The Wilds - 11/13/10

The final field trip involved going to The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio in Muskingum county. We arrived that Saturday morning around 0900 to clear blue skies and chilled air. The area has plenty of open fields and grasslands with surrounding woods. Prior to being a conservation area, the lands used to be part of a strip mining project. Since then it has been reclaimed.
Driving to The Wilds we spotted numerous American Crows as well as an European Starling. We pulled over after we spotted a Horned Lark flying around some shrubs and rocks. A second Horned Lark was in the field and both darted with each other around the field. Two Eastern Bluebirds were spotted as well in the field.
0915 We got back into the vans and drove down the road a little further to a pond. Immediately we viewed a Northern Harrier (male) fly over the pond and over the horizon of the closest hill. Another Northern Harrier flew over the far side of the pond. Scanning the pond, we heard Killdeer and American Goldfinches.
0926 Northern Shrike spotted flying and perching between shrubs.
0934 indet. Scaup, male and female mallards, and possibly a Black Duck viewed in the pond.
1000 We reached Jeffrey's Point Bird Observatory overlooking another pond and stretches of open fields. Viewed around 80 Canada Geese and an American Crow.
1017 A Savannah Sparrow in the tall grasses
1030 On drive to visitor center, spotted a Northern Mockingbird
1036 Spotted an indet. Raptor
1040 Turkey Vulture soaring in the distance
1046 Spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk and possibly its nest
1048 Spotted an American Kestrel on the overhead power lines
1102 Stop at the same pond but orthogonal to previous vantage point. Red-Tailed Hawk perched on fence next to and eyeing a Northern Mockingbird. The Raptor flew off and back to the previous nest, suggest that it was in fact the Red-Shoulder Hawk's nest. Same Canada Geese in the pond, as well as a Gadwall and Bufflehead
1110 Further up the road to a marshy area, we spotted another American Kestrel and an indet. Raptor. American Robin as well.
1132 Near the houses by the marsh, we spotted a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker and heard Blue Jay and American Goldfinch calls
1148 Continued up the road to another pond and spotted many Canada Geese, a Northern Shoveler, a Killdeer, and 5 Dunlins

European Starling
American Crow (5)
Horned Lark (2)
Eastern Bluebird (2)
Northern Harrier (2)
Killdeer (5)
American Goldfinch (2)
Northern Shrike (2)
Mallard (2)
indet Scaup (12)
Black Duck (?)
Canada Goose (120)
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Mockingbird (2)
Turkey Vulture
Red-Tailed Hawk (2)
Bufflehead
Gadwall
American Kestrel (3)
American Robin
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Blue Jay
Northern Shoveler
Dunlin (5)