzog
Went canoeing on the river Sunday just before dusk and saw an Osprey fishing the river. Also saw hundreds or possibly thousands of Tree Swallows swarming the last third of a mile of the river near the access canal. Must be grouping together for migration?
Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: John Marvin
Solitary Sandpipers (3) and Lesser Yellowlegs (6) at Lost Bridge
Date: Saturday, August 28, 2010
Location: Shawnee Lookout-Lost Bridge-The Oxbow
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Audubon Society Field Trip Participants
Nineteen folks participated on the Audubon Society field trip this morning. The weather was pleasant and we had an enthusiastic group. The focus of this trip was billed as finding shorebirds, but as many of you know, shorebirding in our area has been slim pickings so far this season and local reports have been scarce. We decided to first bird the Shawnee Lookout boat ramp for migrant songbirds while it was still early and then check out Lost Bridge and the Oxbow afterwards. While we only found 8 species of shorebirds for the day our trip highlights did include 4 Baird’s Sandpipers at Lost Bridge and good looks at an Olive-sided Flycatcher at the Shawnee boat ramp. Aside from widespread Killdeer and a solitary Solitary Sandpiper at the Shawnee boat ramp; all of our shorebirds were found at Lost Bridge on the Great Miami River sandbars looking north. By my count our group had 61 species when we broke up around noon.
I may have missed something along the way but our list included; Canada Geese 60~, Wood Duck 50~, Mallard 15, Northern Shoveler 7 (Oxbow), Double-crested Cormorant 45, Great Blue Heron 35, Great Egret 48 (all in the Oxbow), Green Heron 8, Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 (Oxbow), Black Vulture 4, Turkey Vulture 20+, Osprey 3 (Lost Bridge), Red-tailed Hawk 2, Killdeer 40~, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Solitary Sandpiper 1, Lesser Yellowlegs 7, Semipalmated Sandpiper 1, Least Sandpiper 10, Baird’s Sandpiper 4, Pectoral Sandpiper 2, Rock Dove 60, Mourning Dove 20+, Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1, Chimney Swift 8, Belted Kingfisher 2, Red-bellied Woodpecker 3, Downy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker 1, Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 (perched on a snag on the west side of the Shawnee boat ramp parking lot), Eastern Wood-Pewee 3, Empidonax flycatcher species 4, Least Flycatcher 1, Eastern Phoebe 2, Great Crested Flycatcher 4, Eastern Kingbird 1, Red-eyed Vireo 1, Blue Jay 10~, American Crow 20~, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4, Cliff Swallow 2+, Barn Swallow 20~, Carolina Chickadee 6, Tufted Titmouse 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Carolina Wren 3, House Wren 2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1, American Robin 20~, European Starling 100+, Cedar Waxwing 35, American Redstart 1, Prothonotary Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 2, Song Sparrow 6, Field Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 12~, Indigo Bunting 12~, Red-winged Blackbird 800+, Common Grackle 4, American Goldfinch 15, House Sparrow 4
Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Jonathan Frodge
Birded in the afternoon - some highlights of each location are listed
Oxbow: 35+ Great Egret, distant look at a small white heron/egret which subsequently disappeared, Prothonotary & Yellow warblers, 30-40 Wood Ducks, 25-35 DC Cormorants
Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010
Location: Great Miami River South of Lost Bridge
Reporter: Paul Krusling
Other Birders: Norma krusling
Norma and I were canoeing the Great Miami River South of the Lost Bridge. We were fortunate to witness a aerial battle between a third or fourth year bald eagle and an osprey. The bald eagle was trying to steal the osprey's fish. The osprey did get away with his fish.
Date: Monday, August 16, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: Miami Univ. Masters class Environ Inst.
Giving a class today but counted a few birds 42 Great Egrets, 24 Great Blue Heron, 1 Black-crowned Night Heron, 2 Green Heron, 1 Immature Bald Eagle, 25+ Double-crested Cormorants, 2 Cooper's Hawk, 5 American Crow, 4 Turkey Vultures, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 5 Wood Duck, 4 Killdeer, 1 spotted sandpiper, 1 peep.
Date: Saturday, August 14, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Jeff Foster
Other Birders: Jeffrey Foster, Dana Foster, Kimberly Kremer
It was a good morning to visit Oxbow. We saw the following birds there in just over an hour right after sunrise. Canada Geese - 10; Mallard - 15; Great Blue Heron - 25, Great Egret - 50, Little Blue Heron - 2, Belted Kingfisher - 1, Black-crowned Night-heron - 3 (Lifer), Indigo Bunting - 2, Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3 (Lifer)
Several other birds were seen but could not be positively identified. We did not see any Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Grackles, or Red-winged Blackbirds today, which was a little surprising.
