Mid-Ohio HOLA!

Mid-Ohio birding in February can be a bit daunting. But like the postal service, "neither snow nor rain nor heat, nor gloom of night will keep me from making" my appointed rounds. Throw in ridiculous winds, three foot snow drifts, and unplowed roads and you have described the general condition of my neighborhood.

Horned Lark (HOLA in bird bander's code)

HOLA!  What have we here?   Hola = Greetings!  Hola is not just a Spanish salutation, it is also the bird bander's code for HOrned LArk. 

HOLAs, welcome to my winter world!

Horned Lark (left) and Snow Bunting (right)

Much has been made of this winter's appearance of Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspurs.  Both species are birds of the far north, which occasionally winter in small numbers in Ohio. They are often found gleaning for grain and generally fraternize with Horned Larks in open fields.

Large flocks of birds feeding in the open field.

Horned Larks are found year round in Ohio's farm country.  However, their dull brown backs blend with the soil in the fields, making them difficult to see most of the year. Snow cover makes them highly visible. Watch along the edge of country roads during heavy snow events, and you may see flocks of birds feeding along the gravelly road edge where snow plows have cleared down to the grass. 

Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris  

 Horned Larks are easily overlooked by the novice, and difficult to study once found.  These skittish birds of the field flock together and move in large circular patterns when disturbed. When you see road-side birds take flight at the approach of your car, watch in the rear view mirror after you pass.  Most likely they will be re-forming their ranks on the edge of the road once again.

This winter, with its exceptional periods of snow cover, drove flocks of larks and snow buntings into feeders and fields baited with small grains or cracked corn on the ground.

Horn Lark of a different race- the all-yellow face of the Northern race or E.a. alpestris 

Much of my last two weeks have been dedicated to watching and photographing Horned Larks in the local "baited" ditches. Face-on views reveal stunning yellow or yellow-and-white faces, both with the distinctive "horns," which are not horns at all. They are feathers that stick up, generally when the bird is excited or alarmed. There are 20 subspecies of Horned Larks which occur regularly in the US and Canada, but only three of those probably occur in Ohio. I have found it interesting to try to sort them, but I have no real confidence in my ability to do so. Therefore, I will bow to the advice of expert birder and friend, Kenn Kaufman:

"I think for starters you can say, deep yellow face = Northern, bright white face = Prairie, all those others = unidentified. I don't even try to name the intermediate ones, but the extremes are fairly straightforward."

Looks intermediate to me!

 That sounds like a plan to me.  So, Horned Larks by any other name or race considerations are still Horned Larks. They are all immensely enjoyable to watch, when and if the opportunity ever presents.  I'll try not to get too hung up on sorting them out.

Horned Larks, E.a. praticola  "Prairie" male with a very light face and a probable female (right.)

The more I learn about these local "Prairie" birds, and the migrant "Northern" larks which come south to winter, the more I admire their differences.  And note, the various races mix peacefully in the field.  

Apparently, they have that one-up on us humans!  I always knew I liked these birds.

Birding with Friends

A few last photos from last weekend's Amish country birding trip.


I had met up with some friends to see the Harris's Sparrow, and I ended up making more friends behind the barn. Number 106 was intent on checking my pockets while I tried to concentrate on some very decent birding. It seemed rude to ignore her...




After all, we were on their turf. A recent post on the Ohio List-serv suggested we all take up "cowing" on the slow birding days. This is certainly a common species of cow, but I am afraid I will have to wait until my "Field Guide to the Cows" arrive, before I can properly ID them.




This Troyer family has been feeding Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and Lapland Longspurs behind their cattle lot. The flock has been ranging between 200- 600 birds swirling like snowflakes around the corn stubble field. We appreciated the cows letting us in on their show.

We happen to be there when 4 Rusty Blackbirds (front left) decided to join in at the buffet, just in time to make the Rusty Blackbird count on E-Bird.

This field provided excellent studies of Horned Larks, and Snow Buntings in various plumages. The Horned Larks are the yellow-faced birds (front right) with a black mask and collar.

...

The majority of this flock was made up of Snow Buntings. A careful look at the buntings towards the center of the photo shows that first year birds have a nearly complete cinnamon colored collar, while older birds only show cinnamon on the shoulder. Several of the males in this flock were starting to show breeding plummage (not shown in this photo.) Instead of a molt, the males are actually wearing down their brown colored feather-tips and revealing a stark black and white coloration beneath. By the last weeks of March these males will head north for the Alaskan tundra, setting up breeding territories and singing their sweet melodic song. The females will follow several week later.

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As we are all looking forward to signs of spring, we will know it is here when the snow, and the Snow Buntings disappear.

X-Country Nirvana

Making the most of our snowy days, I ventured out this morning to try a bit of real cross-country skiing. Surrounded by corn fields and woodlots in mid-Ohio, this is as "cross-country" as it gets. The ice-enhanced snow created the perfect platform to cross acres of plowed fields, usually damp, deep furrowed and difficult to trod .


The temperatures had crept up to the mid 30's, but the snow remained crusted over with a layer of ice, caused by several days of thaw and re-freeze. It was a skier's nirvana which fully supported my weight, spread out on 6 foot of ski surface, above a foot or so of snow. However, the snow conditions quickly became a burden for the beast.

Argus, the butterfly hound, was having a tough go of it. With each step into the snow, he sunk elbow-to-shoulder deep, bringing all progress to a whimpering stand-still.

Fortunately a snowmobile track provided just the right amount of compaction to make mobility possible. He was limited to following the track marks across the fields, but at least he was able to follow along.

This photo reminds me: if you are not the lead dog, the scenery never changes. Argus is definitely the lead dog.

.............. Photo by Dane Adams

The fresh air and sunshine was only enhanced by the calls of the Horned Larks as they scattered throughout the fields. Flocks of these yellow-faced bandit birds spend the best part of winter gathered along the road edges, seeking out cast-off seed (and perhaps salt?) Generally difficult to view in close range, the flocks lift off in a twisting flight, leaving behind only their soft "twinkling"calls.

Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Woodcock- it is always a treat to see what creatures are utilising the creek at our property's edge. Last winter, I witnessed a Bald Eagle cruising through at top speed, lifting an early evening opossum right out of his tracks! Yum-yum. 'Possum, the other white-meat.

Today is was an American Pipit that provided the surprise for our journey. Once called the Water Pipit, these birds are known to work water edges for seed and insects during their migrations. A wagging tail and self-declaration of "pi-pit" were dead giveaways to its identity as it provided the closest looks I have ever seen. Let the migration begin!

* If you haven't registered yet, follow the logo-link on the sidebar to the Waterfowl Symposium! Its all happening in Columbus next weekend and I hope to see you there!