On Ohio's Wild Side Archive
Midwest Birding Symposium
One of the world’s largest gatherings of bird watchers soon will congregate along the Ohio shores of Lake Erie. The lure that’s drawing over 800 birding enthusiasts is the biennial Midwest Birding Symposium (MBS), an event that rotates between Midwestern states. The inaugural MBS was launched in Michigan in 1993, and since has been held in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Ohio hosted it in 1997 and 1999, and attracted record crowds.
MBS 2009 will be held in the quaint, Chautauqua-style town of Lakeside, on the waters of our greatest lake. Shake off your commitments for September 17th through 20th – or any one of those days – and come on over. You’ll meet lots of new friends, learn major amounts of information about birds and birding, and hear some of the best speakers in the business.
The MBS marketplace will be brimming with vendors of birding paraphernalia. Scope out the top optics – binoculars and telescopes – from Eagle, Kowa, Leica, and Zeiss will be available. Want to learn more about your feathered friends? Literature will abound, with book peddlers such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Time & Optics, and Black Swamp Bird Observatory hawking their wares. If you want to put your newfound knowledge to use, talk to reps from tour companies that organize expeditions from Guatemala to Africa to Ecuador.
A staple of the MBS are the programs and speakers. One of the stars of the show will be the incomparable David Sibley, author of the ground-breaking Sibley Guide to Birds. His newest book, the Sibley Guide to Trees, is hot off the press and this is your chance to have the man himself sign your copies.
Jane Alexander may be a familiar face. This legendary actress has had roles in Kramer vs. Kramer, Brubaker, All The President’s Men, and the latest in the “Terminator” series, Terminator Salvation, to name a very few. She doesn’t only act; Ms. Alexander is a veteran birder and will deliver a fascinating program on Saturday night. In all, 23 speakers will deliver programs on wide-ranging topics during the course of the symposium.
Of course, there will be birds and birding galore. Event organizers have mapped out 15 of the most productive local hotspots, and will have experts posted at most. Mid-September is a great time to catch waves of southbound migrants – warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, sparrows, and the like – and Lake Erie’s south shore offers fantastic birding opportunities. The town of Lakeside is shrouded with stately trees, and offers outstanding views of the lake, so one need only step outside one of the buildings to find birds.
Whether you can come for one day, or the entire event, you’ll have a great time. For all of the details, visit: https://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/mwb/main.php or call 1-800-879-2473 ext. 314.
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Pink Katydids
Ohio produced a bizarre katydid this summer that would achieve fame that few individual insects ever match. During a mid-July natural history field trip at Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in Wyandot County, a splash of brilliant pink caught attendee Jan Kennedy’s eye. Startled, she picked it up and our protagonist’s meteoric ascendancy to stardom began.
Officially anointed as “Pinky” by Ms. Kennedy, the katydid was transported back to Columbus, living large in a specially equipped terrarium stocked with the best in succulent vegetable matter.
Photos and stories of this outrageous beast soon made their way onto the Internet via blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. The Columbus Dispatch picked up the story, and ultimately ran three articles on Pinky. She even made a live appearance at a native plant conference in Dayton, where several hundred people were charmed firsthand. In all, Pinky may have been seen or read about by several hundred thousand people – a level of notoriety perhaps never achieved by any katydid.
There are about 30 species of katydids in Ohio, and nearly all are colored green. One in perhaps 100,000 – maybe even fewer – has a poorly understood genetic condition which causes it to be pink. And we’re talking bright, flaming pink: neon fuchsia.
So rare are these pink color morphs that Wil Hershberger, a leading expert on the group of insects known as the Orthoptera and co-author of the book The Songs of Insects, traveled to Columbus from West Virginia to photograph and study Pinky.
Hershberger’s trained eye noted something others had missed: a tiny puncture wound in Pinky’s abdomen, the telltale mark of a parasitoid fly. Sometime prior to her capture, a Tachinid fly had laid an egg on Pinky. When it hatched, the tiny grub bore into her body, and began feeding on non-essential tissue, growing rapidly. While this sounds horrible, scores of insects meet such fates, and only a miniscule percentage survive to adulthood.
