By Andy Avram, Interpretive Manager
The sun was shining, the cardinals and red-winged blackbirds were singing, and for all intents and purposes it appeared spring was here--until we opened our car doors and were greeted by 18-degree weather! Regardless, participants braved the cold to take part in an early “spring” Bird Walk at Lake Erie Bluffs on March 9.
Black-capped chickadee
Bird diversity was low with only 16 species recorded, however an Iceland gull and both of our wintering common ravens made appearances. The ravens were first heard croaking and were then seen flying from the west over Lake Erie. They eventually flew a mile or so on the ice and harassed the gulls a little. We then noticed a coyote running on the frozen lake! We watched as it just kept running towards Canada, likely going to the edge of the open water to search for any dead fish or injured waterfowl to eat. The rest of the walk was pretty uneventful, but it sure was nice to see all the birds starting to sing and establish territories. Spring cannot be too far away!
Coyote on frozen Lake Erie
The complete list of birds found is as follows:
Bird Walks: These morning birding adventures are at Lake Metroparks’ best birding spots, located along major migration corridors with histories of good migration days. New birders are welcome! To join us for any of these programs, please click on the following links to register.
March 16
April 6
April 11
May 15
May 25
Sunday Morning Bird Walks: These bird walks provide birders of all abilities the opportunity to share the spring bird migration phenomenon. Binoculars and field guides are recommended and beginners are encouraged to attend. To join us for any of these programs, please click on the following links to register.
April 14
April 21
April 28
May 5
May 12
May 19