A Wee Woodlawn Warrior

The other fisherman, the Osprey (B. Brywczynski)

"So...there are Bald Eagles around here?" I always get a kick out of people who ask this question. I always end up telling them that if they take a trip out to Magee, Ottawa, or Metzgers, they will often see as many Bald Eagles as they want to see. Of course I may have to change my response after my experiences this year. Bald Eagle sightings are certainly not limited to those spots on Lake Erie. I have seen adult Bald Eagles multiple times at the Delta Reservoir. A sighting at the intersection of Sylvania and Holland Sylvania was a pleasant surprise. My favorite encounter this year with our national bird occurred today at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery in the heart of the city of Toledo. To see that bird along with another fisherman, the Osprey, in a setting surrounded by decades of urban expansion was a real treat.

Great Crested Flycatcher (B. Brywczynski)

 There were two goals for my trip to Woodlawn. First and foremost, I wanted to meet and get to know some of the wonderful people that provided so much good information for my last post. Secondly, I wanted to see a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher that has been hanging out in the cemetery for about a week now.

My first goal was easily accomplished. It's not difficult to talk to people who are naturally helpful, caring, and extremely amiable. I really enjoyed the experience today mainly because of the people I so graciously accompanied on the walk. Often times in birding, enjoying yourself has less to do with the birds you see, and more to do with who joins you on the journey. Good birds help too though ;)

Audrey checking her eyelids for holes (T. Thompson)

 My second goal was unfortunately not met. Tim Thompson (T3) and Tim Drewyor (T2) waited with me at the spot where the Yellow-bellied had been seen for a little while, but it did not oblige us with a visit. Perhaps I'll need to schedule another trip to the cemetery if the Woodlawn Warriors spot him again. Although we didn't get the Yellow-bellied, we had a ton of other good birds. A few notables include Green Heron, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Canada Warbler.

 My Aunt Woody, Elissa and Audrey came along for the walk. At 3 weeks old, Tim Thompson said that Audrey is the youngest Woodlawn Warrior to date. Her daddy is so proud! Maybe next time she'll open her eyes for more than a few minutes.

 Historic Woodlawn Cemetery is a diamond in the rough. It proves that if you live in the city of Toledo, you don't have to go far to see some really cool birds. I'm always trying to encourage people to get out and explore the areas around them. You never know what you might see. New discoveries could be awaiting you in your very own backyard. Happy birding everybody!

The Birders of Woodlawn

Male and Female Red Crossbills (S. Plessner)

Way back in February Greg Links told me that I should check out the birding at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo.  When he told me this I was a little skeptical.  After thinking about it for sometime however, it totally made sense.  Cemeteries, especially older ones with mature trees, are excellent spots for birding.  I ended up going to Woodlawn several times.  The place produced a great variety of birds, including my lifer White-winged Crossbill.

Greg also mentioned that there was a group of birders that got together every Friday morning for a couple hours of birding at Woodlawn.  Since then, through various gatherings and events, I have met a couple of the people who attend these walks regularly.

The Birds of Woodlawn group was started by Woodlawn's Assistant Director Patty Toneff.  Patty keeps track of who comes to the walks and forwards the daily list of species to anyone who provides an email.  Currently, over 100 people receive the weekly list.

American White Pelicans (T. Thompson)

The group has birders with decades of experience, but also has a handful of newbies.  Relative beginners like Kendra Mock, Kimberli Allan, Brian and Kelly Navarette, and Julie Heitz may not be as quick to identify every bird, but the history and importance of a place like Woodlawn Cemetery is not lost on them.  Julie loves Woodlawn for the variety of habitat, and loves learning about all the influential Toledoens who have found their final resting place on the historic grounds.  When asked about her rarest bird sighting at Woodlawn, Julie sighted her beginner status and stated, "Everything has been rare for me!"

In addition to Greg Links, the more seasoned birders of the group include Sherry Plessner, Tim Thompson, Tim Drewyor, and Tim Haney.  Sherry serves as a volunteer naturalist for the Toledo Area Metroparks.  She is often one of the main leaders of the group.  The three Tims have been given the designations T1, T2, and T3.  Tim Haney (T1) has the most experience birding Woodlawn.  He worked at the cemetery for over 20 years, compiling a list that now stands at 203 species.  Tim has birded with some legendary nature lovers, including The Dean of Toledo birders, Lou Campbell.  Tim Drewyor (T2) has been birding Woodlawn for about 6 years.  Tim is held in high regard by many of the beginners and is one of the people the group depends on for getting on good birds.  Tim Thompson (T3) has only been birding at Woodlawn since January, but he is an avid and knowledgeable individual.  I have run into Tim at Oak Openings and other spots, and I always find myself smiling when I see him.  I think that's because he's one of those people who is always smiling or laughing about something.  Happiness is infectious!

