36. Green Heron

Date          September 2, 2002
Location     Columbus Zoo pond, Powell, OH

Perched prominently on a log, preening.


Cornell: Green Heron

35. Turkey Vulture

Date          August 31, 2002
Location     Delaware State Park, Delaware county, OH

This is the last bird on my life list that is essentially in the wrong position; that is, I wasn't sure what the date and location of the first sighting was, so I sort of picked a "cool" one to be my official entry on the list.

In this case, I was down by the beach -- yes there's a sandy beach next to the reservoir -- and I saw up to eight of them at one point, some soaring, some walking or just standing on the beach. One was eating what was left of a fish.

I believe that this was the first time I was able to make out the color red on their heads.


Cornell: Turkey Vulture

34. Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Date          August 27, 2002

Location     Smith's house, far western Franklin county, OH

I'm pretty sure that I saw one a few days before at Prairie Oaks; at any rate, this was a definite sighting, with even a brief perch on a small tree in the backyard. It was probably a female or immature male as I didn't see any darkened feathers on the throat.


Cornell: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

33. Indigo Bunting

Date          August 24, 2002
Location     Prairie Oaks Metro Park, Madison county, OH

Unfortunately, I have no notes on this one, and I have no recollection on the specifics of this sighting. Which is strange because it would have been a pretty exciting one, I think. This species is ubiquitous at Prairie Oaks in the warm months, singing into the afternoon when most other birds are quiet. He's just a bird you can count on seeing or hearing there.


Cornell: Indigo Bunting

32. Lesser Yellowlegs

Date          August 24, 2002
Location     Prairie Oaks Metro Park, Madison county, OH

Close to the entrance, after winding through some fields, there is a small wetlands area that, this year at least, had some extensive mud flats. There were several shore birds with yellow legs. My identification was aided by a Killdeer standing right next to one. Using his size as a comparison, I was able to determine that my target was a Lesser.


Cornell: Lesser Yellowlegs

31. Ring-billed Gull

31. Ring-billed Gull

Date          August 23, 2002
Location     Roberts/270 Pond, Hilliard, OH

Near the overpass over the rail yard in Hilliard on Roberts road is a small pond next to an industrial park with various warehouses and small industrial buildings. It looks like a basic neighborhood pond, but I was trying out every location at this point. It was the thrill of the hunt.

So I turned off Roberts and saw him/her sitting there on the shore with a bunch of Canada Geese all by himself. He had a slightly mottled head and neck which looked like winter plumage.

Cornell: Ring-billed Gull

30. Cliff Swallow

Date          August 17, 2002
Location     Heritage Rail Trail, Hilliard, OH

There was a small flock flying around the softball field near the beginning of the trail. About a dozen were perched on the dugout fence preening. I suspected what they were right away, but I wasn't sure if I saw the white forehead, so I had to slowly but surely make my way closer and closer, stealing peaks through my binoculars every few steps. Fortunately, they were quite cooperative and did not fly off, although they were kind of twitchy and seemed like they would take off any second. Perhaps they were tried from migrating.


Cornell: Cliff Swallow

29. Northern Mockingbird

Date          August 17, 2002
Location     Heritage Rail Trail, Hilliard, OH

The Heritage Rail Trail is an asphalt paved trail cutting through western Hilliard. The trail head is in downtown Hilliard. It used to be a railroad; the rail bed and old telegraph poles (some with the old glass insulators still intact) are still in evidence in some areas.

The trail ends in Madison county, but more importantly for my purposes, the trail goes through the metro park where I'd had my initial birding adventures. I figured I would walk there and see what I could see along the way.

The trail cuts through suburban neighborhoods, corn fields, school yards, and past ponds, so I was hoping that the diversity of habitats would be fruitful.

I don't remember if this Mockingbird was singing, but he was very easy to see, perched prominently on a stump near the trail.


Cornell: Northern Mockingbird

28. Song Sparrow

Date          August 13, 2002
Location     Smith's house, far western Franklin county, OH

By now, I was in a bird watching fever. I was scoping out everywhere I went, whenever I had time. So when my oldest son was having his weekly violin lesson, I would venture out onto the teacher's property, which comprised about 2 acres, almost completely surrounded by corn fields. So I figured the possibilities were good.