As there was no way of knowing how long it would take for the parasitoid to do her in, plans were made to exhibit Pinky at the 2009 Ohio State Fair. Had she made this gig and lasted for the fair’s duration, tens of thousands of people would have been wowed by her pinkness.
But the night prior to the fair’s opening, the grub within went on its final growth spurt, consuming the last of Pinky’s innards and bringing about her demise. A subsequent necropsy revealed that the fly larva had nearly hollowed out the katydid, and was occupying most of the abdominal cavity.
The Pinky experience, both good and bad, provided a tremendous opportunity to educate people about little seen aspects of nature and the insect world. Her discovery also reinforces the importance of protecting large blocks of land, such as the prairies at Killdeer Plains where Pinky was discovered. The Ohio Division of Wildlife manages about 200,000 acres, and collectively these holdings protect nearly all of Ohio’s flora and fauna. And, as we have seen, these lands still produce startling surprises.
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Mississippi Kites Invade!
Kites are perhaps the most acrobatic aerialists of all the birds of prey, and seeing one of these buoyant, graceful raptors in Ohio is always a thrill. There are only 11 kite species that occur north of Panama; in general all are southerners found mostly in the tropics. Ohio has had a handful of records of two species in state: the Mississippi kite and swallow-tailed kite.
Most of the state’s kite reports pertain to the Mississippi kite, a gorgeous dove-gray raptor with a white head and black tail. Elegant in the extreme, they are the size of peregrine falcons, but weigh less than half as much. Light and graceful in flight, kites are incredibly agile. A favored food is dragonflies, which the kites deftly pluck from the air with ease.
Mississippi kites breed in the southern U.S., with scattered populations from Arizona east to the Carolinas, and ranging up the Mississippi River to southern Illinois. They’ve been on a northward march, and new breeding pairs have been showing up as far north as New Hampshire. After nesting, they migrate several thousand miles to the south, and disappear into the jungles of the Amazonian Basin where they winter.
Ohio had its first nesting record of Mississippi kites in 2007, when a pair successfully raised one youngster near Logan, in Hocking County. The nesting location was in the heart of a golf course, and such sites are typical breeding habitat. Kites are not put off by people or limited development, and throughout their range often nest on golf courses or in villages and towns. The small stick nest can be hard to spot; it is often high in a tree and tucked near the trunk.
Also in 2007 were intriguing reports of kites that were possibly nesting in Burr Oak State Park in Athens County.
The Hocking County kites are back this year, apparently nesting again. Causing great excitement is a male kite hanging around in Worthington, a northern suburb of Columbus. The latter bird may be breeding as well, but birders have not yet discovered the nest. The area is it frequents is perfect kite country-- an older neighborhood with scattered large trees, a moderate-sized river with plenty of big trees buffering it, and a nearby wide-open area in the form of an airport.
The appearance of breeding Mississippi kites in Ohio ranks high in the annals of exciting ornithological events of recent decades. There are undoubtedly other kites nesting elsewhere in the Buckeye State that we don’t yet know about. If you think you have found Mississippi kites, please contact Jim McCormac at the Ohio Division of Wildlife: jim.mccormac@dnr.state.oh.us or 614-265-6440.
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Dragonflies: Nature's Helicopters
Winged killers are in the sky, and close at hand. Warming temperatures and sunny skies are bringing out the dragonflies, which rank high among Ohio’s most interesting creatures.
These beautiful insects are artistry in motion, with the various species collectively painted in every hue of the rainbow. Green, blue, red, yellow, orange – name a color, and it’s splashed on at least one of our species. Many “dragons” are further adorned with conspicuous wing markings that create a dazzling kaleidoscope effect when they fly. Small wonder artists are so smitten with these beasts.
Dragonflies are aerialists supreme, shaming even the fastest birds. They can hover like a helicopter, and fly in any direction. If need be, the big ones can out-accelerate a Ferrari.
Each time a dragonfly jigs or jags, it is snatching up prey, including mosquitoes. They are consummate predators, living entirely on small insects plucked from the air. The largest and fiercest, such as the enormous Dragonhunter, often take butterflies and have been documented capturing hummingbirds!
