Above: This American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is waiting for spring among the fresh buds. Photo by Tom Fishburn.

Join Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society's 'Socially Distanced Birding Challenge'! Because we can't get together for field trips this year, we are going to have a state-wide Big Day! Dayton Audubon Society has challenged Audubon Chapters throughout the state to a 24 hour birding challenge. 

Photo: Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) by Tom Fishburn.

Mid-September is a terrific time of year for hawk migration through the upper mid-west. While eastern North American raptors migrate through the area between late August right through early winter, the dates we have chosen give us the best opportunity to see large kettles of Broad-winged Hawks. In addition, good numbers of American Kestrels and Sharp-shinned Hawks should be on the move as well as a few other raptors and some songbirds such as Cedar Waxwings and Blue Jays.

Walking toward the open fields, we began hearing (if not seeing) several breeding birds including two Willow Flycatchers that managed to stay hidden except for a few brief moments. Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats were vocal along the path in areas of wet, successional growth and ever present Tree Swallows flew acrobatically, keeping us company throughout the morning. ~ Bird Walk Leader, Tim Colborn

Photo: Merlin (Falco columbarius) by Craig Caldwell, Gulls and Wintering Birds Hotspots Field Trip Saturday, January 26, 2019, Wendy Park, 2800 Whiskey Island Drive, Cleveland, OH 44102​.

As we were pulling up 2 other birders were walking toward the parking area, so I asked if they had seen the Merlin and they had. So our group jumped out of our cars and walked to the pine trees where we had great views of the the Merlin for several minutes before we left for Scranton Flats.

Photo: Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) by Chuck Slusarczyk Jr. at Wendy Park, 2800 Whiskey Island Drive, Cleveland, OH 44102.

January can be a terrific month for gull-watching along the Lake Erie shore. We’ll brave the frigid temperatures and strong winds to see if we can find both the common and rarer gull species, as well as other wintering birds like ducks, grebes, loons, and raptors. 

We had 24 observers on this Second Saturday in December in Rocky River Reservation. It was a brisk 27 degrees, cloudy and a slight breeze. We had 26 different species. The highlights were a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches that fed out of some of the birders hands. We also had a good look at a Barred Owl, perched high up in a pine tree, observed by all. - Bill Deininger.

This is a good date for maximizing migrant, resident and wintering waterfowl including geese, swans, dabbling ducks and divers. 

Our walk continued with a small flock of Chimney Swifts actively feeding on flying insects. We later learned that there had been at least one significant flying ant hatch in the park earlier that day that may have been the source for that Swift feeding frenzy. 

We had 25 observers Saturday morning, with a mix of experienced birders and many new birders. Sunny, with a slight breeze. Our 3 hour walk turned up 44 species. We did have 2 Bald Eagles fly over, one immature and one adult. Our best bird was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The Cuckoo was very cooperative. He stayed close enough for all to see and at one moment we watched as he consumed a large caterpillar.

Above: Eastern Phoebe ( Sayornis phoebe) by John Benson (Flickr: Flycatcher) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"Seeing a Philadelphia Vireo is a real treat! The bird was in a group with an Eastern Phoebe and a Great Crested Flycatcher. Over the dipping pond Belted Kingfishers put on an aerial display, rattling loudly." - Second Saturday Bird Walk August 12, 2017 at Rocky River Nature Center Report

Photo: Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis), female, Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, Quebec, Canada. By Cephas [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Midsummer can be a slow time for birding, but not on this pleasant sunny day. A highlight among the 52 species observed was a Red-breasted Nuthatch singing high in a tree. Other avian treasures were four species of thrush and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. - July 2017

We had a number of early migrants, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Eastern Phoebe, Brown Creepers, and both Kinglets. Other first-of-year birds that showed up include, Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, a Broad-winged hawk circled directly over our heads, an early Green Heron and five Hooded Mergansers popped into view. 

A Barred Owl was located high up in a pine tree. Everyone was able to see the Owl before it flew off. Cardinals were everywhere. Many gorgeous male Cardinals singing in many, many locations through out the entire walk. One Pine Siskin was spotted up high, but few of us were able to put binoculars on the elusive bird. Four Bald Eagles were spotted flying high overhead. 

Pictured above: Volunteers Terry Gorges and Tim Colborn. Our second group also enjoyed seeing the Red-headed Woodpeckers and were treated later with very close looks at an adult Eastern Wood-Peewee feeding two recent fledglings!

Seeing a Philadelphia Vireo is a real treat! The bird was in a group with an Eastern Phoebe and a Great Crested Flycatcher. Over the dipping pond Belted Kingfishers put on an aerial display, rattling loudly. ​

Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinals and Song Sparrows were singing, to name a few. A highlight of the walk was the sighting of ten Eastern Bluebirds, first spotted by birder Brent. American Tree Sparrows continued in good numbers as seen on the January walk.

We will meet at Edgewater Park in Cleveland, lower beach area by the fishing pier. As road conditions permit we will bird Edgewater and proceed to Wendy Park. Looking for a variety of gull species!

Winter can be a rewarding time with woodpeckers, sparrows, brown creepers. Sometimes the redpolls appear. Worth a walk in the woods!  

"Lakewood" count circle includes western areas of Cuyahoga County, from Lake Erie south into Berea and Olmsted Falls, and Lakewood and Cleveland Zoo too. ​

New to birding? You will be amazed how much you can learn in this friendly group.

The Lake Erie Shore is a great place to see waterfowl and gulls. We will bird Huntington and then move to other areas along the lake shore, according to recent sightings.

A Sunny high 30’s - high 40’s day produced the winter birds and a few migrants on the way south. A Common Loon was a highlight. The signs of impending winter included American Tree Sparrows and Fox Sparrows.

Monthly Second Saturday walks are a great opportunity for birders of all skill levels to enjoy the woods and wetlands around the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Nature Center.

Blue skies and brilliant sun brought out a variety of bird species at Fowles Marsh. Flocks of blackbirds included Red-winged Blackbirds (mostly females and youngsters), Brown-headed Cowbirds and Rusty Blackbird

A Bald Eagle flyover was a highlight of the walk. Migrating warblers, sparrows and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker put in their appearances. ​