Spring is for the Birds
With the official arrival of Spring this past week, my birding game is once again on for the year. I tried to get out on the first day of Spring but here in Ohio that day was cold, blustery, and rainy. I hit a local pond during my lunch break, and there wasn’t a single bird to be found. They were obviously smarter than me!
Blue-Winged Teal at take-off in the rain. 10 males and 1 female.
But never fear, I made up for it two days later by making a trip to Killdeer Plains and Big Island Wildlife Preserves in north-central Ohio. I usually hit this area a few times in early Spring to photograph raptors and migrating waterfowl, and it never disappoints. The weather forecast for this trip was calling for a little light precipitation at sunrise and temps in the low 40’s all day. I packed my gear and clothing the night before with a 5am departure time planned.
The 2 hour drive there the next morning was mostly un-eventful, with the exception of the person who tail-gated me the last 10 miles on State Route 4 before I turned off to head to Big Island. I just don’t understand tail-gaters, but I guess I’ll spare you from my rant about it here.
I arrived at Big Island about 30 minutes before sunrise, so I decided to suit up and walk back into a spot that has been successful in the past for Sandhill Cranes and other waterfowl. When I hopped out of the Pathfinder it was still very dark, and something big flew over my head twice like it was checking me out, and then it landed about 20 feet away from me in the tall grass. Thinking it was some sort of hawk I grabbed my flashlight and lit up the area, only to see a Short Eared Owl staring back at me! I nearly jumped out of my shoes because its big grey face scared the heck out of me, and I think it was equally scared because with one fluid motion it jumped up into the air, spread its wings, and was gone. This was going to be a great day.
I walked into the back of the pond area, and along the way I saw and heard a lot of waterfowl, red-winged blackbirds, starlings, and many other birds. It was still too dark to get any images, and by the time the light started to improve, the heavens let loose with torrential sideways rain and strong gusts. I ran back to the car with only one image so far - a flock of Blue-Winged Teal taking off in the rain.
Checking the Weather Channel app once I was in my dry truck, I found that it was going to be raining there for another hour or so. I decided to use that time to head North to Killdeer Plains where it looked like the rain was ending early, and then planned to backtrack to Big Island on my way back home.
The decision to hit Killdeer instead paid off, with a lot of birds at my 3 favorite spots.
Then after that I debated on whether I should head home or stop at Big Island, and thankfully I decided to stop at Big Island. Even though the great light had faded and rain was approaching again, I made some of my favorite shots of the day there.
The rain started again, so that was my cue to head home. On the drive I listened to a few podcasts and reflected on how lucky I am to live in a state that has so many great nature preserves and wildlife areas. This trip was just what I needed to get back into the swing of birding, with a species count of 37 for the day. Later that night after editing photos, I finished off a nearly perfect day by watching “A Big Year” on Prime Video. If watching that movie doesn’t get you into the feel-goods and excited about birding, you need to check your pulse!
Here are my favorite shots from the day. You’ll notice that the skies look different in many of them like they were shot on different days, but that’s just the weather in Ohio for ya. One minute fair skies and sun, the next ominous clouds and rain!
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more birding adventures this Spring. I have a few trips planned and am looking forward to another exciting birding season.
As always, thanks for reading!
Jeremy