Blackbrook Audubon Society

06/16/2026

It’s nearly summer and that means it’s time for our annual June picnic!

Come to our Potluck Picnic in Geauga County!
Our March program speaker, Kevin Magee, told us that June 16 is World Sea Turtle Day. As Blackbrook wraps up another year, let's celebrate (freshwater) turtles and other species we try to conserve beside East Branch Reservoir at Headwaters Park on Tuesday, June 16. We’ve reserved the lodge, or boathouse, close to the south entrance of the park. Come to 13365 Old State Road, or Rt. 608, in Claridon Twp. about 6:00 p.m. and use the second parking lot. Bring a place setting, beverage and a dish to share. Blackbrook will bring the hot dogs so we can eat about 6:30 p.m. Feel free to bring a guest! With only a few days until summer solstice, let’s see if we can find some turtles and other wildlife on a short bird walk after dinner. Hooded Warblers are known to nest here.

Headwaters Park is leased from the City of Akron. More than two miles of the statewide Buckeye Trail winds along the western shore of East Branch Reservoir. The eastern shore and all islands are designated preserves and only accessible during naturalist-led programs. The lodge has picnic tables both inside and under the overhang. There are electrical outlets, but the GPD website suggests we bring water for drinking or cleaning. Vault-style restrooms are available with no running water.

Hooded Warbler, Photo credit: Debbi Schuster

06/04/2026

During last Saturday's Blackbrook field trip to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we heard the Yellow-throated Warbler’s song, but he didn’t come down from the canopy. Our band of 12 birders did find 32 species, including nesting Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Red-bellied Woodpecker parents feeding their young in beside the trail. One Red-bellied nestling peeked out of the tree cavity. A Common Merganser family swam and sunbathed in the Cuyahoga River flowing under the Station Road Bridge. We also watched a Turkey Vulture strike a horaltic pose, with outstretched wings and back turned to the sun. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo crossed the trail and gave us good views, a life bird for Leslie and Sandy.

We continued to Red Lock Trailhead a few minutes south on Riverview Road where we logged 27 species. Red-headed Woodpeckers kept flying in and out of holes. We heard Eastern Towhee and Swamp Sparrows. Common Yellowthroats and Eastern Warbling Vireos turned up at both locations.

Thank you, Vinny, for leading our field trip. Thank you, John and Laurie for sharing your photos.

For a full list of the birds and more photos, see https://ebird.org/checklist/S349420506 for the Station Road list and https://ebird.org/checklist/S349592474 for the Redlock Noth list.

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

05/29/2026

Our '25-'26 field trip season ends this Saturday, May 30, with Bridges and Birds in Brecksville. The last time our destination within Cuyahoga Valley National Park was Station Road Bridge was back in May 2015. With ample parking, level walking along the Towpath Trail as it follows the Cuyahoga River and 210 bird species on eBird's list, let's get reacquainted with this hotspot at the Summit / Cuyahoga line. We'll meet 8:00 a.m. at 13512 Station Road, Brecksville to explore the Station Road Trailhead area and then carpool five minutes south to Red Lock Trailhead. Red Lock has only 15 parking spaces.

The Station Road Bridge area is known for Yellow-throated and Cerulean Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrush. Bald Eagles have nested here since 2006. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was reported at Red Lock on May 20.

Reservations requested; email [email protected] to let us know you’re coming.

Yellow-throated Warbler, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Allaboutbirds.org

05/28/2026

https://therevelator.org/urban-habitat-migrating-birds/?utm_source=rev&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rev412&emci=35f1aad6-f059-f111-8fcb-000d3a18905c&emdi=769e48f0-a55a-f111-8fcb-000d3a18905c&ceid=489666

Nearly half of all stopover sites used by migrating birds in North America fall within urban areas.Nearly half of all stopover sites used by migrating birds in North America fall within urban areas.

05/27/2026

The Safe Distance to Observe Shorebirds
We are so fortunate to have a protected beach for shorebirds at Montrose where, when that protection is respected, your Piping Plovers and other shorebirds can feed and rest and we can observe them from the public spaces.

Of course, birds fly and can fly to the public areas; so, how do we give them the appropriate amount of space? Stating distances isn't always helpful (2 bus lengths, if it is) so let's talk about reading stress in bird behaviors as indicators to back up.

❎ If your actions cause a bird to fly or run away or otherwise change its behavior, you are too close.
❎ If your actions cause a bird to hunch into a protective or aggressive stance, you are too close.
❎ If you are between a bird and the shoreline, you are between the bird and feeding.

Watch for changes in posture and direction indicating that a bird is stressed. Stress causes birds to inadequately feed and compromises their ability to monitor for predators.

Thanks for sharing the shore with your Piping Plovers and other shorebirds!

📸: Matthew Dolkart (fledgling Sea Rocket, Montrose Beach, July 2023)

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

We enjoyed a wonderful morning at Veterans Park for our May monthly bird walk. Our walk started with a male Scarlet Tanager before we even left the parking lot. We saw both a Grackle and a Cooper's Hawk sitting on their respective nests and a Wood Duck and Canada Geese with their young offspring. We saw or heard a total of 60 species, including 13 warbler species. We all had great looks at this Canada Warbler (photo by Laurie White). Here's the link to our full eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S345552377

Thank you to Alison for leading, Laurie for sharing her photos and Mary Ann for keeping and sharing the eBird list. Our next walk at Veterans Park will be Sunday, June 28 at 8 AM. Beginner and more experienced birders are always welcome.