Date: Saturday, August 14, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Mark Gilsdorf
I stopped by the Oxbow this morning around 10:30 am. Found 1 Snowy Egret near a group of 5 Great Egrets, in the shallow marshy end of Oxbow Lake. The bird was clearly smaller than the Great Egrets, had a solid black bill and brightly colored yellow lores in front of the eyes (hard to see if you don’t have a spotting scope), black legs, and muddy, but yellow feet. The best view of the bird is from the short “trail” that leads down to the water in front of the new concrete spillway that was installed last month. Other species of note: 15 Double-crested Cormorants, 7 Great Egrets, 10 Great Blue Herons, 1 Green Heron, 12 Wood Ducks, 8 Mallards, 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: Allan Claybon
17 Great Egret, 12 Great Blue Heron, 1 Little Blue Heron (white phase, see Allan's photo), 3 Green Heron, 15 Double-crested Cormorants, 20 Canada Geese (+1 whiteus gooseus domesticus),1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Mallard, 6 Pectoral Sandpipers, 9 Killdeer. numerous 500+ Red-winged Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird in a mixed flock,3 Indigo Bunting
Date: Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Allan Claybon
Other Birders: Jon Seymour
About 3PM this afternoon Jon Seymour identified a Little Blue Heron, White phase, for me after I had taken some pictures of the bird looking South from the South edge of Juno Pond into the Smartweed. I didn't have my bins with me, it was far away, and I could only tell that it was smaller than the Great Egrets. Image at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsxbirder/4880387508/.
Thanks Jon for ID'ing this unusual migrant.
Date: Monday, July 26, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Passed through the Oxbow this evening on the slot to shell road. Did a quick wader count. 38 Great Egret, 13 Great Blue Heron, and 1 Black-crowned Night Heron.
Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Location: Oxbow region
Reporter: Mark Gilsdorf
Stopped at a few spots in and around the Oxbow Saturday afternoon. Of note: 18+ Great Egrets, and one Double-crested Cormorant on Oxbow Lake. At Lost Bridge, good mudflats on the river, but only found 5 Spotted Sandppipers and 8 Killdeer. The skypool along Lawrenceburg Road was virtually empty with the exception of a Great Blue Heron and a few Killdeer.
Date: Saturday, July 3, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Jeff Foster
Other Birders: my son Jeffrey
Made it to Oxbow just after sunrise this morning. We were not disappointed as we saw two species we had not seen before - the Great Egret and the Little Blue Heron. Two of the Egrets were in Osprey Lake and the third was in Jackpot Pond. The Little Blue Heron was perched on a stump in the middle of Oxbow Lake.
The birds positively identified this morning were: Great Blue Heron - 10, Great Egret - 3, Red Winged Blackbird - 20+, Mourning Doove - 25+, Indigo Bunting - 2, Killdeer - 1, Mallard - 1, American Robin - 15, American Crow - 2, Little Blue Heron - 1. There were many others we saw but could not get a good enough view to positively identify. Also, we heard many more than we were able to see.
Date: Monday, June 28, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Jeff Foster
Other Birders: my son Jeffrey
Today was my first trip to Oxbow and I really enjoyed it. I know it is not prime birding season nor was it the optimal time of day but it was still productive as I saw two species of birds for the first time. We saw 3 Great Blue Herons wading in Oxbow Lake. We also saw 5 northern Cardinals, 2 Indigo Buntings, 50 or more Common Grackles, 2 American Robins, 1 Red Tailed Hawk, 3 Wood Ducks, 1 Song Sparrow, and 1 Yellow Warbler. This was the first time I had ever seen the Wood Duck or the Yellow Warbler. The Wood Ducks were in Jackpot Pond. The Yellow Warbler flew in and lit in a tree no more than ten feet from us at the Oxbow Lake Overlook. He stayed in the tree long enough for me to pull ot my field guides and positively identify him. Also while we were at the Overlook, the Red Tailed Hawk flew in and perched on the electrical tower near the Overlook parking area. I got a great view of him through my binoculars to confirm that he was indeed a Red Tailed hawk. There were many other waterfowl out on Oxbow lake but I could not get a good enough look to identify them. We also heard many more birds than we were able to observe. I can't wait to go back to Oxbow at a more prime birding time!
Date: Thursday, June 24, 2010
Location: oxbow
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Other Birders: Cathy Kappa
Took our canoe out on the lake last night and paddled around the edge. Highlights were four Black-crowned Night Herons, and an adult Green-back Heron with two young which were to young to fly.
Complete list: Canada Goose 2, Wood Duck 12, Mallard 8, Double-crested Cormorant 7, Great Blue Heron 8, Great Egret 6, Green Heron 3, Black-crowned Night-Heron 4, Killdeer 2, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Mourning Dove 5, Chimney Swift 10, Eastern Kingbird 2, Horned Lark 18, Purple Martin 2, Tree Swallow 9, American Robin 3, Yellow Warbler 1, Song Sparrow 5, Northern Cardinal 7, Indigo Bunting 2, Red-winged Blackbird 35, Common Grackle 55, Brown-headed Cowbird 2, Baltimore Oriole 1
Date: Friday, May 23, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Paula & Jeff Quatkemeyer
The Oxbow is worth getting up early to see in the fog. We didn’t think about mosquitoes in the early hour. We soon doused ourselves in Deet. With cameras and coffee mugs in hand, and feeling like Stephen King surely must be close by, into the fog we went … only to encounter the Game Warden! In true Stephen King fashion, we half expected the Game Warden to sprout something or eat us. He was checking things out, had just missed me in a nature calls moment, and wished us a great day. A short distance in and we already spotted our first Prothonotary Warblers! Then a Common Yellowthroat Warbler, Eastern Kingbirds, Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Cormorants, Canada Geese, Song Sparrows, Gold Finches, Carolina Wren, Tree Swallows, Indigo Buntings galore, White Striped Sparrow and a Great Crested Flycatcher … and numerous ‘common’ birds. Giant turtles splashed into the water … they were halfway up trees! The shots of the day were what we thought was a Green Heron, a first for me. The Heron was flying towards us out of the fog, turned slightly and the light was perfect for a midflight shot! He landed a short distance from us. When we got home and checked our field guide we discovered it was not a Green Heron but an immature Black Crowned Night Heron … just passing through our area, only by chance that we took his pictures – 20 minutes from Downtown Dent. (Corrections on species welcome.) www.PJQandFriends.com
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Matt Stenger
Also lost bridge site was a good stop. Blue-Winged Teal in addition to previously mentioned shore birds.
