Christmas Bird Count at The Wilds

A White-tailed Deer gazes at the photographer from a snowy meadow. Such conditions greeted participants at this year's Chandlersville Christmas Bird Count, which took place last Saturday, December 19.

The inaugural Chandlersville CBC took place on December 16, 1995. It took a while to get steady feet, missing six years between then and the present. In 2010, Scott Albaugh took the reins as compiler, and the count has been going strong ever since.

The 10,000 acre conservation and research refuge known as The Wilds is the best known component of the Chandlersville CBC, and Wilds staff have been big supporters. I have been fortunate, since 2010, to be part of the team that goes inside the fences at the Wilds. This year, our Wilds leaders were Jan Ramer, vice president of the Wilds, and Genelle Uhrig, wildlife ecology associate.

About 25 species of large mammals, many of them imperiled in their indigenous ranges, are housed at The Wilds. They have plenty of room to roam, and as many species come from cold climes, a Muskingum County winter is nothing to them. All these free-ranging mammals makes for an interesting bird count, and I'll share some of our mammalian observations here.

NOTE: We do NOT ignore the birds :-) The expansive grasslands, ponds, and scattered woodlots provide plenty of avian fodder and our crew located nearly 50 species.

This is the sort of situation that makes birding inside the fences of The Wilds surreal. A herd of Sichuan Takin temporarily block the way. This massive "goat-bear" hails from Tibet and adjacent provinces of China.

A young Sichuan Takin - I presume born earlier this year. Takins are quite Seuss-like, and a hit among all who clap eyes on them.

These Pere David's Deer were not especially intimidated by our crew. A large deer native to China, it was hunted out in its native range by the 20th Century. Fortunately some animals had been taken to European zoos, and stock from successful breeding in captive herds allowed for repatriation to China. About 700 Pere David's Deer are now in the wild, in their indigenous range.

Persian Onagers, the "wild ass". It is native to Iran, and perhaps only 600 onagers remain in the wild. Two foals born at The Wilds were produced by artificial insemination - the first time this technique was successfully implemented in a species of wild equid.

Ah, a personal favorite, the Bactrian Camel. These hardy beasts can handle extreme heat and cold, and have no issues dealing with an Ohio winter. Fortunately, perhaps, the male was not in breeding conditions. A few years ago, "Gobi" as he is known, lit out after our vehicle, frothing at the mouth and soaked with urine he had sprayed over himself.

After lunch, Genelle took me in to see the American Burying Beetles. This federally endangered insect has nearly vanished from the wild and is among the rarest of the rare. The Wilds successfully raises hundreds, and each year releases stock into suitable habitat. At least some have overwintered in the wild successfully, and hopefully this project will help reestablish this spectacular insect.

A week old female Southern White Rhinoceros, with her very formidable mother. The baby weighed about 100 pounds at birth; the mother is well north of 3,000 pounds. Thus far, The Wilds has successfully raised about thirty rhinos. We also saw an adorable male rhino calf, born only the day before our visit.

A Cheetah sends a baleful stare our way. This is one of three species housed at the relatively new Carnivore Center, African Painted Dog and Dhole being the others. While the Cheetahs have heated buildings to which they can retreat, they are remarkably cold-tolerant and spend a good deal of time outside even in the coldest of weather.

Lastly, perhaps my favorite of The Wilds' charges, the Dhole. These wild dogs once ranged over a broad swath of Asia, but have declined precipitously for a variety of reasons, but mostly due to growing human populations increasingly conflicting with them. Sometimes known as "Whistling Dogs", the Dhole has a wide vocal repertoire and is quite social. They are very playful, and the small pack at the Wilds is always fun to observe.

If you are looking for an interesting trip, consider a "Winter at The Wilds" tour. You'll see much of what I shared here, plus much more, and experts will fill your group in on each animal's story. Bring your binoculars, too, as the birding is good. CLICK HERE for more information.

Christmas "Bird" Count at The Wilds

A grand view of a big swath of The Wilds in Muskingum County, Ohio, as seen last Saturday just before sunrise. That was the day of the Chandlersville Christmas Bird Count, and I was there to participate. Scott Albaugh became compiler of the count about ten years ago, and established a consistent team of surveyors who cover the very rural reaches of the count's 15-mile diameter circle. I've been helping since Scott took charge, and am fortunate to survey The Wilds' fenced inner sanctum with their staff, which as we shall see is very interesting.

