Owls: 1 Brandon: 0

Last Monday was President’s Day. No school meant I had the day off. I took Ruby to get her haircut and then to lunch with Grandma and Dzia Dzia. Because she didn’t go to the babysitters on Monday (her usual day), she ended up going on Wednesday. Elissa and I therefore used Wednesday to go birding! Target birds: Owls

  

We started our day at the boat dock right next to the Bay Shore Power Plant. In addition to a variety of waterfowl, we spotted my first Peregrine Falcon of the year. The fastest animal on the planet actually landed on the ice for about 15 seconds and allowed both of us to get a view at him through the scope.

We then tried a spot on Corduroy Road where there had been sightings of a Ross’s Goose. No luck with that bird, but I did add Tundra Swan to the year’s list. Next we stopped off at Maumee Bay State Park. No owls, but other birds of note included a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, Snow Buntings, and Carolina Wrens.

A stop at Metzger’s Marsh allowed us a good view of a Hooded Merganzer, but not much else in the way of new birds. Lis and I then went to Magee Marsh and walked on the Estuary Trail for the first time. As soon as we stepped out of the car a big bird got spooked and started flying west down the beach. I am almost certain it was an owl. I thought I saw the bird land in a tree right near the estuary, but we ended up walking the whole trail without seeing it again. I was none too pleased. The time at Magee couldn’t give us a positive ID on an owl, but it did treat us to several close looks at a Bald Eagle. Although I have become quite accustomed to seeing Bald Eagles, they are always an impressive sight, especially at close range.

Our last stop for the day was Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. By this point my pregnant wife was getting exhausted. We took a short work around a trail near the parking lot and called it a day. We did see a hawk that we could not identify. It is likely that this is a Red-tailed Hawk, but I can’t be sure. Take a look and see what you think. I’ve also included some recent pictures of other birds throughout the post for your viewing pleasure (Ha…that sounds weird. I typed it, erased it…laughed, then typed it again.).

In closing, I have a challenge for you all. Locate and take a picture of a Pileated Woodpecker. Oak Openings and Secor Metropark are probably the best locations for finding this elusive bird. I saw one several weeks ago but they never seem to let me get close enough to take a shot. See if you can do better. Owl watching is on again this Wednesday at Oak Openings. We’re getting some expert help from the Toledo Naturalist’s Association. Hope it helps. As always, happy birding!