In the front yard, there is an arrangement of bushes bordered by a short brick wall. I saw the sparrow in the same binocular view as a female cardinal.


Cornell: Song Sparrow

27. Canada Goose

Date          August 10, 2002
Location     Avery Rd. by high school, Dublin, OH

I have literally no notes on this, and I have no recollection of this either. I don't even know what high school it was! It was obviously not the first time I'd seen one.

There was a time, many years ago, when I was wowed by the Canada Goose. They were not common where I grew up in Texas, and when I was about 14 I took a road trip west, where I first saw them.

They are common and pest-like in central Ohio (and lots of other places), but their honking always brings back good memories of long birding sessions in the late spring, hunting for warblers. Or quick birding sessions in Blendon Woods in the dead of winter, hunting for migrating ducks.


Cornell: Canada Goose

26. Common Grackle

Date          August 10, 2002
Location     Scioto River, Dublin, OH

This is another example of listing a bird after the first time it was observed. I'm pretty sure that I first identified it in my back yard. My wife suggested that it was a Brewer's Blackbird (as we looked through my field guide together), but the range wasn't right, and the look wasn't quite right either.

In this sighting, I was able to see for the first time some of the iridescence because the sun was shining just right on them.


Cornell: Common Grackle

25. Carolina Wren

Date          August 10, 2002
Location     Scioto River, Dublin, OH

There was a pair of them in the brush, foraging together. They were making their buzzing call.


Cornell: Carolina Wren

24. Baltimore Oriole

Date          August 10, 2002
Location     Scioto River, Dublin, OH

I returned a few times to this location after discovering it. What was really appealing to me was that it was in the middle of a busy suburban area -- basically downtown Dublin -- but just a few yards down a trail hidden among the trees, and you were suddenly in a fairly wild spot. I loved finding these "secret bird watching spots." 

I was standing on the rocky shore, and I heard him back behind me in the trees. I had a hard time finding him, but I eventually did high up in the treetops.

I've never bothered to rank my favorite bird songs, but I know that Baltimore Oriole would be very high on the list (up there with Wood Thrush, another that comes immediately to mind). The oriole's song is not one that has any particular pattern, but once you know the clear, sweet, whistling tone, it is immediately recognizable and a welcome sound on any spring or summer day.


Cornell: Baltimore Oriole

23. Red-tailed Hawk

Date          August 2, 2002
Location     Atlas Rd. behind Sam's Club, Hilliard, OH

I honestly don't remember if this was the actual first sighting, but I'm guessing not. I was exploring some back roads behind Sam's Club because, at the time, I was almost as much into finding new birding areas as actually birding. I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something because I was just going to the same place over and over.


So as I was driving I happened to see him perched on a tree. Then he glided down to an adjacent field. I parked nearby and positioned myself so I could look at him on the ground, walking carefully around the cover of the trees. I didn't expect to see him still there, but it turns out that he had captured something. I saw him tear away at fur and discard it to the side. I watched him for about ten minutes as he ate what I presume to be a rabbit, but I couldn't see the prey item, hidden in the tall grass.


Cornell: Red-tailed Hawk

22. Rock Pigeon

Date          August 1, 2002
Location     Railyard, Hilliard, OH

This was called Rock Dove at the time, and fortunately the powers that be finally changed it to pigeon. (I have a few ideas for Killdeer and Downy/Hairy Woodpecker as well.) I was driving home from work one day and spied a whole flock of large, colorful birds perched on some wires. I went home and got my binoculars to check them out.


I remember how excited I felt at the time. I thought that there were several different types of birds. And they were all just sitting there waiting for me in plain view! Of course, it just turned out to be pigeons with a variety of plumages, as shown in the Sibley book (and probably many others).


Cornell: Rock Pigeon

21. Northern Cardinal

Date          July 22, 2002
Location     Scioto Lagoon, Dublin, OH

I saw him at the feeders. This was certainly not the first sighting, but I made this the official one because the dawn sun was behind me and he was a brilliant red.