Scott handed the count's compiler reins to Steve Spear this year, ensuring a smooth continuation of the Chandersville CBC. Steve is The Wilds' director of Wildlife Ecology. I've been censusing with Steve and some of his staff since he came to work there about three years ago.

The Wilds is a conservation and research facility on a grand scale, not a zoo, make no mistake. Nearly all of the some 30 mammal species that they work with have become imperiled in their native ranges, some critically so. The primary mission is to keep this species going, with an ideal end game of restoring them to indigenous home lands. That said, visitation is encouraged, and a great way to see and learn about the animals in this post is through a Winter at The Wilds Tour.

A dozen white-tailed deer scatter along a distant grassy slope. White-tails are locally abundant, and they were one of four species of native mammal that we tallied during the "bird" count. The others were eastern cottontail, and fox and gray squirrel. There are a number of other native mammals - beaver, bobcat, muskrat, many species of small rodents - we just didn't encounter them on this day.

It's always interesting birding at The Wilds. Where else might someone exclaim "Rough-legged hawk!" Just above and right of the camel!" Indeed, a gorgeous light morph rough-legged hawk was in close proximity to this Bactrian camel.

A personal favorite is the Sichuan takin (tok-in). It's indigenous to the same regions of China that support giant panda, and frequents the same bamboo communities. Takins are goat-like and adept climbers, and favor steep rocky slopes. This is a large adult, and they can weigh up to 800 lbs.

Here's a baby takin, and it's a fraction of the size of the adult in the previous image. This little fellow was born last spring. The adults are quite protective of their offspring, and they make good guards.

This is a sika deer, a small ungulate that often retains faint spotting through adulthood, although this older male has lost them. The Wilds' works with the Indochina subspecies, Cervus nippon pseudaxis, which is probably extinct in its native Vietnam.

A Persian onager grazes along with a small herd of other onagers, who are just outside the photograph. Native to Iran, this wild ass is critically endangered in the wild, with perhaps 600 animals left. The Wilds is one of very few conservation facilities that works with the Persian onager.

A bull Pere David's deer luxuriates on a crisp mid-20's (F) morning. Most of the mammals at The Wilds are extremely hardy, hailing from cold climates such as Mongolia, or other cool regions of Asia. Pere David's deer went extinct in their native China by 1900. They have since been reintroduced to their original range.

Every time I clap eyes on one of these big Bactrian deer stags, I think instantly of the Hartford Group's iconic symbol. Bactrian deer are mammoth, and a subspecies of the North American elk. A big male can push 450 lbs. Native to central Asia, this species was reduced to about 400 wild animals by 2000. Conservation efforts have bolstered populations, and now there are 1,500 or so deer in the wild.

A pair of sable antelope peer curiously at the photographer. The animal on the left has lost a horn; not sure what happened there. Sable antelope vary in coloration, but males become black with age, like the animal on the right. Because males are larger than females, I suspect that the other antelope is also a male, perhaps a younger specimen, but I'm not sure. This ornately marked animal occurs in savannas of eastern and southern Africa.

Couldn't do much with this one photographically, due to light and angle, but it still looks cool. This is a dhole, or Asian wild dog. Dholes are indigenous in much of Eurasia, but have disappeared or become rare over much of its range.  Highly intelligent dholes are very social and clans form distinct hierarchies. Play-fighting is common, and when we were there the dholes had gotten ahold of a squeak toy and were romping about in an energetic skirmish over the toy.

In addition to dholes and the animal that follows, The Wilds' carnivore area houses cheetahs. The epitome of mammalian athleticism, the cheetahs seem to regard human observers with a degree of disdain, when the bother to note our presence. A number of cheetah cubs have been born here, and currently there is a litter of young cubs.

A pair of African painted dogs races across a meadow at breakneck speed (they can exceed 40 mph at full tilt), intensely play-fighting. These extremely intelligent and highly social canids are amazing to watch, but you wouldn't want to be in with them. Packs are well-organized and team members hunt in close cooperation with one another. The targeted prey has little hope of survival.

We saw much more but that's enough for now. Check The Wilds website for more information, and if you're looking for a fascinating and out-of-the-box trip, plan a visit.

