Thanks to Bill Lindauer and everyone who helped him we had a very successful GBBC event at Hisey Park this weekend.  Over the two-day period we had about 50 visitors watching birds and sighting 40 species.  If my recollection is correct, this represents more species that we’ve seen in previous years.  We had quite a few families attending the bird count this year and the youngsters had a great time along with the oldsters.

The Saturday bird list can be seen at http://ebird.org/ebird/gbbc/view/checklist/S34481640  and the Sunday list at

http://ebird.org/ebird/gbbc/view/checklist/S34545295

Highlights of the Sunday event included a hike at dusk along the edges of the fields where we were treated to the hooting of a Great Horned Owl.  Several little girls were delighted to have found a half dozen or so owl pellets which they collected and took home so that they can share them with their teachers and classmates during science class at school.

In addition, after sundown the park came alive with woodcocks singing and engaging in their traditional courtship displays.  This was a thrill to everyone including me, since it has been many years since I’ve made the effort to hike the park trails at night which is when the woodcock activity happens.

As if that wasn’t enough fun, we were loudly serenaded by several coyotes who made it clear that it was time for us to leave because they own the park at night.  I wish we could have recorded and saved the sounds we heard in the park at dusk.  When the sun goes down, the character of the park changes.

The GBBC Newsletter below summarizes the data from the recent bird count in mid-February.

And you will notice at this link that 66 bird species were seen in Warren County and we had 43 of them in Hisey Park: 

http://ebird.org/ebird/gbbc/subnational2/US-OH-165?yr=all

Hisey Park was identified as the top birding hot spot in Warren County!

How to enjoy the GBBC:

 

Dave Woehr, OCVN