I ran the last Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) route of the season yesterday morning
in eastern Warren and western Allen counties. It was a nice morning with the
route yielding 75 species. Highlights were a calling Broad-winged Hawk and a
couple of Grasshopper Sparrows.
On Friday, Sandy Gabbard, whose family owns part of Chaney Lake south of
Bowling Green, emailed me a photo of some American White Pelicans that were
loafing out on the west side of the lake. I knew they'd be gone, but as long a
there is still water there, I met Clay Bliznick to check out what else might be
around. Highlights included a number of lingering waterfowl: a male Northern
Shoveler, *3* female Gadwall, a male Ring-necked Duck, and several Blue-winged
Teal including a female with a brood of young. We also watched a family of
Pied-billed Grebelets follow their momma around as she foraged for food for
them. It's so neat to watch them act like they are really also foraging for
food, but actually just waiting for her to come up with a morsel to gobble up.
A Louisiana Waterthrush foraging along the northern shore in the woods must
have been an early dispersing nester.
We also ran by nearby Bogle Road where earlier in the morning Clay had found
what is probably Warren County's first Bell's Vireo, likely singing on
territory in suitable habitat of a large field that has been taken out of crop
production and is now covered in weeds and small trees. We also had a singing
Willow Flycatcher there.
We then traveled west towards Morgan Pond, where Joe Hall and Sharon Arnold
have been seeing some lingering waterbirds including the first Blue-winged Teal
broods and some tardy White-rumped Sandpipers. On the way we checked a few
small transient ponds in Logan and Todd counties w/o highlights.
In the vicinity of Morgan Pond we had the following highlights: four different
broods of Blue-winged Teal (photo documented nicely by Sharon on her eBird list
from yesterday); a male and a flighted juv. Hooded Merganser on the main pond
with 2 likely juvs. on another; 2 male Gadwall now entering eclipse plumage;
lots of Mallards; 65 Great Egrets and 59 Great Blue Herons scarfing up some
sort of food concentrated into one small pool; a single Spotted Sandpiper, 3
White-rumped Sandpipers, and 2 Black Terns (all of the last three species also
photo-documented nicely by Sharon).
Clay and I ended up with 8 species of waterfowl on a day in late June . . .
bpb, Louisville
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