A jaunt through the Wilds, bird-seeking

This is my 1,832nd post over this blog's history (I had two previous iterations), for whatever that's worth. The first entry dates to July 22, 2007, and covered the Ohio Dragonfly Conference (see that post HERE). There have been nearly 4.3 million page views over that span, and I'm grateful that people check into this space occasionally, whether by accident or intentionally. It's been a great forum for keeping the digital pen honed, and to share (hopefully ever-improving) photos. If nothing else, I've got staying power on my side. A great many blogs that I've seen launched during this span have drifted off into the ether. Hopefully I'll still be on this space when it comes time to write my 2,000th post.

A strange sunset illuminates Long Lake and surrounding strip mine reclamation grasslands at the Wilds in Muskingum County, Ohio. This sprawling site encompasses 10,000 acres, and there are tens of thousands of additional acres of similar habitat, owned by American Electric Power, in the area. I've written about the Wilds many times. If you wish to see other posts, just type "the wilds" into the search box at the top left of the page (it works very well).

We've been having an extending period of gray gloomy days here in central Ohio, so when I saw that last Sunday was supposed to be largely blue skies, I left home well before the crack of dawn to visit the Wilds. This is a strange place, weather-wise, and I am becoming convinced it generates its own weather. As I neared the place, the skies were clearing and all looked good. As I entered the Wilds proper on Zion Ridge Road, dense fog settled in, shrouding the landscape and largely putting the kibosh on bird photography. Prior to strip mining, this region was almost entirely deciduous forest. After clearing and major soil disturbance, numerous springs were exposed and the ground is seemingly soggy nearly everywhere. Maybe it's all that moisture going airborne that creates the fog, I don't know.

While the fog killed any chance for a good sunrise, the sunset sure looked promising. Come day's end, I got myself into a good position, and was rewarded with the odd flaming orange and yellow sky you see above. I was hoping for one of those brilliantly parti-colored palettes of pinks, oranges, reds, blues and purples, but no. Oh well, it was still pretty cool looking.

A battalion of mourning doves uses some wires as a command post. They were staging raids on a roughly harvested cornfield nearby that no doubt had lots of waste kernels ripe for the plucking. Several hundred doves were present, and I spent some time watching them. Often cited as one of North America's most numerous species, there is no question the mourning dove is widespread and abundant. Nonetheless, I think they are declining, and have declined considerably since I first learned of doves as a young kid. I don't run across many big flocks like this one anymore.

This bird was a prime target on this mission, and I was successful. It is a northern shrike, and a juvenile to boot. It was one of the first birds that I saw upon entering the Wilds, along Zion Ridge Road. Because of the early morning fog, I couldn't work much with the animal photographically, but had a great time watching it. Northern shrikes breed far to our north, and are rare winter visitors to Ohio, with most records along in the northernmost tier of counties. This far south, they're really rare, but shrikes have been found wintering at the Wilds and vicinity for many years now.

Shrikes are sometimes called "butcherbirds". Slightly smaller than a robin, these songbirds are predatorial terrors. They'll catch prey ranging from large insects to mice and voles, to birds up to the size of blue jays. Shrikes often cache their victims by impaling them on thorns, hence the somewhat gruesome nickname.

I refound the shrike twice throughout the day, and during the second bout with it, as the fog was lifting, I had a great mammalian experience. This is the section of road the bird was frequenting, and as I stood watching it, a coyote began singing not too far off, in the brush on the right. Their song is one of Nature's great melodies, and always a treat to hear. After a while, I saw it or another coyote trot onto the road WAY down there in the distance, by the curve in the road. It apparently hadn't spotted me yet (I was mostly hidden by my vehicle, well off the road), but as soon as I clapped my big telephoto lens on it, the better to see the beast, it stopped, turned, and impaled me with baleful stare for about fifteen seconds. The sixth sense of these animals is almost supernatural, and I was glad I was not an eastern cottontail.

A handsome male American kestrel "play flies" atop a post. A brisk steady breeze was blowing into his face, and he seemed to enjoy holding his wings out, like a kid (or me) sticks an arm out the window of a moving vehicle and rotates his/her hand. At first, I figured he was doing this to balance in the wind, but no, I think not, as he also sat with wings tucked for extended periods.

While kestrels have declined alarmingly in most regions, they appear to be on the upswing at the Wilds. Local nesters have been bolstered by the placement of numerous nest boxes, many of which are now occupied.

Prior to this trip, I did not have any truly great kestrel shots. As I noted numerous pairs during this days travels, I resolved to bag some nice images, and here we go. This is the same male as in the previous shot, and I spent quite some time with him. By using the Jeep as a blind, I was able to stay fairly close without bothering the little falcon.