Cornell: Northern Cardinal

20. Red-bellied Woodpecker

Date          July 22, 2002
Location     Scioto Lagoon, Dublin, OH

This first view of a Red-bellied Woodpecker blew me away. The black-and-white barring on the back was stunning. I first heard the "chug-chugging" call, then I saw him fly to a perch in a small tree near some feeders that were near the windows of one of the business buildings.

It would be a while before I ever spied the faint red wash on their bellies. It was an additional challenge that made observing them more fun. Still is!


Cornell: Red-bellied Woodpecker

19. Mallard

Date          July 22, 2002
Location     Scioto Lagoon, Dublin, OH

There were a few females foraging in the water. I was able to get quite close.

I remember a few weeks later being puzzled by some strange-looking Mallards at a community park. I later figured out that they were male in eclipse plumage.

While the Mallard is certainly common and sometimes very tame, they are in fact a beautiful bird with its green head, reddish-brown chest, and soft gray back.

Cornell: Mallard

18. Belted Kingfisher

Date          July 22, 2002
Location     Scioto River, Dublin, OH

As mentioned in the post for number 17, I was out on what had become my weekly bird outing. I had spied out an area in Dublin just along the Scioto river near the High St. bridge. There were some businesses there and a small parking lot. Next to those were a small pond (which I would later dub the "Scioto Lagoon" so I could remember the correct body of water) and a line of trees concealing the river. I probed about and found a short trail leading to the river. There was a large area of rocky shore that permitted some nice birding. I could tell from the water line that these rocks were often under water. It would be no surprise that by late summer they would be revealed.

I don't remember if it was this day or a subsequent trip when I ran into a small mammal on these rocks. It was fairly small and had reddish-brown hair. It looked rather like a river otter of some sort. He was just ambling along and walked right past me, within about 10 feet. He looked up at me briefly but didn't miss a step.

I saw the kingfisher perch on a branch overlooking the river. It was a classic set-up. He dived into the river and came back up with a small fish. Back at his perch, he attempted to eat it, but he mishandled it, and it fell back in the river. He just sat there as if nothing had happened.

Cornell: Belted Kingfisher

17. House Finch

Date          July 22, 2002
Location     Front Yard (Gillette Ave.), Hilliard, OH

I was leaving for my "weekly field trip" on a Saturday morning when I heard a male beautifully singing right at the peak of my roof. He was well out in the open there and easy to identify. I'm quite sure that this was not the first one I had identified.


Cornell: House Finch

16. European Starling

Date          July 22, 2002
Location     Nationwide Plaza 1, Columbus, OH

Obviously not the first time I had seen one, but this was my first juvenile, so I picked this one to record onto my life list.


Cornell: European Starling

15. American Robin

Date          July 13, 2002
Location     Back yard (Gillette Ave.), Hilliard, OH

The American Robin, along with the American Goldfinch, and to a lesser extent some other species like the Red-winged Blackbird, is the bird that got me interested in birds in the first place.

That may seem strange since the robin is such a common bird -- a bird that someone grows up with and is used to seeing. But I grew up in an area where robins were not common yard birds. It was only after I moved to Ohio that I  became familiar with them. Indeed, I was fascinated by them.

This amused my wife because she, a "non-birder" (more on that in my entry for meadowlark), knew that they were a common sight. It's like getting excited over a sparrow or a crow.

But for me, they were new and interesting. They were quite tame and ubiquitous. They had attractive coloring and a pleasant song. They would build nests near your house.

Like several birds early on, this siting was certainly not the first, but it was deemed the most "interesting" siting to that point, so it was recorded here as bird number 15. It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was in the backyard. I was apparently good enough with bird sounds at this point that I recognized an unfamiliar sound coming from the neighbor's yard.

I went over there to hunt down what it was, and it turned out to be a fledgling robin hopping along the ground. It was struggling quite a bit to fly, and I wound up virtually cornering it by the neighbor's house. Then it managed to fly into a nearby tree.


Cornell: American Robin