Birding with the Amish

Christmas Bird Counts in Wayne and Holmes counties often include a large number of Amish birders, many of them teenagers.  I enjoy the eagerness in which they approach the subject.  Nothing gets past their keen eyes and ears. 

Last weekend this group of young men had an unusual find in the Secrest Aboretum.  A December White-eyed Vireo!  Vireos are insect eaters and the pickings are mighty slim by this time of year.  All of its relatives have long gone south; this little slow-poke is an amazing find!

White-eyed Vireo on a Christmas Bird Count

In fact, it was significant enough Roger Troutman ( our count compiler) wanted a photo to document the little birdie.  Since the Amish don't take photographs,  Ryan Steiner and I were asked to show up with our cameras at the arboretum.  Now this photo won't make it into National Geographic (or anywhere else for that matter) but it is diagnostic.  The boys got their bird, and I was happy to help the young men out.

If you would like to know more about the Amish or even a bit about our birding experiences, Amish Values for your Family is a nifty book written by my friend, Susan Woods Fisher.  Several chapters have back stories about birding with the Amish. Local birder, Bruce Glick is quoted regarding the Holmes County CBC. 

One of the keys to success" Bruce writes, "is the encouragement of young birders.  These youngsters can tag-along, gradually learning the birds, and eventually becoming leaders themselves.  On the most recent Millersburg Christmas Bird Count were 113 participants, of which thirty were eighteen or younger. Many of these young folks are amazingly good birders already, having learned from older siblings, friends, and parents." 

Tommorow is my last CBC for this year and we will likely get to see many fine young Amish birders in action once again. Wish us luck- and good weather!

Quote from Suzanne's book was with "Permission Granted by Revell Books"

Birding Amish Country

Amish Country and grassland birds seem to go together and recent reports of a Dickcissel near Shiloh, Ohio were too good to pass up. Shiloh is a little burg in Richland County, a mere 20 miles from my home. It was time to gather up a few friends for a day of excitement... Amish style.



This ground nesting song bird was teed up and singing his heart out, a distinctive stuttering "dik-dik-dik- sizzel." It was easy enough to locate three or four of the birds in the immediate vicinity, calling from posts and fence wires encircling a tidy Amish farm on Free Rd.

It is a pretty scenic spot to bird, but it makes you wonder how they pin the clothes on a line as high as a barn! One has to believe a pulley system in employed in this effort.

Friend Greg Miller (of The Big Year fame- book is about to be released as a movie) trains the scope on some Horned Larks in a nearby field, while Bobolinks "bubbled" their song over our heads.

Here is the yellow-chested wonder! Looks like he played it a little to close-to-the-chin with the dandelion heads! The size of a sparrow with Meadowlark-like markings, these uncommon birds are worth the drive. Ohio is the eastern most portion of their range; Dickcissels are Great Plains birds generally found well west of these parts.

A nearby auction house provides for both "English" and Amish parking.

And if you come to see the Dickcissel, don't plan to be in a hurry. The roads are windy and buggy traffic is the norm. Slow down and enjoy life a little.

Nothing escapes this trio of birders! Greg Miller and Greg and Leslie Cornet helped me scope out the best birds and the best deals in Shiloh's Amish country. We recommend the local grocery for cookies and pies!

Barnyard Birding

What Ohio bird is more associated with Amish farms than the Barn Owl? Certainly well-tended Purple Martins are more numerous, but nothing says "Amish barn" like the presence of this unusual heart-faced sentential.



........... .......... Athena from Ohio Bird Sanctuary -photo by Hugh Rose.



Looking a bit ethereal in their white-fronted garb, they only blink at us, standing beneath their lofty perch. The under-side is the only view I have ever garnered of a free-flying, or rather, free-to-fly owl. We are careful to be quiet and not to disturb.

Perched high in the top of a silo or barn rafter, these birds pass the day napping and waiting for the cover of night. Barn Owls are denizens of the dark -silent and deadly killers at night. Meadow voles beware, for you will never hear the wing beats of an owl until it is too late.

Why is it that Barns Owls like the Amish? The farming traditions of the Amish have not changed as radically as the practices on a commercial farm. The are plenty of pastures for draft horses and livestock (and mice), corn is shocked in the field overwinter, and few pesticides or herbicides are used. Some might call it a "back to nature" attitude, but in fact, it is more of a "never left" the basic principles of nature. After all, with steady work and an unhurried pace, the Amish know: You can't make good hay with poor grass.

