Columbus Audubon fieldtrip to Glacier Ridge Metro Park

The Columbus Audubon Society sponsors a series of field trips led by excellent birders. Tom Shely, from Wild Birds Unlimited led an evening excursion at Glacier Ridge Metro Park yesterday. Steve and I went along. The highlight was hearing the Sora song in the marsh.





Here's Tom pointing out a Baltimore Oriole up in a huge Burr Oak tree.











There was a bit of commotion up in the tree as a female oriole was chasing off an intruder.







We didn't spot a nest, but we assumed that's what all the commotion was about. This is a lovely old oak that is a remnant of days gone by before urbanization and human intrusion into this prairie habitat.








We saw or heard 27 species in the two hours we were out - that's without covering much territory. Red-winged blackbirds dominate this part of the metro park.

















Tree swallows are everywhere, also. This is a male. It's too bad the angle of the sun isn't showing all of its beautiful irridescence.













This is the female at the opening of one of the purple martin's nests. No purple martins, here, though.