This shot was made from the vehicle, not long after he launched from a wire on one of his hunting forays. The topography worked to my advantage, as he was not far above eye level when I made the shot and the natural light was superb. The image was made with the Canon 5D IV and the outstanding Canon 500mm f/4 II lens, with 1.4x teleconverter (=700mm). The settings were f/8, ISO 500, 1/1600, +0.3 exposure compensation. As always, I used back-button focusing, and only the center focus point was active.

Speaking of bird photography, if you would like to enter the land of avian abundance and feathered photo ops galore, Debbie DiCarlo and I are leading a photo workshop to Florida from February 18-23 (with optional extension from February 23-25). We'll have scores of opportunities to shoot many interesting species, and learn lots about the art of bird photography. All details on this trip ARE HERE. We'd love to have you along!

Baby rhino!

Yesterday was the annual Ohio Ornithological Society's "Raptor Extravaganza" at the Wilds in Muskingum County, Ohio. This mid-winter event has been going on for about a dozen years, and always attracts a full house - 130 or so birders from all across the Buckeye State. The main thing is to seek birds on and around the Wilds' 10,000 acres, and the many thousands of acres of adjacent reclaimed stripmine lands. We divide into eight teams, and fan out through the area. It's a big logistics task organizing all of this, and kudos to Jason Larson for pulling it all together this year.

It was unseasonably balmy yesterday, with temperatures hitting about 60 F. A far cry from several years ago, when it was pushing minus 20 F in some local areas at the morning rendezvous time. I was co-leading one of the groups, and we found many of the usual suspects: Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Harrier, Golden Eagle (yes!!) and other raptors, singing Eastern Meadowlarks, and a host of other birds. At dusk. a cooperative Short-eared Owl put on a show for those who stuck around.

The Wilds is a conservation and research facility specializing in the study of large mammals, and most of the species that they work with are imperiled in their native ranges. It has become custom - and we are very grateful to the staff of the Wilds for accommodating us - to take a midday tour of the rhinoceros facility. Nearly everyone goes, even though a lot of us have taken the rhino tour many times. I know I wouldn't miss it.

Dave, the head rhino keeper, always has good info for the groups, and patiently answers the same questions year after year. This year, he had a real gem to show us - a two month old Greater One-horned Asian Rhinocerus, Rhinoceros unicornis, which is sometimes more simply known as the Indian Rhino.

As I would think that just about anyone would like to see photos of a baby rhinoceros, if they can't see the real thing, some photos from yesterday follow...

And there he is - the "tiny" male rhino, which was born on November 11, 2016. That's his formidably protective mother, Sanya, on the left. Junior probably weighs about 400 lbs.; mom tips the scales at around two tons.

The Wilds got Sanya in 2004, and this calf is her fourth since arriving at the Ohio facility.

Up close and deep into the eye of the baby rhino. These "little" ones are fun to watch. They're rather kitten or puppy like, and quite curious and playful. This one was mostly sleepy when we were there. I suspect it had been outside playing prior to our arrival and had gotten tired out.

A tolerant mother indeed, at least towards her calf. She'd be far less so of us, I am sure.

If you haven't been to the Wilds, put it on your calendar for this year. Their tours are fascinating, and it is a wonderful day trip. In addition to rhinos, you'll get to see many other interesting large beasts. CLICK HERE for more information.

Hardy Seuss-like Himalayan beasts among stars of the Wilds

The Sichuan takin, among the species in the Wilds, is a lumbering mammal native to the frigid highlands of the Himalayans in Tibet and China

Hardy Seuss-like Himalayan beasts among stars of the Wilds

COLUMBUS DISPATCH

January 31, 2016

NATURE

Jim McCormac

One of my favorite places is the Wilds in Muskingum County.

Sprawling across almost 10,000 acres, the massive conservation center is a bonanza for bird-watchers. In the summer, its meadows ring with the songs of bobolinks, Eastern meadowlarks, and many other species.

Wintertime brings raptors: Northern harriers, short-eared owls, rough-legged hawks, even rare golden eagles.

I was there Dec. 26 to participate in the Chandlersville Christmas Bird Count, which includes the Wilds. Although plenty of wild birds were to be found, it's the mammals that steal the show.

It's surreal to be scanning the meadows for birds and spot a trio of Bactrian camels on the horizon. A group of distant animals materializes into a herd of fringe-eared oryx. These muscular African antelopes sport long spikelike horns. A large pack of American bison dots a neighboring hillside, while Przewalski's horses - native to Mongolia - graze on another slope.