Some farmers are also known to help the Barn Owls a bit by offering nesting boxes. Owls are cavity nesters, and these boxes provide a safe home for their young. Not all Barn Owls remain for the winter, and those that do may find it difficult to find enough food when there is snow on the ground. The resident owl in this barn has its diet ocasionally supplimented with Morning Dove. However, it lives peacably enough with the Rock Pigeons occupying the same space.

Larry Richardson found several of the owls pellets while we visited with the property owner. Owls are unable to digest bone and fur from their prey, which are regurgitated as a pellet. These have a consistency and look not unlike a giant hairball from a cat.

It is always fascinating to tear apart the pellet to see exactly what the bird has been feeding upon. This pellet contained four mouse or vole skulls. That seemed like quite a record to me! I hope it is proof that this Barn Owl is healthy and happy and may produce a box full of owlets in the next few months.

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Now THAT would be a sight to see!

World coming to an end?

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.




That's a pretty good piece of wisdom to remember.
Just when life seems most out of hand, something good can still come of it.
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Our lives can seem so complicated, if we forget to put things in perspective. It is amazing how these little sayings remind us to focus on the basics- and the rest will fall into place.

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And if you like those gentle reminders of Amish wisdom found in proverbial sayings, you will certainly enjoy this book:

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A while back I did a radio interview with the author from California, Suzanne Woods Fisher. She has written a number of books, and this little compilation of Amish sayings is an enjoyable read- and it makes a perfect gift for friends.

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You can find Amish Proverbs, Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life in many Christian Books stores, or on line at Amazon.

Jan Auburn, Cheryl Harner, Suzanne Woods Fisher and Greg Miller in Berlin, Ohio

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Suzanne made a whirl-wind tour of mid-Ohio's Amish country last month. Her warm personality shines through her writings and it was a great pleasure when my friends and I met her in person.

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I hope you have been enjoying the scenes from my last couple of Amish country posts, and the sayings- you'll find many more in Suzanne's heart-warming book.

Adams County Birding- Amish style.

Adams County Ohio is known for quaint country roads, patch-work quilt barns and unique flora.

It is as far south as you can get without plunking into the Ohio River. It lies between Portsmouth and Dayton.  Generally it is about a month ahead -weather wise- from the rest of the state.  Some might say it is a decade or two behind, in other ways.

 Country roads are likely to wind along creek bottoms and gullies, until crossed by a bridge.  Likely as not, it may be a covered bridge. This scenic crossing is in Harshaville.

The Murphin Inn

 There is a country Inn on Murphin Ridge Road where hospitality is not a lost art form.  The food is excellent and the comfy rooms are well appointed.

Adams County also hosts a great birding event each year.  Folk art abounds and several vendors display their goods, from bird feeders to paintings and they offer a variety of  authors and educational exhibits.

Emcee- Jim McCormac and speaker- Cheryl Harner

Jim McCormac, well-known speaker, author and bird expert was our emcee for the Amish Birding Symposium.  He gave one of these beautiful hand-painted plaques to each of the speakers.  I was the first up, presenting a program on Birding by Habitat and Habitats for Birds.  We got a little conservation message in as well. 

The Nature Conservancy's Dave Mehlman

 Dave Mehlman gave a wonderful program on bird conservation with an emphasis on birds and migration.  Birds need protection on their breeding habitats and on their wintering grounds.

Amish Birding Symposium packs the house with about 300 folks each year.  It is a high tech event, run on a generator and a prayer. Folks don't seem to mind and are content to enjoy the rustic atmosphere.

Katie Fallon speaks on Cerulean Warblers.

 Katie Fallon joined us from West Virgina to speak on the topic of her book, Cerulean Blues.  She follows one of America's most beloved and declining warblers.  It is no secret mountain top removal coal mining has destroyed many of the mountains where Ceruleans were known to breed.

Dave FitzSimmons also gave an engaging program on photography and offered several books for sale.  My apologies to him for not getting my own shot during his program. I must have been too wrapped up in the program to think about it!