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jason Cade
At Lost Bridge were 6 Killdeer, 1 Semipalmated Plover, 12 Dunlin, 20 Least Sandpipers, 5 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 5 RUDDY TURNSTONES, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, & 3 Spotted Sandpipers. Also 2 SNOWY EGRETS in a small pool of water right behind the large skypool.
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Location: Elizabethtown bridge, Hamilton Co., OH
Reporter: Neill Cade
Other Birders: Jason Cade
Jason just called again (10:20 AM). There are 5 RUDDY TURNSTONES, a dozen Dunlin, and 2 Snowy Egrets in a skypool (which may be the "new pond" referenced in earlier posts) near the gravel road pull off on the opposite side of road from the large gravel pit pond adjacent to the Elizabethtown Bridge (aka Lost Bridge). If you're coming from Elizabethtown traveling toward the bridge, this would be on the right. Again...have fun!
Date: Monday, May 17, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jonathan Frodge
Other Birders: several
Lost Bridge (thanks for the back way directions Mark)was great for close looks at breeding plumage Dunlins and Cliff Swallow. The pool also held semipalmated sp., Least, and yellowlegs. Right as I was leaving a Lark Sparrow flitted in to the planted field adjacent to the driveway.
Date: Monday, May 17, 2010
Location: New gravel pit pond near lost bridge
Reporter: Frank Frick
6 Black-Bellied Plovers,12 Dunlin,1 White-rumped Sandpiper,2 Semipalmated Plovers plus Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers and some Yellowlegs.The Phalarope that Kirk reported yesterday was not seen.I have been coming to this site for a while now and there seems to be a frequent turn over of birds.
Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Kirk Westendorf
Other Birders: Jim Lundberg
1 Wilson's Phalarope (male) Jim and I saw a Wilson's Phalarope in the sky pool closest to the bridge today around 1pm. It seemed to be either an immature bird or between plumages. I guess this is either the 4th W. Phalarope of the season or perhaps the same bird that was observed here during the Birdathon last weekend.
Date: Saturday, May 15, 2010
Location: Shawnee Lookout/Lost Bridge/The Oxbow
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: 21 Participants Cincinnati Bird Club Field Trip
Pleasant weather greeted the 21 CBC members and friends who participated on this morning’s field trip to Shawnee Lookout. While we did not find many of the hoped for migrant songbirds, there were plenty of breeding birds about. Our most rare species was an Alder Flycatcher, which we heard well at the boat ramp parking lot. We also checked the sky pool near Lost Bridge. Most of us broke up by noon, but about 5 of us decided to take a quick peak at the Oxbow where we picked up a few new species for the day including 2 Bald Eagles. As a group we managed 96 species on our combined trip list. It is quite possible someone may have had something I missed and have omitted. To the best of my knowledge our complete list follows.
Shawnee Lookout Park: Wood Duck 4, Wild Turkey 4, Great Blue Heron 2, Black-crowned Night-Heron 1, Turkey Vulture 10, Cooper's Hawk 1, Broad-winged Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Rock Pigeon 6, Mourning Dove 12, Chimney Swift 4, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 6, Downy Woodpecker 6, Northern Flicker 4, Pileated Woodpecker 4, Eastern Wood-Pewee 5, Acadian Flycatcher 2, Alder Flycatcher 1, Willow Flycatcher 2, Eastern Phoebe 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 10, White-eyed Vireo 2, Yellow-throated Vireo 5, Warbling Vireo 3, Red-eyed Vireo 12, Blue Jay 3, American Crow 15, Tree Swallow 3, Barn Swallow 2, Carolina Chickadee 15, Tufted Titmouse 6, White-breasted Nuthatch 3, Carolina Wren 4, House Wren 15, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 20, Eastern Bluebird 1, Swainson's Thrush 5, Wood Thrush 10, American Robin 30, Gray Catbird 2, Northern Mockingbird 1, Brown Thrasher 1, European Starling 40, Blue-winged Warbler 1, Northern Parula 5, Yellow Warbler 3, Magnolia Warbler 2, Black-throated Green Warbler 1, Yellow-throated Warbler1, Prairie Warbler 1, Cerulean Warbler 7, American Redstart 4, Prothonotary Warbler 1, Kentucky Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 4, Wilson's Warbler 1, Yellow-breasted Chat 4, Summer Tanager 3, Scarlet Tanager 3, Eastern Towhee 35, Chipping Sparrow 6, Field Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow 10, Northern Cardinal 15, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1, Indigo Bunting 20, Red-winged Blackbird 15, Common Grackle 10, Brown-headed Cowbird 20, Orchard Oriole 4, Baltimore Oriole 20, House Finch 6, American Goldfinch 15, House Sparrow 5
Lost Bridge: Canada Goose 25, Mallard 20, Blue-winged Teal 6, Great Blue Heron 2, Semipalmated Plover 4, Killdeer 6, Spotted Sandpiper 4, Solitary Sandpiper 2, Lesser Yellowlegs 8, Semipalmated Sandpiper 40, Least Sandpiper 30, Pectoral Sandpiper 6, Dunlin 1, Tree Swallow 15, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5, Bank Swallow 20, Cliff Swallow 25, Barn Swallow 5
The Oxbow: Wood Duck 7, Double-crested Cormorant 25, Great Blue Heron 4, Bald Eagle 2 (1 adult & 1 3y bird), American Kestrel 1 Palm Warbler 1, Prothonotary Warbler 1
Date: Friday, May 14, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Jack Stenger
At about 3 pm today a good number of shorebirds were present in the sky pool along Lawrenceburg Road just west of Lost Bridge and included 9 Short-billed Dowitchers and at least 1 White-rumped Sandpiper. Other species present included about 100 peeps made up roughly of 50 Least Sandpipers and 50 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 11 Semipalmated Plovers, 7 Spotted Sandpipers, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 3 Pectoral Sandpipers, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs and about 5 Killdeer. Six Blue-winged Teal were also present as were all our local swallow species, which were dominated by approximately 50 Bank Swallows.
