The Toledo Naturalists Homepage

Saturday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. - Unique Flora of Northwest Ohio - John Jaeger, recently retired Director of Natural Resources for the Toledo Metroparks, will present a program discussing some of the more interesting and rare plants found in Northwest Ohio, including in the Oak Openings and the new Forrest Woods Nature Preserve in Paulding County.

Monthly meetings are held at the Andersons Activity Center at 1833 S. Holland-Sylvania Rd. in Toledo at 7:30 pm.

Saturday, March 13, 8:00 a.m. – Birding Findlay Reservoirs & Vicinity – This is a new birding field trip, to explore just a bit south of here. There should be some open water on the reservoirs by this time, and waterbird variety can be very good. Nearby, Hancock Parks locations include Riverbend Park, which usually has Carolina Chickadee and patches of a variety of habitat for late winter birds. Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs are often out in the nearby agricultural fields. Meet leader Paul Chad at the Bowling Green Meijers just east of I-75, for carpooling / caravanning arrangements. Be prepared for still-wintry weather - bring a lunch if staying to bird into the afternoon. Easy to moderate hiking, and some birding by car. About 40 minutes driving time from Bowling Green.

Sunday, March 21, 8:30 a.m. - Lakeshore Birding with Matt Anderson - Weather dictates the movement of birds so much; it’s difficult to say what might grace the Lake Erie shore in late March. Ducks will certainly be present, and some of the earliest arriving songbirds and other migrants should be seen. Southwest winds would almost guarantee a flight of hawks along the lake. Meet at the Maumee Bay State Park campground parking lot at 8:30 a.m.

For the third consecutive year, Toledo CBC participants scrounged up a superb species total. The official total was 95 following the record-breaking totals of 96 in both 2008 and 2007.

Snow goose – North Toledo / Maumee Bay
Cackling goose (1) – Toledo Country Club / Maumee River
Surf scoter (1) – Bayshore Power Plant – Only 2nd record, only other was in 1961
Long-tailed duck (1) – Bayshore Power Plant
Black-crowned night-heron (29) – Bayshore Power Plant
Bald eagle (68+!) – This total obliterates the previous mark of 25 from 2007 and breaks the local single-day high of 40 from 3/22/04. This is likely also an all-time high for the state. Tom Kemp & Elliot Tramer had an amazing 33 at LCPNWR alone, and our group had another 18 at Bayshore Power Plant.
Merlin (2) – Ottawa Park
Killdeer (4) – North Toledo / Maumee Bay
Lesser black-backed gull – (18) - yet another all-time local single-day high edging last year's CBC tally of 17; Steve Stockford's group found 13 just in their area
Long-eared owl (4) – Maumee Bay State Park
Short-eared owl (1) – Maumee Bay State Park
Northern saw-whet owl – Maumee Bay State Park
Gray catbird (1) – Little Cedar Point NWR
Brown thrasher (1) – Eagle Point Road, Rossford
Yellow-rumped warbler (15) – Ottawa Park
Common yellowthroat (1) – Navarre Park
Vesper sparrow (1) – Bayshore Power Plant
Lincoln’s sparrow (3) – Bayshore Power Plant
Lapland longspur – various locations
Snow buntings – various locations
Common redpoll (5) – Oregon

15 species established or tied all-time Toledo CBC totals including the following:

Cooper's hawk (31) - more than doubles the previous record of 15 from 2005; this species' local winter numbers are markedly increasing in recent years

Northern mockingbird (16) - way above the previous Toledo CBC total of 9; Chuck Anderson and Mark Miller found 10 in their territory east of the Maumee River; Chuck reports that they scrounged up previously undiscovered birds simply by playing mockingbird tapes in scrubby industrial areas

Snow bunting (318) - substantially higher than the long-standing previous Toledo CBC record of 201 from 1959

The cold January 2nd weather (high of 19) did not deter the record number of participants (44, including some Boy Scouts) from setting a new all-time record of (84) species which surpassed the previous all-time record of (82) in 2008. Highlights were plenty: Northern goshawk at the Providence Park dam (Stockford and Fausnaugh); Golden eagle over Oak Openings Park (M. Kemp); 7 species of gulls on the Maumee River including 1 adult Thayer's, 2 Iceland, 3 Glaucous, and 10 Lesser Black-backed (Andersons, Kemps, Miller, Fausnaugh, Stockford, Witter); 4 Saw-whet owls (Links, M. Kemp, Stockford, Fausnaugh); Common redpolls in Oak Openings Park (Links); Peregrine falcon; 4 late Killdeers. Nine species were found in record numbers including Eastern bluebird (219 - wow!) and American robin (641). Finally, many thanks to Terri for a delicious and lively countdown.

The Toledo Naturalists' Association was formed in 1933 when the Toledo Nature Study Society and the Toledo Field Naturalists' Association merged. TNA has been the official compiler for the Toledo Audubon Christmas Count since its inception. Many of the early TNA members created the first local bird book, written by Lou Campbell, and first published in 1940. Members receive bulletins and an annual yearbook. In addition, there are approximately eight presentations given by local naturalists, an annual spring chicken barbecue and fall banquet, and numerous field trips specializing in birding, insects, and botany. TNA welcomes you to explore its Web Site.