By: Terri Gorney
In June, Rob Krain, the Executive Director of the Black Swamp Conservancy, asked me if I would do a bird survey on 226 acre property in Paulding County. It had to be completed by the end of July. Rob sent me a map and permission to be on the property. It is a property with grasslands, woods, wetlands and the Little Auglaize River, making it a great habitat for birds.
I asked Randy Lehman and Dave Reichlinger to help me with the bird survey. Dave and I are both board members of the Stockbridge Audubon Society in Northeastern Indiana. I have been a volunteer for the Black Swamp Conservancy for ten years.
On June 15, Randy Lehman went out to the property. We walked the land behind the home on the property to the tree line along the river. It was a hot and humid morning but bird sounds were around us. We had Baltimore and orchard orioles, yellow warblers, common yellowthroats, red-headed woodpeckers and a willow flycatcher among other birds, butterflies and evidence of deer. By the river, we had northern rough-winged swallows and a great blue heron. We had two very cooperative turkey vultures who appeared to enjoy having their picture taken.
On June 29 and July 6, Dave Reichlinger and I went out to the property. Dave has a great ear for the birds. We spent both mornings at the edge of the woods, grasslands and around the river. On the second visit, we went to the Mellinger Cemetery, which placed us on the western side of the property. We wanted to see what could be in the foliage by the river. Some of our highlights were a yellow-billed cuckoo, four brown thrashers, wood pewee, great-crested flycatcher, blue-gray gnatcatcher, and Eastern phoebe. One oddity was a great blue heron that flew onto the road and stood looking around.
In three visits, we totaled forty-eight bird species on the property with a dickcissel just off property.
Cheers to the Black Swamp Conservancy for saving this land. In September, they were able to negotiate a purchase agreement with the landowner. With grant funding from the Clean Ohio program and the Conservation Fund they secured the purchase. It could have become part of the confined animal feeding operation of a neighboring landowner. As Rob writes, “this is a big win – for wildlife, for water quality, and for those of us who enjoy access to the natural world.” There are plans for land management on the property in 2019. It will remain a closed preserve until trails can be developed.