Date: Monday, May 3, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lost Bridge, Shawnee Lookout Park
Reporter: Paul Krusling
Other Birders: Jeff Davis and David Tzul
Nothing unusual but still a great day.
Location: Oxbow (Lawrenceburg): Wood Duck 1, Mallard 6, Blue-winged Teal 2, Double-crested Cormorant 8, Great Blue Heron 6, Black-crowned Night-Heron 1, Turkey Vulture 6, Bald Eagle 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, American Kestrel 1, American Coot 3, Killdeer 1, Spotted Sandpiper 5, Least Sandpiper 8, Mourning Dove 4, Chimney Swift 2, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Blue Jay 4, American Crow 2, Tree Swallow 6, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4, Barn Swallow 6, Carolina Chickadee 2, Tufted Titmouse 2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4, American Robin 5, Northern Mockingbird 1, European Starling 12 , Common Yellowthroat 1, Chipping Sparrow 1, Song Sparrow 1, White-throated Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 4, Red-winged Blackbird 12, Rusty Blackbird 1, Common Grackle 20, Brown-headed Cowbird 15, American Goldfinch 4, House Sparrow 6
Location: Shawnee Lookout County Park: Wood Duck 1, Wild Turkey 1, Great Blue Heron 2, Black Vulture 12, Turkey Vulture 6, Bald Eagle 1, Broad-winged Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Mourning Dove 4, Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, Pileated Woodpecker 2, Empidonax sp. 1, Eastern Phoebe 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 4, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 6, Carolina Chickadee 4, Tufted Titmouse 4, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, House Wren 2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4, American Robin 6, Gray Catbird 4, European Starling 8, Cedar Waxwing 1, Blue-winged Warbler 1, Northern Parula 1, Yellow-throated Warbler 1, American Redstart 1, Prothonotary Warbler 1, Summer Tanager 1, Eastern Towhee 2, Chipping Sparrow 1, Song Sparrow 2, White-throated Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 6, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2, Indigo Bunting 1, Red-winged Blackbird 4, Common Grackle 12, Brown-headed Cowbird 6,
Orchard Oriole 2, Baltimore Oriole 2, American Goldfinch 2, House Sparrow 2
Location: Lost Bridge: Canada Goose 2, Blue-winged Teal 4, Wild Turkey 1, Great Blue Heron 2, Turkey Vulture 6, Bald Eagle 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Killdeer 2, Spotted Sandpiper 6, Greater Yellowlegs 1, Lesser Yellowlegs 4, Least Sandpiper 8, Dunlin 1, Mourning Dove 5, Chimney Swift 2, Eastern Phoebe 3, Eastern Kingbird 1, Blue Jay 4, American Crow 4, Tree Swallow 5, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 12, Bank Swallow 20, Cliff Swallow 40, Barn Swallow 4, Carolina Chickadee 3, Tufted Titmouse 3, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8, American Robin 20, Gray Catbird 3, Northern Mockingbird 1, European Starling 20, Cedar Waxwing 1, Blue-winged Warbler 1, Chipping Sparrow 1, Field Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 6, Blue Grosbeak 1, Red-winged Blackbird 25, Common Grackle 20, Brown-headed Cowbird 12, American Goldfinch 2, House Sparrow 5
Date: Sunday, May 2, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge area near Shawnee Lookout Park
Reporter: Jerry Lippert
Other Birders: Erich Baumgardner, Madeleine Lippert
At the large sky pool just southwest of Lost Bridge, we got great looks at a Franklin's Gull! As we were about to leave the area, the Franklin's Gull flew near us along with a Forster's Tern. The gull then rested along with the tern on a small island in the pool, and we were able to put a spotting scope on the bird and verify all of the field marks. When a noisy truck went by the gull and the tern flew south/southwest and were not seen again. This was at about 4:00 PM. Hopefully the Franklin's Gull will stay in the area another day, perhaps at the Oxbow Lake area or this same Lost Bridge area spot. Birds of note present at Lost Bridge were: Franklin's Gull, 1, Forster's Tern, 1, White-rumped Sandpiper, 2, Semipalmated Plover, 2, Pectoral Sandpiper, 1, Greater Yellowlegs, 1, Purple Martin, 2, Canada Goose, 2, Great Blue Heron, 1
Date: Sunday, May 2, 2010
Location: Shawnee Lookout & Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jay Stenger
Other Birders: Mark Gilsdorf
It seemed like it might be less rainy to the west, so after the Spring Grove rain out Mark and I decided to check Lost Bridge and the Shawnee Lookout area. Even if it was still raining we figured we could bird a bit from the car. It was still raining, but it wasn’t heavy. The birding was better.