Woe to the hapless victim who falls into view of a hunting dragonfly. Escape is nearly impossible. In addition to their supreme flying abilities, dragonflies have huge compound eyes comprised of numerous facets. In essence, the largest species have thousands of tiny eyes looking in every direction, and nothing escapes their notice.
The beautiful insects we see on the wing are but the short-lived ultimate phase of a largely underwater life cycle. Larval dragonflies are called nymphs, and might live for several years under the water before transforming into winged adults. Healthy waterways and wetlands are essential to dragonfly conservation, and these habitats offer the best viewing opportunities. Binoculars help, but aren’t necessary. With a bit of patience most dragonflies can be closely approached and admired.
Interest in dragonfly-watching is skyrocketing as more people discover the fascinating behavior and stunning good looks of these flying marvels. The Ohio Division of Wildlife produces a free guide to Ohio’s common species, and it is packed with information and color photos. To get a copy, contact the Division at 1-800-WILDLIFE or e-mail: Wildinfo@dnr.state.oh.us
Jim McCormac
Ohio Division of Wildlife
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April 2009 - Spring Migration Explodes!
Millions of tropical visitors from south of the border are invading Ohio. In late March, the migrant songbird floodgate begins to crack, and our earliest arrivals appear. Species such as Louisiana waterthrush, pine warbler, and blue-gray gnatcatcher are the vanguards of a building tidal wave of birds.
By mid-April, others have joined their ranks, adding more color and song to Ohio’s forests. Beautiful yellow-throated warblers send down sweet clear notes from high in sycamores, and zebra-like black-and-white warblers make squeaky wheel whistles.
April’s end through May brings a deluge of colorful songsters. Warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks and more sweep through. Testosterone-pumped males burst with song and nearly every color on the chart is represented. Many people become birders when unexpectedly confronted with some colorful beast such as a scarlet tanager or indigo bunting.
These migrants constitute an enormous segment of Ohio’s bird life. About one-third of all the species that breed in the state are “neotropical”; that is, they winter in far-flung places like Guatemala, Panama, and Colombia. Numerous other neotropicals breed beyond Ohio, in the vast boreal forests of Canada, but pass through the state in huge numbers.
Among the best known of our migrant songbirds is the namesake of the legendary baseball team, the Baltimore oriole. Although a common nester statewide, perhaps few who witness its brilliant black and orange plumage or hear its silky flutelike song know where their orioles wintered. These gorgeous blackbirds spent the cold months in the steamy climes of Costa Rica and other near-equatorial haunts.
Fittingly, the Baltimore oriole will grace the inaugural Ohio Wildlife Stamp, which debuts on March 1, 2010. Stamp proceeds will help the Ohio Division of Wildlife do more to protect songbirds such as the oriole, and many other animals. Funds generated by the stamp will buy critical habitat, support endangered species conservation, and produce educational material about Ohio’s wildlife. Not only will your $15.00 buy a beautiful, collectible stamp, it’ll help keep colorful songsters in our forests.
To see the migration spectacle firsthand, visit Magee Marsh Wildlife Area on the shores of western Lake Erie on Saturday, May 9th. International Migratory Bird Day takes place on this date, and there will be thousands of birders, and thousands of birds, in the area. For details visit: http://www.friendsofmageemarsh.org/
Jim McCormac
Ohio Division of Wildlife
Jim.mccormac@dnr.state.oh.us
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March 2009 - Spring has Sprung: Waterfowl!
One of the spectacles of early spring is the return of waterfowl: swans, geese, and ducks. Ohio gets plenty – nearly every species of quacker, honker, and swan known to occur in North America has materialized here at some point. All told, we’ve had 43 species show up, including some species rarely seen in the state.
Now is the time to hit a marsh and admire vast numbers of migrants as they push north following ice-out and winter’s end. Get to the right spot, and you’ll be dazzled by hordes of gorgeous fowl such as green-winged teal, Northern shoveler, American widgeon, and ring-necked duck. Not only are the drakes (males) resplendent in their shiny, ornately marked plumage, they are pumped with testosterone and full of courtship antics designed to woo the hens (females). It’s easy to spend hours watching these beautiful birds put on their displays, and listen to the melody of the marsh created by the collective cacophony of hundreds of ducks and geese peeping, honking, whistling, and grunting.
