Fun Times on the Cuyahoga - A Christmas Count Recap

When I was a young lad with no real birding ambitions, the Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count was a singular agony, an interminable Sunday march through punishing winter that commenced in the black of early morning and didn't end until every last bird in a frozen territory in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio had been counted. Each December it loomed, this trial-by-snow, standing between me and actual Christmas. I didn't like it, I was bad at it, and outside of spotting cardinals and blue jays, I could have been little use to my dad, uncle, and grandfather in identifying birds for "the nation's longest-running community science bird project." The one service I could provide with relative competence was writing up the list, and thus I was recruited for the unenviable task of putting the names of birds to paper with my shivering, ungloved hands. Here's one such document from the 1995 count, recently dug up by our crack team of researchers (note my inclusion of the extremely rare and elusive "Red billed woodpecker"):

It was in those moments I cursed my literate self and the godforsaken ordeal into which compulsory education had landed me. The only mercy was our need to conclude in time for the 1:00 PM Browns kickoff.

Today, aged 45 and a much more able and passionate birder, I'd do anything to be able to tramp those miles with Grandpa again. Naturally now that I'm willing, work and kids and their school often prevent my participation in the count, but when the opportunity to take part with my extant relatives presented itself this time around, I wasn't about to squander it. So, after the necessary quarantine, I joined Dad, Uncle Pete, and my idiot brother on our January 20 quest to find all the birds!

Things got off to a rocky start when Uncle Pete showed up sans binoculars. Our suspicion that he had indulged in some holiday cheer beforehand was confirmed by the whiff of ethanol that accompanied his slurred yet mighty battle cry: Less count some BIRDS, bishes! Luckily, Dad had an extra pair of binocs, but there was some lingering concern Uncle Pete's condition would have him counting double and severely throw off our tally.

Undaunted, our intrepid band of hero-birders trudged on foot through the snowy wastes of Cascade Valley (a jewel of the Summit Metro Parks system) and the former Valley View Golf Course (currently being incorporated into the SMP system).

Then came stops at Chestnut Hill Memorial Park, Babb Run Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary, and a healthy chunk of the city of Cuyahoga Falls. Per tradition, we also stopped at the residence of one Stephen Foliglio (father of our famed Poet Laureate), whose calf muscles are worthy of a science project of their own and whose home coincides with our territory.

Along the way there were...

Highlights

Counting 39 species (tying our record) and over 1,300 individuals.

Almost stepping on a Cooper's hawk, which must have been feasting on the ground.

A Cooper's and red-tailed hawk cozied up on a branch in a woods overlooking a flock of chickens, clucking wildly and clearly aware of the doom awaiting one or more of them.

A red-shouldered hawk licking its chops in that same woods.

A mature and an immature bald eagle patrolling the golf course.

A lone merlin in repose.

A pair of eastern towhees foraging near the Signal Tree.

Beholding the 300-year-old Signal Tree...

There were also some...

Lowlights

The mute swan with whatever this is wrapped around its neck.

Trying to count birds as Stephen Foliglio delivered a protracted account of his manifold shoulder, knee, and back ailments.

Uncle Pete tumbling down the banks of the Cuyahoga moments after this photo was taken.

"Forget me!" he cried as the icy stream swept him away. "It's the birds that matterrrrrrrrr!"

And that brings us to our list:

The Birds

Canada goose
Mute swan
Wood duck
Mallard

American black duck
Rock pigeon
Mourning dove
Gull (likely ring-billed)
Great blue heron
Cooper's hawk
Bald eagle
Red-shouldered hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Merlin
Red-bellied woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker

Pileated woodpecker

Red-winged blackbird
Blue jay
American crow
Black-capped chickadee
Tufted titmouse
White-breasted nuthatch
Carolina wren
European starling
Eastern bluebird
American robin
Cedar waxwing
House sparrow
House finch
Pine siskin
American goldfinch
American tree sparrow
Dark-eyed junco
White-throated sparrow
Song sparrow
Eastern towhee
Northern cardinal

All told, we birded over six hours and traveled some forty miles by foot and car. Back home, we fortified our shivering bodies with sandwiches and a seasonal ale. The Browns rewarded our efforts with a thumping win over the Giants. When we learned later that evening Uncle Pete had been fished from the river several miles downstream in an advanced state of hypothermia but none the worse for wear, we concluded it was about as perfect a day of birding as could be expected.