Of the Wilds' exotic stock, my favorite is the Sichuan takin (tock-in). The lumbering beasts resemble musk oxen and project a standoffish surliness that is somehow endearing. Big bulls can weigh more than 700 pounds. Although takins are occasionally referred to as "goat-antelopes" because of similarities to those animals, they remind me of a cross of a moose, bear, and wildebeest. They'd fit well in a Dr. Seuss story.

Takins are hardy animals, native to the frigid highlands of the Himalayans in Tibet and China. Their massive nostrils warm air before it enters the lungs, and oily skin secretions prevent water penetration, further protecting them from bitter cold. They typically inhabit dense bamboo forests, sharing habitat with a more famous mammal, the giant panda.

The takin's coat is a spectacular patchwork of dense brown and black fur capable of keeping the animal warm in the frostiest air. It has been claimed that the takin's beautiful pelage was the inspiration for the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts of Greek mythology.

The Wilds is North America's premier wildlife conservation center, housing nearly two dozen species of large mammals. Many of them are imperiled in their native ranges. The staff has been successful in breeding many species and advancing knowledge that aids in conservation of wild populations.

Visitation opens in May, and I highly recommend a trip. Visit thewilds.columbuszoo.org

Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at www.jimmccormac.blogspot.com

Annual winter Raptor Day at the Wilds

Our group pauses along a little-traveled road through wide open spaces on American Electric Power land bordering the Wilds. We were looking for various raptors, Short-eared Owls, and whatever might come along.

Yesterday was the 11th annual Ohio Ornithological Society field trip to the Wilds. The OOS began this traditional field trip soon after its founding in 2004, and it has remained wildly popular. About 120 birders from all over the state showed up yesterday, and that's the maximum number that can be handled. It's been like that about every year. The only one that I can recall significant numbers of no-shows was the year that the thermometer read -12 F (MINUS TWELVE) at the rendezvous site in the morning. About 30 or so people decided to skip out that time.

Frigid temperatures were not an issue yesterday. The thermometer rose to a balmy 51 degrees at the high point. As always, the day was great fun, and thanks to the OOS, all of the field trip leaders (eight separate groups), and especially Randy Rogers for tackling organization. Oh and of course - the staff at the Wilds for graciously opening their doors to us at a time of year when they're normally shut down to the public.

As is often the case when I'm leading groups, the camera gear remains stowed in the trunk. There's just no time to click off lots of photos, so we'll have to make due with some iPhone shots for this post.

I've only missed one of these events, I think, and yesterday's was probably the best, at least for our group. Here, a bunch of excited people ogle a Golden Eagle that put on a show over the distant fields. We had the bird in the scopes, and everyone enjoyed watching a pair of Rough-legged Hawks strafing the much larger bird.

Scott Albaugh and company found a Wilson's Snipe in a seepage outflow, and provided us with that intelligence after lunch. Our group headed there, traversing an extremely pitted and muddy road, and managed to locate two snipe - not bad for mid-January in Ohio.

Our group, which changed form a bit throughout the day, awaits the flight of the Short-eared Owl at day's end. This is a tradition. We only saw one distant bird, and then another practically hit my car on the way out. We had lots of nice sightings over the course of the day, though, including excellent looks at other raptors. I don't know what the final collective tally of species was, but it may have been a record.

The OOS winter trip to the Wilds would not be complete without a foray into the rhino house. This baby Southern White Rhino is only about two months old, and is dwarfed by his nearly two ton mother as he nurses. The youngster absolutely loves attention from people, and he was on cloud nine yesterday as scores of birders oohed and aahed over the leathery little fellow.

I believe the date of next year's OOS/Wilds trip has been set: January 16. Try and make it; you're sure to have a good time.

Birding (and mammaling) at the Wilds

Yesterday was the Chandlersville Chistmas Bird Count, ably orchestrated by compiler Scott Albaugh. Scott's been running the count for the past five years or so, and I've been along for all or most of them. The day dawned overcast and rainy, and it didn't abate until the very end of the day. At least it was fairly warm, with temperatures in the upper 50's. Such wet balmy weather allowed us to add an amphibian to the count list - Spring Peeper.