Another fun thing about duck-watching is that it’s easy. Perhaps you become frustrated trying to find and identify little warblers and other songbirds high in the treetops amid dense foliage. Go ‘fowling! Seeing ducks and their kin out on open ponds and marshes is not a problem, although you’ll want to keep your distance, as they can be easily spooked. There’s nothing like a good pair of binoculars to help out, and a spotting scope is even better.
American widgeon are easy to find. Their curious two-part piping calls are a staple sound of spring marshes, and widgeon often frequent deeper waters, where diving ducks (species that completely submerge into the water to get food) occur. Why? They are kleptoparasites – widgeon grab succulent underwater plants from the hard-working divers as soon as they surface, as the tasty foliage is otherwise beyond their reach.
Another beauty to watch for is the green-winged teal, one of our smallest ducks. These tiny avian missiles are a treat to watch as tight flocks rocket into the marsh, zigging and zagging with impossible speed and precision. The males are showy beyond belief, bedecked in tones of emerald, chestnut, gray, and gold. Bizarre is one way of describing the Northern shovelers’, or “spoonbill’s” appearance. They somewhat resemble the abundant, ubiquitous mallard, but the drakes look as if their sides have been plated in rufous. Most distinctive, though, are their bills. It looks as if giant spoons have been bolted to their noggins, and the shovelers use these odd appendages to strain for food in the shallows.
Take advantage of March’s waterfowl bounty, and spend some time in a marsh. While watching the show, keep in mind that no group of birds has done more for conservation of America’s habitats than have ducks. Sportsmen’s groups such as Ducks Unlimited have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire wetland habitat. Not only ducks prosper as a result of these efforts: herons, marsh wrens, yellow warblers, and scores of other animals and plants also benefit.
You can help the wide range of wetland wildlife by purchasing a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, better known as the “Duck Stamp.” Initiated in 1934, stamp purchases have thus far generated over $700 million and 98 cents of every dollar lands on the ground in the form of habitat. Can’t beat that, and hunter or not, if you like wildlife, especially waterfowl, consider buying a stamp.
Information about Duck Stamps
Check the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Web site for good wetlands near you.
Have fun at the annual Shreve Migration Sensation on March 28!
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February 2009 - Winter Hawks, Eagles, and Owls
Birders thirsting for a dose of raptors – birds of prey – should pay a visit to the Wilds. Located about 20 minutes from Zanesville in Muskingum County, this animal conservation facility offers 10,000 acres in which to roam. Factor in surrounding American Electric Power lands, and we’re talking a landscape larger than some Ohio counties.
A newcomer to the Wilds’ vast, rolling tundra-like terrain will be impressed. This is big sky country: miles of undulating grasslands, the result of former surface mining, now reclaimed to a sea of grasses.
Driving the raptor bonanza are small furry sausages with legs: rodents called meadow voles. In boom years, they seemingly scurry everywhere, and hawks that breed far to our north descend here to feast on the voles.
Northern harriers can’t be missed. Oftentimes the most numerous raptor, they quarter low over the fields, seeking prey. Graceful and buoyant, their flashing white rump makes identification easy.
Rough-legged hawks nest 1,800 miles or more northward, in polar bear country, but come to the Wilds in droves to winter. Boldly patterned in black, rufous, and white, or less commonly a stunning form that is mostly black – rough-leggeds often wind-hover, kiting in one spot as if tethered to a string.
The star of the Wilds is the golden eagle; one or more have wintered here for nearly a decade. North America’s largest, most powerful raptor, golden eagles feed mostly on rabbits. This is the best place in the state to spot this rare Ohio bird.
Intriguing is our only daytime flier in a family of darkness lovers, the short-eared owl. Some winters dozens are present, and they put on a show. These distinctive tawny-colored owls hunt the grasslands with a flight style suggestive of an enormous moth. Intensely antisocial, they sometimes mix it up with other raptors, expressing displeasure with harsh barks.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife partnered with the Wilds to build the Birding Station at Jeffrey Point. This impressive platform overlooks a stunning vista, and is one of the best places for raptor-watching in Ohio.
For more information, visit: http://www.thewilds.org/ or http://www.aep.com/environmental/recreation/recland/ or call the Wilds at 740-638-5030.
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