Field Trip 2: Lake Hope

Date and Time: 20 September 2014 and 24 hr clock 7:37 am

Name: Hope Furnace, Zaleski, Ohio

Weather: Cool, Clear skies, Calm- no wind

Habitat: Field, edge, brush, marsh, lake

With: Lab group

Temperature: around 60*F

           My Ornithology group and I arrived in Zaleski State Park at 7:37 am to observe birds. It was a cool morning with few clouds over head. We walked along the marsh next to Hope Furnace and entered a near by trail. As the sun began to rise more and hit the trees more and more birds became active. We heard many birds calling to one another and learned that if you lesson closely you can pick out individuals calls by the difference in their pitch. Each bird in a species make the same calling sounds to communicate with one another but they can tell each other apart but the pitch of the call. 

          In the marsh, lake, and woody habitats we heard and saw many species. We heard the Carolina Wren, Red Shouldered Hawk and saw Common Yellowthought Warblers (males have black masks during the mating season), American Gold Finch, Wide Eyed Verian, American Crow, Blue Jay, Gray Catbird, Yellow Jay, Brown Thrasher, Oven Bird, Downy Woodpecker, White breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, King Fisher, Red bellied Woodpecker, Red Headed Woodpecker, Canada Geese, Tufted Titmouse, Yellow Warbler, Bay Breasted Warbler, Brown Thrasher, Green Herein, Wood Duck and Turkey Vulture.

           We also observed Tufted Titmouse, Warblers, and Carolina Chickadees together in a group. They were helping each other find food. We also found oval shaped holes drilled in trees and learned that these holes were from Pileted Woodpeckers. When we were by the lake we saw two flocks of about 15 individuals of Wood Ducks in each group. The first group that took off contained only male Wood Ducks while the second groups had a mix of males and females. 

Date and Time: 20 September 2014 and 24 hr clock 9:35 am

Name: Lake Hope Nature Center, Zaleski, Ohio

Weather: Same conditions

Habitat: Woody, edge

With: Lab group

             We arrived at Lake Hope Nature Center around 9:35 am. When we got there, there were no birds present and it was dead silent. This could have been because a predator bird like a hawk was nearby causing nearby birds to take cover.

Date and Time: 20 September 2014 and 24 hr clock 9:55 am

Name: Grouse Point Trail Head, Zaleski, Ohio

Weather: Getting warmer and more clouds are present 

Habitat: Swamp, woody

With: Lab group

               We arrived at Grouse Point Trail Head around 9:55 am. This was a swampy habitat where we saw Eastern Phoebe’s, Salutary Sandpipers, American Gold Finch, and a Coopers Hawk. At this site we also observed baby turtles and toads before taking a short hike on the trail.