Here's to 2021!

nwb

BillBow's Bird Journal - Electoral Politics Edition

As the long, arduous 2020 election comes to an end, so too ends our similarly long and arduous backyard bird count, commemorated forevermore on this Twitter thread.

I stated before there are no winners and losers when it comes to birding. All birds are winners. In this case though, one bird was just a bit more of a winner. Indeed, a large, late-arriving flock tipped the scales in favor of the MOURNING DOVE, official victor of Backyard Bird Count 2020.

The decisive last-second win must come as welcome news to the widespread zenaida macroura, all too often on the losing end of encounters with the raptors of the world. Though we do not speak dove, it is rumored the somewhat lethargic gray bird gained momentum with a promise to "represent all birds," and usher in a "return to normalcy" to the back yard. Congratulations, dove! For one day you can forget about mourning and enjoy your victory!

In all, I counted 33 species, and a recount has confirmed that number. We strive for accuracy here and believe our methodologies and numbers beyond reproach. That's nothing less than the American public deserves. We are however fully lawyered up and prepared to withstand the inevitable raft of lawsuits about to be filed against us on behalf of early frontrunner, black-capped chickadee.

Backyard Bird Count 2020

Downy woodpecker
Red-bellied woodpecker
Black-capped chickadee
Mourning dove
Blue jay
Tufted titmouse
Northern cardinal
Hairy woodpecker
American goldfinch
White-breasted nuthatch
Red-breasted nuthatch
House finch
House sparrow
Dark-eyed junco
White-throated sparrow
Cooper's hawk
Northern flicker
Red-winged blackbird
American crow
European starling
Red-tailed hawk
Ruddy duck
Redhead
Lesser scaup
Mallard
Canada goose
Ring-billed gull
Mute swan
Eastern bluebird
Horned grebe
Belted kingfisher
Carolina wren
Pine siskin

nwb

Being Prepared - A How-To Guide for Advanced Birding

Birding—for some enthusiasts it's a diversion, little more than grabbing a pair of binoculars and hitting the woods, fields, or back yard for some fresh air, exercise, and leisurely avian amusement. Nothing wrong with a casual approach to the hobby, but for the serious birder like myself, one intent on tracking down the rarest of rare species no matter the physical, emotional, or pecuniary toll, things can get a little more involved. With many of my birdwalks spanning days on end and hundreds of miles in some of the most adverse terrain and weather Michigan's lower peninsula has to offer, I felt I'd be doing my fellow birders an injustice not sharing what I've learned over the years.

The Gear

Binoculars - High-powered binocs are the difference between not being able to ID a bird with the naked eye and not being able to ID it through a pair of 10x42 lenses.

Camera - Capturing birds is a challenge made easier by the latest advances in film photography. For me, nothing less than the Holga 135 will suffice.

Field guide - It's worth doing a fair bit of research to find a book that is suitably comprehensive and compact. Don't forget a writing tool to tick off those species one by one!

Cellphone - Aside from providing access to a number of birding apps, any smartphone worth a salt features a compass, satellite map technology, and the option of making a good old-fashioned emergency telephone call when the ability to read a compass or a map fails.

Charger - I rarely remember to charge my phone before setting off on a birding adventure. Unfortunately, this rarely-charged charger rarely comes in handy.

Hydration - A canteen filled with 100% liquid bourbon is just the thing to slake that thirst.

Fuel - A sudden crash in energy is dangerous and the last thing you want in the field. Protein-rich snacks are a must!

Bedding - Mother Nature is merciless and unpredictable, and as such protection against the elements is essential. The ideal sleeping bag provides plenty of warmth and the perfect camouflage to help blend into the environs when at our most vulnerable.

Protection - Michigan's open carry laws protect our right to dismember Sith lords, rock hounds, Cub Scouts, and any other natural enemies we encounter in our travels.

The Look 

Birding is the most dignified of pursuits, and the attire of the serious birder should reflect that sense of dignity.

Many generations and decades of personal experience were mined in the compiling of this post. I hope it will prove a trusty roadmap to anyone ready to spit out their pacifier, shed the mantle of novice, and take their birdwatching to the next level.

nwb