Some birds seen around Lost Bridge and the sky pool included: Great Blue Heron 4, Great Egret 1, Killdeer 3, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Greater Yellowlegs 1, Lesser Yellowlegs 3, Pectoral Sandpiper 2, Franklin's Gull 1, Caspian Tern 1, Forster's Tern 1, Tree Swallow 15, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 10, Cliff Swallow 20, Barn Swallow 3
Some species found along Mt Nebo Road included: Yellow Warbler 3, Prairie Warbler 3, Blue Grosbeak 2, Orchard Oriole 3
Some of the species we found at Shawnee Lookout included: Wild Turkey 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, White-eyed Vireo 1, Red-eyed Vireo 2, House Wren 3, Gray Catbird 1, Northern Parula 2, Yellow Warbler 4, Chestnut-sided Warbler 1, Yellow-throated Warbler 1, American Redstart 2, Prothonotary Warbler 1, Louisiana Waterthrush 1, Kentucky Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 4, Scarlet Tanager 2, Eastern Towhee 5, Baltimore Oriole 3
A quick peak at the Oxbow entrance gave us another Prothonotary Warbler and 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers. We decided it was too wet to drive in.
Date: Thursday, April 29, 2010
Location: Oxbow area and the Lost Bridge
Reporter: Sister Marty Dermody
Other Birders: College of Mount St. Joseph Bird Class
The class was taking their final exam in the field and we had great looks at all the following birds: Prothonotary warbler, Warbling vireo, Song sparrow, Eastern kingbird, Double-creasted cormorant, Mallard, Red-winged blackbird, Palm warbler, Killdeer, Tree Swallow, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Osprey with fish, Common Grackle, Great Blue Heron, American Goldfinch, Ruddy Duck, Lesser Yellowlegs, Blue winged teal, Semipalmated sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Flicker, Turkey Vulture, Chimney swift, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, Mourning Dove, Canada Geese, Blue-grey gnatcatcher.
Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Location: Oxbow and the Lost Bridge
Reporter: Paul Krusling
I stopped by the Oxbow at around 4:00 pm and then stopped by the Lost Bridge. I saw the following:
Oxbow: Canada Goose 19, Wood Duck 20, Blue-winged Teal 25, Double-crested Cormorant 25, Great Blue Heron 10, Black-crowned Night-Heron 2, Turkey Vulture 15, Bald Eagle 1(Imm.), Red-tailed Hawk 2, Rock Pigeon 12, Mourning Dove 2, Warbling Vireo 6, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 4, Tree Swallow 10, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2, Bank Swallow 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1, American Robin 8, Prothonotary Warbler 1 So bright yellow that it was almost orange!, Song Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 2, Red-winged Blackbird 50, Common Grackle 30, Brown-headed Cowbird 12, House Finch 2, American Goldfinch 4, House Sparrow 6
Lost Bridge: Canada Goose 2, Mallard 2, Blue-winged Teal 6, Northern Shoveler 1, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Great Blue Heron 2, Killdeer 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Solitary Sandpiper 2, Greater Yellowlegs 2, Lesser Yellowlegs 12, Least Sandpiper 2, Pectoral Sandpiper 1, Mourning Dove 2, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1, Bank Swallow 2, Cliff Swallow 10, Barn Swallow 2, Northern Mockingbird 1, European Starling 12, Red-winged Blackbird 25, Common Grackle 20, Brown-headed Cowbird 4
Date: Monday, April 26, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: Marsha Webster
Trip List: Canada Goose 7, Wood Duck 2, Mallard 4, Blue-winged Teal 2, Double-crested Cormorant 75, Great Blue Heron 11, Great Egret 8, Turkey Vulture 5, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Killdeer 1, Ring-billed Gull 1, Mourning Dove 2, Belted Kingfisher 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, Warbling Vireo 5, American Crow 3, Tree Swallow 15, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3, Carolina Chickadee 2, Tufted Titmouse 3, Carolina Wren 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2, American Robin 6, Yellow-rumped Warbler 1, Prothonotary Warbler 2, Song Sparrow 1, White-throated Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 8, Red-winged Blackbird 9, Common Grackle 3, American Goldfinch 2, House Sparrow 1
Date: Friday, April 23, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge and Shawnee Lookout Boat Ramp
Reporter: Paul Krusling
I stopped by the Lost Bridge and the Shawnee Lookout Boat ramptoday after work and saw the following: Canada Goose 2,
Wood Duck 4, Mallard 2, Blue-winged Teal 1, Wild Turkey 4, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Great Blue Heron 2, Turkey Vulture 6, American Kestrel 2, Killdeer 4, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Solitary Sandpiper 2, Greater Yellowlegs 4, Lesser Yellowlegs 6, Semipalmated Sandpiper 4, Short-billed Dowitcher 3, Ring-billed Gull 1, Rock Pigeon 2, Mourning Dove 8, Chimney Swift 4, Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 6, Purple Martin 2, Tree Swallow 20, Cliff Swallow 4, Barn Swallow 8, Carolina Chickadee 4, Tufted Titmouse 8, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, House Wren 2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2, American Robin 10, European Starling 20, Chipping Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 2, Red-winged Blackbird 15, Common Grackle 8, Brown-headed Cowbird 4, House Finch 1, House Sparrow 6
Date: Friday, April 23, 2010
Location: Larwenceburg Rd @ bridge
Reporter: Jeff Rowe
Saw 2 Dowitcher sp. (no scope) along with 4 Greater yellowlegs, 6 Lesser yellowlegs, 1 Solitary sandpiper, 1 peep, and severl swallow species (Bank FOS).