Thanks to the committee who works so hard to host this event, especially against the odds of this years difficult weather. The snow piled up, but it was not too big of a challenge for the men and women who shoveled snow, prepared the meals and set up endless chairs and tables for the crowd.

Killdeer in the snow covered fields.

There were plenty of jokes about not being able to bird at Adams Lake due to the iced over conditions.  No one seemed to be in a hurry to birdwatch in the cold, anyways.  The ten to twelve inches of snow which fell just days before the event had evenly coated the county in a magical blanket of white.

But spring is coming, as foretold by the Killdeer  working the fields as we pulled out of town on Sunday morning.  

It cannot be far away now that the rains have come to mid-Ohio and as much as I like the snow, it is time for it to be gone. After all, spring always follows the Amish Birding Symposium.

Family Farm Field Day

Yesterday was much like an opportunity to visit times past, as this idyllic scene unfolded near Sugarcreek, Ohio.

Hundreds of horses rested in the shade, freed from their burden of buggy and riders. Pony carts, family buggies, work carts and a battalion of abandoned bicycles lined the farm lot in Amish country.

The excitement was almost palatable, as the families and older children raced to the tents. There would be food, exhibits and games. Speakers for the grown-ups. A live llama, chicks hatching from eggs, a leaf and seed collection, bird and bug displays... a world of excitement!

The big tents circled on an open field, with wooden playground equipment taking an honored spot in the center. I would love to show more pictures of the scene, but for today you must use your imagination. With somewhere around 1,500-2,000 Amish folks gathered, there was no way I could take photos without infringing on their hospitality. I was a guest, it would be beyond rude to take photos as if I would studying some alien species. It is not proper.

This gathering would be the equivalent to an Amish state fair, without competition. No ribbons, no dog and pony shows. These are simple, plain people after all. So imagine your county fair without the lights and rides, and add in nature displays and walks through a wetland. Yes, there was food, but the lines were too long to get to the pie. Fortunately, the tent with homemade ice cream made up for it.

Several things come to mind when I have spent an afternoon with this Amish community. Children seem to be well appreciated here- however they know their place. Children gather quietly and respectfully, and I have never seen pushing, shoving or angry words. Of course, there is a bit of shy curiosity, as we "English" are the strange ones in this gathering. These small children have grown up speaking "Dutch" and for the most part, only speak when they are spoken to.

We spent much of our time in the "Nature Tent" where people gathered for trips to the back lot trail through woods and wetland: Birding with Ed Schlabach, Nature with Guy Denny, Dragonflies with Ian Adams, Wetlands with Don Beam... to name a few.

It was my good fortune to be asked to tag along with Guy Denny's Nature walk. I made myself useful near the back of the walk, where I could talk to the women and children. Many of them enjoy watching birds at their feeders at home and growing plants in their yards and gardens. We had much in common to talk about.

Guy Denny, retired Director of Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, and Don Beam of Stucker Meadows Native Plants discuss the lay of the land and the sightings of the day. This was one of the few places I felt comfortable with my camera- in the nearly empty car parking area.

We also spent a bit of time with good friend Ian Adams, an amazing photographer with several books in print. Ian was leading the Dragonfly walks, as he is not only a gifted photographer but also an excellent birder, butterfly and dragonfly guide.

If you are not familiar with Ian's work- you should immediately go here to order your copy of his newest book. It is filled with lovely images of many of my favorite places in Ohio and tips for getting the photos in many of these locations.

I'll leave you with Ian's image of one of my favorite locations in the world: the Marblehead Lighthouse, and the good reasoning of a man who loves this book, even though he is not a photographer.

"A photographer's guide to Ohio is written to help photographers improve their camera skills, but I treasure it most for its beautiful illustrations. Typical Ian Adams- a superb book."

David Kline- editor of Farming magazine (and organizer of Family Farm Field Day.)

Northern Wheatear visits Ohio

Today yielded a surprising day of birding in the Greater Mohican Bobolink area. It started out normally enough at Secrest Arboretum, where Bianca Davis led our Birdwalk through the regular trails and the regular species. A good time, with some interesting botany thrown in for good measure. But things got exciting in the afternoon- Marc Nolls called to give us a heads-up on the Northern Wheatear being seen near Berlin, Ohio- about 40 minutes away from our favorite Bob Evans and CBC haunt!
(click photo to enlarge) This Northern Wheatear was just too good to take a chance on missing! We scurried down the back county roads, carefully dodging Amish buggies. It was easy enough to find with Marc and Jason Larson's directions, and the line of cars parked at the end a the drive was a pretty sure tip-off too. The yard had several hired vans and many bicycles along with the horse drawn wagons. This scenic farm and its kind owner was an idyllic place for a life bird, and it was only out of respect for Amish preference, that I did not photograph the many Amish and English gathered there. Black hats or birding T-shirts, we are all the same in the presence of a great bird.