The 15-mile diameter count circle is quite diverse, including large tracts of woodlands, numerous ponds and wetlands, and vast grasslands. It's a lot of ground to cover, and we don't have too many people to deploy. If you enjoy bird counts, put the Chandlersville count on your calendar for next year.

Most birders know this region of southeastern Muskingum County because of the Wilds, a sprawling 10,000-acre large animal conservation and research facility. The Wilds, and thousands of acres of surrounding lands, were cleared and flattened in the course of coal strip mining. Diverse mixed mesophytic forests were destroyed, and in their place, "reclamation" resulted in expansive rolling grasslands. But to make lemonade from lemons, the new and utterly artificial grasslands have proven to be beneficial breeding habitat for a declining suite of grassland birds, and good wintering grounds for a variety of raptors.

I am fortunate indeed that Mr. Albaugh assigns me to cover the fenced off interior of the Wilds. These areas are normally off-limits, unless you take one of the tours in the open season. The Wilds provides us with hosts who escort our team throughout the inner sanctum, and it is always interesting. Kudos to the management of the Wilds for supporting research, surveys, and management of native birds, in addition to their core work involving large mammals.

Susan Nash and I were paired with Win Fox and Rachael Glover, who are apprentices at the Wilds. They were fabulous hosts and excellent spotters, and shuttled us though the core of the Wilds. Once inside the fence, one will quickly be reminded who the VIP's are. These Bactrian Camels were reticent to move from the road as we approached.

The Wilds' various big game comes first, and all we could do was hope that the camels decided to allow us past. They did, finally, sidling to the edge of the road while we hoped that they wouldn't spit in the window.

At another point, a fine herd of Bactrian Deer browsed near the road. Note the herd's stud-in-chief, center, with the huge rack. In all, the Wilds works with over 20 species of large mammals, including rarities such as Przewalski’s Wild Horse. This species had disappeared from its native range in Mongolia and China by the end of the 1960's. The Wilds' and other facilities' successful propagation programs has allowed about 400 of the horses to be reintroduced back into their native haunts.

The Wilds also works with Cheetah, Fringe-eared Oryx, Greater One-horned Asian Rhino, Persian Onager, Giraffe, African Wild Dog and many others. Seeing strange beasts such as these as one birds the place is a rather surreal experience. Be sure and take a tour of the Wilds sometime. It is one of the most interesting outdoor experiences that one can find in Ohio. CLICK HERE for details.

Many indigenous mammals also can be found on the Wilds' property. This Red Fox (some would argue it ISN'T native!) was huddled in a sheltered spot along a fence, trying its best to stay out of the steady rain. Scores of White-tailed Deer roam the landscape, as do plenty of Coyotes. This area seems to have plenty of Bobcats, too, and I saw my first wild one here back in 2009, and detailed the experience, with photos, RIGHT HERE.

In spite of the nonstop rain, we did fairly well with the birds. Our team tallied 46 species, including plenty of waterfowl, a count first Double-crested Cormorant, two Ruffed Grouse, three Short-eared Owls, gorgeous examples of both light and dark morph Rough-legged Hawks, and much more.

If you want an interesting wintertime immersion into the Wilds, consider signing up for the Ohio Ornithological Society's annual foray on January 18th. We've been doing this event for a decade, and about 150 birders usually show up. It's a blast, with lots of interesting birding. Details HERE.

The Wilds Winter Raptor Extravaganza

Yesterday dawned bright and unseasonably balmy for the 9th annual Wilds Winter Raptor Extravaganza, organized by the Ohio Ornithological Society. As if heralding the beautiful day to come, three Eastern Meadowlarks lit on the wires just beyond the telephone pole as I made this photo. Filled with the promise of spring, the males burst forth with their clear whistled songs - a classic melody of the grasslands. I didn't make any photos of the meadowlarks, or any other birds for that matter. The Canon largely stayed in the car, as we were too busy finding birds and sharing them with our group, and photography had to take a backseat.

Temperatures were in the 30's at starting time, a far cry from a few years ago, when it was an insanely cold minus 12 when participants mustered in this parking lot. Highs would reach into the low 50's, and coupled with the clear blue ether overhead it made for a fabulous mid-winter day to be afoot with bins in hand.

The primary allure, as you've figured by the name of this event, is raptors. Lots of birds of prey frequent the many thousands of acres of grasslands that blanket the Wilds and surrounding American Electric Power lands. We saw American Kestrel, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk and many other species, including a very special performance by the most coveted of the talon-bearing set.