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Allan Claybon
Counted 250+ Double-crested Cormorants on the South end of Oxbow lake early this afternoon. 1 Osprey at Jackpot Pond.
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lost Bridge & Shawnee Lookoout
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Other Birders: Robyn Lung
The road through the oxbow is washed out approximately half way back. It is still intact on the far left side but just barely. If you have a high clearance vehicle (as I do) you may be tempted to get across by staying left (as I did). "When" you get stuck (as I did) you will find a pile of rocks left by other adventurous soles before me. It is possible to jack your car up and stack the provided rocks under your wheel so you can make it through. The better thing to do is to not even attempt it and access the second half of the oxbow via the Hollywood access road. You may also note that there are various car parts such as bumpers etc laying on the edge of the caved in road apparently from previous attempts of people who also said "I can make it". If these car parts are yours, please collect them so we can keep the oxbow looking nice. The Oxbow did provide some excellent birds today including Black-crowned Night Heron, Common Snipe and VESPER SPARROW'S. The two Vesper Sparrows were in the field at the turn in the road just beyond the parking/obeservation area. They were only 15-20 feet from the road and were very cooperative. Total List: Double-crested Cormorant 100+, Great Blue Heron 15, Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 (adult), Turkey Vulture 6, Canada Goose 8, Wood Duck 9, Mallard 4, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Wild Turkey 1 (hen), Killdeer 3, Common Snipe 1, Ring-billed Gull 1 (lost Bridge), Mourning Dove 3, Belted Kingfisher 2, Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Blue Jay 2, Am Crow 3, Tree Swallow 16, Carolina Chickadee 3, Tufted Titmouse 1, Am Robin 8, Brown Thrasher 1 (Oxbow), European Starling 17, Yellow-rumped Warbler 3, N Cardinal 13, Eastern Towhee 6, Am Tree Sparrow 1, VESPER SPARROW 2, Song Sparrow 4, White-throated Sparrow 15, Red-winged Blackbird 20+, C Grackle 30+, Brown-headed Cowbird 9, Am Goldfinch 2
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Location: Great Miami River Valley
Reporter: Mark Gilsdorf
Other Birders: Danny Barnes
Danny and I spent the day checking several spots in and around the lower valley of the Great Miami River. It’s not a complete list, but here are some of the birds I found interesting: 9 Blue-winged Teal, 5 Double-crested Cormorants, 4 Great Blue Herons, 30 American Coots, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 5 Tree Swallows, 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 7 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 White-crowned Sparrow.
Date: Saturday, April 3, 2010
Location: Oxbow
Reporter: Denis Conover
Other Birders: Don Geiger
adult bald eagle, woodducks, cormorants, ruddy ducks, mallards
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg
Reporter: Jon Seymour
1 Redtailed Hawk, 2 Turkey Vulture, 7 Canada Goose, 5 Blue-winged Teal, 4 Ruddy Duck, 1 Mallard, 4 Wood Duck, 8 American Coot, 2 Great Blue Heron, 10+ American Crow, 1 Killdeer, 1 Tree Swallow, 2 Rough-winged Swallow, 4 American Goldfinch, 20+ Song Sparrow, 3 Carolina Chickadee, 1 Tufted Titmouse, 3 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 30+ Cardinal, 15 Grackle, 20+ Red-winged Blackbird, 1 Starling
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, IN
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Overlooked the 12 Dark-eyed Juncos in my previous report.
Date: Sunday, March 28, 2010
Location: Oxbow Lake
Reporter: Denis Conover
Other Birders: Don Brannen
Saw 3 bald eagles, one adult and two immature. Also saw a couple of great egrets and several species of ducks.
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Location: Western Hamilton County
Reporter: Mark Gilsdorf
Other Birders: 9 Bird Club field trip participants
The Cincinnati Bird Club field trip hit a number of spots in western Hamilton County and south-eastern Indiana today. Beginning at the Shawnee Lookout boat ramp, we stopped off at Lost Bridge, the Oxbow, Hidden Valley, the Kilby Road gravel pits, Campbell Lakes Preserve, the fields along Simonson Road, and ended the day at Fernald. While we didn’t turn up any signs of any large movement of ducks northward, we did have a few good finds. Highlights included a group of 19 Common Mergansers and a Double-crested Cormorant on the river at Lost Bridge, several flocks of Horned Larks along Simonson Rd., a Rough-legged Hawk and a male Northern Harrier at Fernald. One thing we noted was the significant number of breeding pairs of Red-tailed Hawks along the valley. Most of the 20 Red-tails we saw where perched in pairs.