We gathered quietly in a line, all 30 or so Wheatear admirers, and in hushed tones we compared notes on the soft coloring, white rump and tail band when it flew from the open ground where it had foraged for insects, to its favorite log pile.
Northern Wheatears are uncommon visitors from Eurasia, Greenland and Alaska. We have had only two previous sighting in Ohio (1988 and 1998)- and this bird may be a year late for the once-a-decade record, but we didn't mind a bit. Thanks to the gracious Yoder family who allowed us to visit today, may they be blessed with many more wonderful birds, and thankful birders to sign their visitor list!

Amish Country Visitor

A few miles down the road from Wooster's Secrest Arboretum, the heart of Ohio Amish country spreads across Wayne and Holmes Counties. It is a favorite place to bird, as the folks are friendly, the birds are numerous and the scenery- is just delightful.



One never tires of this type of scenery, and it is plentiful in Wayne County.




I met up with Greg Miller and Nathan Madison, to try once again for the Harris's Sparrow.

Greg and I have set the record for missing out on this bird- this was our third trip! I would like to show you photos of the home and children, but that would be disrespectful to the family. Amish people do not wish to have their photos taken, so I limit my photography to barns and buggies... and a few good birds. We are grateful for their hospitality, and do not wish to offend.
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Troyer's farm is a wonderful place to visit, with a warm wood-stove and a clean windows to view the feeder set-ups (this photo shows only one of many.) They attract many species of birds, and not just your average cardinals and jays. Each visit provided good looks at species like Carolina Wren, Pines Siskins, and White-crown sparrows in abundance along with all of the other regular "feeder" birds.

But this winter, their son, Andy found a special visitor at the feeders. A young Harris's Sparrow has been making regular appearances, much to the delight of Ohio's birding community. Of all the sparrow species found in Ohio, the White-crowned sparrow (left) and this Harris's Sparrow (front right) are two of the "lookers," as far as sparrows go!

Handsome youngster, isn't it? Third time was a charm, and so it goes with a "chase bird." There is never a guarantee that the bird will be there when you arrive; our persistence paid off.

So why would we want so desperately to see this sparrow? As the USGS map shows, a Harris's Sparrow's routine migration is well to the west of Ohio. But each winter, we may get one off-course Harris's visiting in Ohio and they generally stay for several months once they arrive. But I have not seen a Harris's Sparrow for several years, and this opportunity was just too good to miss.

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Besides, the Troyer family's hospitality made this adventure feel like a visit with old friends, or rather- new ones.

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More from Magee

International Migratory Bird Day at Magee attracted a much thinner crowd this year, something about rainstorms and tornado warnings scared off some of the casual birders. But we serious "warbler madness" types were still out in good number.



This magnificent Prothonotary warbler is just one of the 20 odd reasons we are willing to risk lightening and funnel clouds. With a window period of two weeks for these neo-tropical jewels to pass through Ohio on their way to the breeding grounds in Canada, we know if we miss it now, we will have to wait another full year until warblers in breeding plumage pass through again. So timing is everything.

....... .... Photo by Larry Richardson

Timing- and location. Here is your blogger, the Weedpicker, perched on a railing trying to claim a view from behind the front row birders. Some folks attend hockey or football games, we're just rallying for the Golden-wings, warblers that is!

And by mid afternoon, the crowds were being thrilled with glimpses of Black-throated Greens, Bay-breasted Warblers, and the ever popular Golden-winged Warbler.

..................................................photo by Sue Evanoff

Friend Sue Evanoff fired off this shot of the elusive male warbler, with the iconic golden patch on its wing. Many tried, and most of us failed to focus on this little beauty as it flitted about the leaves in search of supper.

