Joy of Birdwatching

Along the Cuyahoga River will have area's where the Green Heron, Great Blue Heron search for food along the river in more shallow areas and then there are Mallards diving in the deeper areas.   Further away from river are a pair of Bald Eagles nesting.   In the forest area's I see Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, Pileated Woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers. On Roger Road I noticed more waterfowl and at Mt. Lemmon more smaller song birds.   At Down house I noticed more medium sized birds along with gulls from a nearby shore and at Sevenoaks I notices lots of waterfowl and birds that nest near ponds.

Activity 1 Yesterday I went to the nearby nature reserve called the Marshlands Conservancy, and there are primarily two different habitats.  At the beginning of the trail, it's heavily forested; however, the trees gradually ease off until you arrive at a large marshy wetlands.  In the forested area, I saw many different songbirds, including Robins, Blue Jays, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, and Red Bellied Woodpecker, as well as some Wild Turkey.  When we got to the wetlands, I started seeing less of these species, and started seeing Great Egrets, Osprey, Red Winged Blackbirds, Mallards, and Herring Gulls.  And this is all in the same square half mile!  It just goes to show how many different species can live in very different habitats, in a very small space.

I live in a forest area, there are many different habitats just looking out my window, an old forest, a newer forest, grassy area, a field, and a short distance away is a marshy area. There's several Bald Eagles around, and an abundance of variety.  This is my favorite time of year, as the migrant birds are coming, as well as old familiars that have hung out all winter. In the photo attached, you can see the various habitats just outside my front window. I am interested in finding out more about Sand Cranes, as in this picture you can see a field, they make a lot of noise, then swoop in and hang out in the field. Why? For many years there were only 2 of them, this spring upon their return there's a 3rd. Seems to be the same pair year after year, same pattern. Lots of noise by the marshy area, then they land in the field and hang out there awhile.

1. Just by looking at my backyard through my bedroom window I can see several types of birds, including finches and juncos at our feeder, ring-necked and black ducks in the pond at the edge of my yard, and starlings and robins searching for food in the open patches of grass that have started to show through the snow. When I visited a local park earlier I saw ruby-crowned kinglets, chickadees, a red-breasted nuthatch and a hairy woodpecker that was vigorously drumming on a birch tree.

1. Near my house is a small lake with a trail around it, where I walk frequently. The lake is man-made. Near the dam end, one frequently sees tree swallows, Canada Geese swimming, and Osprey overhead. At the other end is a wooded area where the stream feeds the lake, there are cardinals, robins, sparrows, etc. Along the sides, and in between, one frequently sees mallards, red-winged blackbirds, and a great blue heron. 2.Mt Lemmon and Down House would seem to be more wooded, while Roger Road and Sevenoaks would seem to have a body of water present.