About 155 people showed up for this year's event, which is about typical. In order to manage things and keep everyone out of each other's hair, we divide into eight groups and all head off in different directions. Having some 30,000 acres to fool around in allows for that. Mike Edinger and I led Group 4, and we did some bushwhacking. As part of the "reclamation" of these former strip mine sites, groves of pines have been planted here and there. Most of our group split up and furtively sneaked about these pines, on an owl quest.

We did have success, finding two Long-eared Owls. Unfortunately the owls were uncooperative and we could not get a long range bead on them as they roosted, so we moved the group out. Repeatedly flushing roosting owls is bad for their business; if you can't arrange a way to view Long-eareds from afar and out of their sphere of discomfort, it's better to just leave them be.

But we did snatch up a few pellets. A tiny Meadow Vole skull (I think) sits on a nice bed of digested and upchucked fur.

We also hit a few woodland habitats, in an effort to pick up new birds for the day list. We had a Red-shouldered Hawk at this spot, and a few other species that we found nowhere else.

Two groups meet up along Zion Ridge Road. Vultures were the main attraction here. Down the hill to the left was either a carcass of something, or perhaps fresh afterbirth from one of the cows that was frequenting the pasture. No volunteers could be located that would go down there and check it out. No matter, we had fabulous looks at numerous Turkey Vultures, and better yet, three Black Vultures. We rarely find vultures at this event - normally it is bitter cold and snowy, and the massive carrion-eaters are in balmier climes. I think these were the first Black Vultures that we have ever had.

A very happy group puts their hands in the air like they just don't care after being treated to an outstanding experience with a Golden Eagle. The Wilds is the only Ohio locale where one can go and have a reasonable expectation of seeing one of these magnificent raptors. At least one bird, and sometimes more, has wintered here every year for a dozen years or more. But just because they're here doesn't mean a sighting is guaranteed. The Goldens cover a massive range, and some years we find one, others not.

Following lunch shift #1, a good chunk of the people took a bus ride over to the Giraffe House to see the long-necked beasts up close. A few of us waited around on top of restaurant hill, when Larry Dow spotted the bird far off and on the wing. Closer it came, until the eagle settled at the edge of a distant pond and began digging into some sort of carcass. We rued the absence of the other people and wished for them to hurry back. Finally, we saw the bus pull out from the Giraffe House and head up the very road that skirted the pond where Golden Eagle was happily chowing down. Alas! The bird flew before the bus got within view, and quickly drifted behind a hill and out of sight.



Upon the return of the others, who were understandably disappointed to have missed the eagle show, we set up a vigil and hoped for the bird's return. And return it did, the succulent carcass apparently too tasty to leave alone. So now, nearly half of the entire group was treated to great views of the Golden, but another group had bused off to the Rhinoceros House. Deja vu, as we hoped they would return in time to see the bird. Finally, the bus came lumbering up the road towards the eagle pond, and we hoped they would spot the bird in time to stop and view it before it flew. Not to worry - sharp-eyed observers on the bus saw the bird and everyone on board had great looks, and from far closer than those of us on the distant hill. That's the bus in the distance; the eagle is not far to their right and just on the other side of the road.

The primary reason we limit the Raptor Extravaganza to 150 or so is the size of the restaurant. The Wilds staff kindly opens the building for us and it's a welcome lunchtime respite from the wind and chill. But it only holds 75 people, so we split the group into two lunch shifts, packing the place each time.

We're even treated to a brief presentation about the Wilds by the education department staff. Lunch shift #1 went smoothly. However, right in the middle of lunch shift #2's presentation, pandemonium erupted when the aforementioned Golden Eagle had the bad manners to fly right by the restaurant's windows. Apparently a shout went up and the place cleared in the blink of an eye. Well, at least that meant that nearly every participant at this year's Extravaganza got to see the eagle, and that certainly doesn't happen every year.

The Wilds Winter Raptor Extravaganza is always a blast, and brings birders from all parts of Ohio. This year there were quite a few young birders, some very young, and a fair number of new birders. We had a great time as always, with lots of interesting birds, including Common Redpoll and Northern Shrike in addition to those already mentioned. And of course part of the fun is seeing people only uncommonly encountered, and meeting new birders.

The Ohio Ornithological Society does a lot for Ohio's birding community, the Raptor Extravaganza being just one of many yearly activities. Consider becoming a member. We'll be doing the raptor event again next year, I'm sure, and I hope that you can be there.