We found a second Golden-winged Warbler at Metzger Marsh, where we enjoyed birding with some of Holmes county's "plain" birders. Many of our area's Amish are excellent birders and whole families come out to see these colorful migrants. After one all-too-brief look, an elderly gentleman remarked, "Oh, it is pleasing to see, sure enough." And indeed, he is right.

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If you are interested in our Holmes County Amish, and wonder about birding in their midst, you may want to listen to a recent interview on Amish Wisdom, a radio show hosted by Author Suzanne Wood Fisher.

Snipe Hunt!

A few more photos from Ohio's Amish country-

While looking for a few good birds last week, we enjoyed some of the best Amish country scenes:




Nothing is more picturesque than these corn fields in winter. Not only are the corn shocks pleasing to the eye, a reminder of the "old ways" of farming, they also provide shelter for wildlife.

Small birds and mammals, such as mice and voles, find these fields more habitable than the corn stubble in my neighborhood. Modern farming practises leave very little behind for the critters.



We took our time searching along the natural stream beds running between the fields. Note this stream has not become a victim of the modern practise of channelizing. Too often in agricultural areas, streams are dug out- wider and deeper- to accommodate the torrential run-off created by drain-tiling fields. This "modern" farming practise creates erosion and reduces habitat for birds, fish and wildlife of all kinds. Not to mention, the silt and chemical pollution flowing in stream and rivers eventually finds its way into the Ohio River, the Mississippi and on down to the Gulf of Mexico.

A wide grassy bottomed flow is just the place to look for wintering Wilson's Snipe. Once called the Common Snipe, these birds are more abundant than one might imagine. Their excellent camouflage makes them difficult to locate in their preferred habitats. We counted five in this stream alone.

Brr... it must be chilly working for a living in that icy water! Foraging with heads under water- here they are- successfully waiting out winter on the edge of a stream. It can't be an easy life, but perhaps they know the Amish saying:
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There is only one way to fail, that's to quit.

Adams County Amish Birding Symposium

In the dark days of late winter, we bird and botany people ban together and do whatever we can to cheer up and preserver until spring's arrival.

 One of those things, just happened in southern Ohio: the Adam's County Amish Birding Symposium.

We filled the hall with a maximum capacity of 300 people!  The generator purred outside the backdoor, making it possible to power the speaker's computers and power point programs.  In an "Old Order" meets "new birders" scenario, folks gathered in from many miles away to enjoy home-bakes, loads of vendors, displays, and an outstanding line up of programs.

 This year's kick off was Connie Toops, with a program featuring the Albatrosses of Midway Atoll.  I must admit wondering how this would be relevant to my life.  But, Connie brought it home!  Her excellent presentation wrapped up with a reminder...

our trash (think plastic islands floating at sea) has become a major killer of seabirds.  Reduce, reuse, recycle- the albatrosses are counting on you.  We featured this theme before with programing from the Cleveland Aquarium.

Kenn Kaufman waits in the wings...

as Chris Bedel announces, The Vast Parade.

Migration: the great spectacle of  life and survival, a drama played out in our skies each year.  Kenn Kaufman spun new thoughts on the topic and made us reach inward for answers.  Maybe the greatest gift of migration is the wonder it creates in people.

Especially people who choose to do something with that wonder.Meet Kristina Polk. This is the live wire that sparked hope into an entire audience.  She gave us a vision for the future, in spite of all the "bad" impacting nature: plastics, wind-turbines, glass/ buildings, climate change, natural disasters.  This is the Young Birder who calls us to look- really look- at each individual bird, as you will not see that particular one again.  She came face to face with this Catbird at The Biggest Week in American Birding, and became fired for conservation.  

We are expecting big things from this little dynamo.  Watch for her program at birding venues, you'll not want to miss it.

Operation Migration's Joe Duff

The last program of the day had us howling with laughter.  Joe Duff  (see Adams County's web page for photo and program description.) described a year dedicated to raising and migrating with a flock of Whooping Cranes, America's most endangered bird species.  To increase the odds for their survival, it was deemed best  to create a separate flock from the one at Aransas, Texas.  

Joe told the story from hatching, to training and the flight of these marvelous birds, as well as the dedicated bird handler's extraordinary efforts to prevent imprinting upon them throughout the entire endeavor.  It was an incredible story.

We laugh, we cried and we were so glad we attended.   Hope to see you there next year!