Trip list: Canada Goose – 700, Mute Swan – 3, Gadwall – 5, American Black Duck – 8, Mallard – 200, Canvasback – 6, Redhead – 11, Ring-necked Duck – 300, Lesser Scaup – 2, Bufflehead – 3, Hooded Merganser – 5, Common Merganser – 19, Wild Turkey – 15, Double-crested Cormorant – 1, Great Blue Heron – 2, Black Vulture – 6, Turkey Vulture – 3, Northern Harrier – 1, Cooper’s Hawk – 1, Red-tailed Hawk – 20, Rough-legged Hawk – 1, American Kestrel – 2, American Coot – 5, Killdeer – 9, Ring-billed Gull – 3, Rock Pigeon – 30, Mourning Dove – 20, Belted Kingfisher – 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker – 3, Downy Woodpecker – 1, Blue Jay – 3, American Crow – 100, Horned Lark – 30, Carolina Chickadee – 20, Tufted Titmouse – 10, White-breasted Nuthatch – 3, Golden-crowned Kinglet – 1, American Robin – 15, Northern Mockingbird – 1,
European Starling – 1000, Song Sparrow – 5, White-throated Sparrow – 1, Dark-eyed Junco – 2, Northern Cardinal – 15,
American Goldfinch – 1
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg to Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jon Seymour
Other Birders: 4 Oxbow Walkers
Trip List: Canada Goose 1000, Mallard 75, Ring-necked Duck 4, Common Goldeneye 2, Hooded Merganser 2, Common Merganser 20, Great Blue Heron 10, Bald Eagle 2, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Ring-billed Gull 8, Mourning Dove 2, Red-bellied Woodpecker 5, Downy Woodpecker 4, Northern Flicker 1, American Crow 100, Carolina Chickadee 3, Tufted Titmouse 7, Northern Mockingbird 1, European Starling 75, American Tree Sparrow 40, Song Sparrow 1, Dark-eyed Junco 2, Northern Cardinal 30, Red-winged Blackbird 300
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg
Reporter: Jon Seymour
A short walk in the snow revealed about 350 Canada Geese in the wildlife crop stands in the Oxbow. Also saw 2 Turkey Vultures and a Great Blue Heron.
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Other Birders: Paul Krusling
Paul & I ran into Alan Clayborn at the Lost Bridge on Saturday and admired the four jeuv. Bald Eagles and two Mute Swans (see Alan's post on the message board). In addition to the Eagles, Paul and I saw a Harrier searching the field near the bridge. We then drove to the Shawnee boat ramp where saw an adult Bald Eagle fly overhead. On the way home we drove over the Lost Bridge again just in time to witness a Peregrin Falcon fly in front of our car and land at the top of a tree next to the river. The area also produced Tree Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Wh-Th Sparrows, Carolina Wrens, Chicadees & Titmouse, Hooded Mergansers, Black Ducks, Mallards, Canada Geese (in the hundreds), two Red-tailed Hawks, one Kestral and several Great Blue Herons.
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Allan Claybon
There were 4 immature Bald Eagles North of Lost Bridge today between 12:30 and 1:30. In addition, someone drove by and said he saw 2 mature eagles in a tree further South of the bridge. Managed to capture some pics of 2 engaging as 2 more looked on in the same field of view. 2 Mute Swans were there when I arrived, flying North soon after.
Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Location: Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Reporter: Jonathan Frodge
Other Birders: slightly out of area
At the Oxbow, late afternoon, things picked up a bit. There's a pond or flooded field that's accessed by driving straight in to the chain and walking past the chain (south?) into the corn stubble fields. All sightings were thru a scope: 10 N. Pintail, 4~ Gadwall, 200 Mallard, 50+ Black Duck, 100's Ring-billed Gulls, 6~ Herring Gulls, 1 suspicious large,2nd year Gull, still probably Herring, 1000's Canada Geese, 25 Great Blue Heron, and NO 'white' geese (although I scanned more than thrice through everything). The cool part was how so many birds were concentrated on this back pond. My guess is that as water recedes it creates nice feeding conditions in the shallows.
Date: Sunday, January 17, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Jay Lehman
I headed west to the Lost Bridge area. There I found the Common Goldeneye-8 (1 m the rest f or imm.), Ross’ Goose-1, Northern Pintail-1 (m) and Common Merganser-18. There was a second smaller white goose, but I could not get a good look at its bill. I kept its head tucked, and when it un-tucked its head, it was actively preening and moving too fast to see the bill well. There was a large white domestic goose, with bright orange bill, legs and feet and bigger than the Canada Geese. Hopefully, this was not previously reported as a Snow Goose. The N. Pintail appeared when some shooting flushed a large flock (+300) of Mallards and Black ducks off the river. The Common Mergansers were on the river, south of the bridge (scope necessary). Other birds while I was there were one adult Bald Eagle, perched in a tree north of the bridge in back of the gravel operation, one Northern Harrier, hundreds maybe 1000 Canada Geese and at least 20 Gadwall, a few American Coot and at least one female Ring-necked Duck. I checked the cornfield to the south, but there was no flock of Horned Larks, longspurs, etc. visible while I was present.
Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Joe Kappa
I arrived at the Lost Bridge last night shortly after 4:00 and found one white phased Snow Goose swimming with approximately 1,500 Canada Geese. The Snow Goose left the water by 4:30 and flew across the road to the corn field. In the 90 minutes I was there I observed approximately 2,500 Canada Geese fly over from the East. The earlier geese flew into the Western horizon, approximately 1/3 of the later arrivals landed in the field with the Snow Goose. There were also nearly 500 Mallards and Blacks circling the field while I was there. The lake itself had one Bald Eagle on the ice eating a fish and one dead duck also on the ice (I suspect from a local duck hunter).
Other observations on the river from the bridge: Common Merganser 16, Gadwall 4, Lesser Scaup 1, Mallards 40, Great Blue heron 2
On the pond, in the air or in the field: Snow Goose 1, Canada Goose 3000-4000 (mostly fly-overs), Gadwall 5, American Black Duck 23, Mallard 900, Ring-necked Duck 14, Bufflehead 1, Common Goldeneye 18, Hooded Merganser 1, Great blue Heron 3, Bald Eagle 1, American Coot 5, Mourning Dove 4, Belted Kingfisher 1, Crow 14, Starling 22, Song Sparrow 14, White-crowned Sparrow 3, Cardinal 3, Large mixed flock of Rusty Blackbirds and Grackles 700 – 1000, American Goldfinch 1
Date: Sunday, January 10, 2010
Location: Elizabethtown bridge, Hamilton Co., OH
Reporter: Neill Cade
Other Birders: Kim Cade
From 4:30-5:30 PM, there were lots of geese and ducks moving to and from the gravel pit next to the bridge. There appeared to be 1,800-2,000 Canada Gesse, 2 or 3 Cackling geese, 1 Snow Goose, and 1 Greater White-fronted Goose. There were 3 interesting geese that left with a large flock of Canada Geese before I had my scope set up. Binocular views showed 2 probable Greater White-fronted Geese and 1 possible Ross's Goose...but that's probable and possible, not certain.
There was also an interesting goose that remained the whole time I was present. Virtually as large as the Canada Geese, it had bright pink legs and a pink beak with a dark tip. It also had a fairly pale belly and pale areas on the face. In some lights, the facial area looked outlined, like the cheek patch on a Canada Goose.
There was a nice assortment of ducks onsite: Mallard, Black, Gadwall(3), Northern Pintail(1), Rehead, Ring-necked, Greater Scaup(1), Common Goldeneye, and Bufflehead. American Coots, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, and 3 Great Blue Herons rounded out the birds on the pond (and ice).
2+ Lapland Longspurs and 40-50 Horned Larks were also in the area.
Date: Saturday, January 9, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge Gravel Pit Pond
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Other Birders: Paul Wharton & several unknown birders
Snow Goose 1, ROSS'S GOOSE 1, CACKLING GOOSE 3, Canada Goose 2,500 , Greater White-fronted Goose 2, Redhead Duck 3, American Black Duck 25, Common Merganser 1, Great Blue Heron 3, Ring-billed Gull 2, Rock Pigeon 35, Mourning Dove 9, Belted Kingfisher 1, Northern Flicker 1, Horned Lark 100+, Lapland Longspur 40, Bald Eagle 1, Harrier 1,
Coopers Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Kestral 1, Song Sparrow 20, Tree Sparrow 30, Cardinal 4, Crow 23
Date: Thursday, January 7, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Other Birders: 2 unknown duck hunters
Arrived at 4:30 this evening and watched thousands of geese fly from both the gravel pit pond and from fields East of the gravel pits to the field on the other side of the road. We estimated 10,000 plus geese
Total list identified: Canada Geese 10,000, Gr Wh-fronted Geese 2, Snow Geese 1 (blue phase, white phase seen two days earlier), Mallard 800, Am Black Duck 45, Am Merganser 2, Gr Blue Heron 3, Bald Eagle 1 (jeuv)
Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: John Hill
700+ Canada Geese, 15 Herring Gulls, 1 RedtailHawk
Date: Sunday, January 3, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge
Reporter: Joe Kappa
Greater White-fronted Goose 2; Goose 1, Canada Goose 2500, Ring-billed Gull 20, Herring Gull 1, Mallard 500, American Black Duck 5, Lesser Scaup 1, Red Head Duck 3, Ret-tailed Hawk 1, Tree Sparrow 15,
Date: Sunday, January 3, 2010
Location: Lost Bridge / Gravel Pits 2:30 p.m.
Reporter: Bruce Leonhardt
The gravel pit pond closest to Lawrenceburg road Was loaded with Canadian Geese, and more continued to stop in. Spotted 1 Peregrine Falcon along the SW bank of the river. 5 Red-tail Hawks circling above the cornfield across the road from the beehives. 2 Mature Bald Eagles perched near the red crane on the gravel pit property. They took flight circling the sky as they made their way south towards the Ohio River. I have photos in my eagle gallery for those that have my gallery web address.