Grebes at East Fork

Spent a cold winter, I mean spring day looking for birds in the flooded surroundings of East Fork State Park. Saw some OK birds.

1 Eastern Phoebe

~10 Red-breasted Mergansers

2 Common Mergansers

~4 Common Loons calling and in breeding plumage

~10 Ruddy Ducks

~20 Horned Grebes

1 EARED GREBE

~10 Pied-billed Grebes

2 GB Herons

Mallards

Ring-necked Ducks

Lesser Scaup

TONS of Buffleheads

1 Northern Shoveler male sleeping

Canada Geese

The Grebes and Buffleheads were swimming in the flooded parking lots at the beach.

Horned Grebe in Winter Plumage

Eared Grebe - this bird was different in profile than the nearby Horned Grebe. It got close enough to me that I could see in my scope the yellow plumes by the eye, but my camera's batteries died. This bird was molting. It had the high peek above eye and dark tip to bill. (the pic looks better on my camera than here for some reason)

Never seen an Eared Grebe before, so this would be a lifebird.

5th Annual Adams County Amish Bird Symposium

Jaime and I attended the Adams County Amish Bird Symposium Saturday, March 1st after missing it last year. We had a good time overall. Wonderful speakers and good food.

Chris Bedel from the Cincinnati Museum Center's Edge of Appalachia gave the introduction. Robert Schlabach, a member of the Holmes Co. Amish Community, was the first speaker. It is always interesting listening to the stories of the Amish birders. The one thing from his speech that stuck out in my mind was his comment that "If you stay out long enough, all the birds will come to you" or something like that. I got to thinking about that statement. We, as in most birders, aren't as connected to nature as we would like to be. With the Internet, fancy birding gadgets, etc., our birding time is usually minimal. When we do go out, we usually hit all of the proven spots looking for good birds. Makes me wonder what good birds are going unnoticed right under our noses?

Other speakers included:

Dr. Geoffrey E. Hill, Scharnagel Professor of Biology at Auburn University of Alabama. His presentation was based on his book Ivorybill Hunters - The Search for Proof in a Flooded Wilderness, which recounts a recent POSSIBLE encounter with an Ivory-billed in the panhandle of Florida while doing other ornithological work in the area. Dr. Hill showed video that while not 100% conclusive, was none the less intriguing. I am of one that still believes .

Hummingbird enthusiast/researcher and author of Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America - (Peterson Field Guide Series) Sheri L. Williamson from the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. Always nice to see the diversity of hummer species.

Ohio Bird Photographer Brian Zwiebel , whose work is outstanding and who also shined an interesting light on some little known shorebird behaviors.

Last and certainly not least, Jenifer Brumfield - Young Ohio Artist/illustrator, Author, Naturalist, Bird Tour Guide, Educator, etc., etc. I remember seeing her posts on the Ohio-birds listserv when I started birding. I was surprised at the time to learn that there were other "kids" involved in birding. Nice to know there are more people around my age that thinks exactly like I do. She is doing great things with the inner city youth of Cleveland.