Publication TYPE: Ohio-birds listserv posting
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 21:52:07 -0500
Subject: Sandusky Bay and environs 16 Dec |
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 Sandusky Bay Region, Sandusky & Erie Counties Ohio, 16 December 2004
Returning from Tiffin, I spot-checked a few sites around Sandusky Bay.
16 Dec. SW wind becoming a brisk 30 mph by 3:00 pm
partly cloudy, no precipitation
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Beavercreek Reservoir (Seneca Co.) - 12:30; completely open
- a single Lesser Scaup
Raccoon Reservoir (Clyde, Sandusky Co.); completely open
- no birds (well ... not counting the 4000 starlings across the street).
Coonrod Rd. wetlands / Yellow Swale (Sandusky County); 90% frozen
- no waterfowl / a single Northern Harrier and 5 Red-tailed Hawks
Ottawa Shooting Club (Sandusky Co.)
Great Blue Heron - 1
Mallard - 470+ (skeins overhead)
Northern Pintail - 12 (passing overhead)
American Black Duck - 18 (passing overhead)
Ring-billed Gulls - 1100
Sandusky Bay mudflats at Wrightman's Grove (Sandusky Co.)
- extensive flats with the main channel of the Sandusky River clearly
visible (comparatively rare event). However, no birds.
Pickerel Creek W.A. (only cursory observation for raptors)
- no birds visible
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Castalia Pond (my first concerted effort to census the waterfowl
here this season) - 2:30pm
Canada Goose - 960+
Gadwall - 54
Mallard - 530
American Black Duck - 84
Northern Shoveler - 51
Northern Pintail - 2 males
American Wigeon - 62
Bufflehead - 4
there are some 2 dozen barnyard waterfowl here this season; perhaps
more than I have ever seen.
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Collectively, the above Sandusky Co. sites generally produce
a half dozen Bald Eagles in passing, and up to 40 eagles on
a good day. None sighted today.
I drove through Resthaven WA only to note everything was frozen.
Bay View ; to my surprise 2/3rds of the waters off Bay View were iced over.
Present were ...
Common Merganser - 76
Red-breasted Merganser - 112
Ruddy Duck - 5
Medusa Marsh - 90% frozen;
there were 3 Mute Swans, a few Canadas, and a few ducks, plus 2
cormorants.
Huron pier - 4:15pm; extensive mudflat exposure;
Ring-billed Gull - 5000+ (most gulls were out on the lake or upriver).
Had my 5th Sharp-shinned Hawk of the month; a bird in Clyde.
cheers
Vic Fazio
Shaker Hts, OH
Page established 17 December 2004