White-eyed Vireo (J. Heitz)

Among the group, there is a wide range of favorite sightings.  Sherry was thrilled to get her lifer Red Crossbills at Woodlawn.  Several others mentioned greatly enjoying the White-winged Crossbills discussed earlier.  T3 got a kick out of the American White Pelican fly over the group was treated to one fortunate Friday.  The Navarette's were partial to two special sightings of a Blackburnian Warbler and an Eastern Kingbird.  T1 has too many great sightings to mention for this post.  I am considering posting all the information he provided me about his experiences at Woodlawn.  It was a wonderful read.  The one sighting that he mentioned that really made me say "Wow!" was one in which he spotted an American Bittern.  It was  perched atop a shrub, and did not move until he actually was able to touch the bird!

A red resident at Woodlawn (J. Heitz)

I asked the group what makes Woodlawn so special.  Many people mentioned the great variety of trees.  After all, the cemetery boasts over 300 different species of trees.  Others mentioned the architecture or the history.  Reading headstones like that of Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Morrison Waite, the namesake for Waite High School, makes walking around Woodlawn Cemetery all that more interesting.  The most common answer, however, was the people they have met while birding at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery.  Birders are, by nature, amiable and helpful people.  Those that bird this once rural but now urban cemetery are no different.  The rest of their week may be filled with all of the usual responsibilities of life, but on Fridays from 8:30 to 10:30 they are at Woodlawn, helping each other see some really cool birds.

Thank you to everyone who answered my questions about your experiences at Woodlawn Cemetery.  I know there are more members to the group than those that were talked about in the post.  Hopefully nobody gets upset if they were left out.  If anyone does have a beef, they can take it up with me personally next Friday.  Provided everything works out, I plan on joining the group for some birding next week.  I'm really looking forward to meeting all of you.  Thanks again and happy birding!

Audrey Lee: The Baby Birder

If the birder was napping...does the Whooping Crane count?

So this past week was a whirlwind.  At 4am on Thursday August 1st Elissa started having contractions.  Less than 4 hours later we became parents for the second time.  Her name is Audrey Lee Brywczynski.  When she was born, she was 19 inches long and weighed 6lbs 10ozs.  It's amazing how such a little life can cause so much happiness.

Ruby has been adjusting well to the new addition to our family.  She still hasn't mastered her sister's name, but she is well aware that Audrey is in fact her sister.  Last night we let Ruby "hold" her during our bedtime story.  I know she is only 2 years old and Audrey isn't even 2 weeks old, but she already shows signs of being a very caring big sister.  I am a very proud father.

My wonderful wife was a shining example of someone who knows how to have a baby in record time.  So much so that one of the nurses told me that we were lucky we got to the hospital when we did.  Otherwise, she said, I would have been delivering a baby.  This statement terrified me.  Elissa said she probably would have just done it herself.  I have to believe I would be up to the task, but my wife is pretty self-sufficient sooo....

GB Heron pretending to be a Phalarope

So what have we been doing with our new baby?  Birding of course!  In fact, Audrey's first life bird was a Whooping Crane!  Elissa and I took a drive up to Schoonover WPA to see a beautiful individual who is apparently part of the Wisconsin population.  This guy evidently took a wrong turn somewhere, and I'm happy he did.  Whooping Cranes are an endangered species.  Their population got down to just 15 birds in the 1940's.  According to the Cornell Lab, there are about 600 birds today.  Knowing this information makes this sighting that much more special.

Tomorrow I will be taking part in a shorebird trip put on by Black Swamp Bird Observatory and The Toledo Naturalists Association.  I'm very excited about this trip because, like so many birders, I have trouble with shorebirds.  Having experts like Kenn and Kim Kaufman around really help when trying to ID tough birds.  One thing I've learned as an educator is to never be too proud to ask for help.  I'm sure I will be asking a few questions about this sometimes difficult but always exciting group of birds.  Happy birding y'all!

Whooping Crane hanging out with Sandhill Cranes