Bark!

Here on Lake Erie’s shore there are a lot of water birds I don’t see at home.

Terns, for instance.

In Pittsburgh we only see a few terns per year during migration and you have to go out of your way to do so.  Dedicated birders wait at Dashields Dam on the Ohio River in early April for terns and gulls to fly by.  (I’m not that dedicated.)

Terns are more plentiful in northwestern Ohio.  Common and black terns breed there, though in small numbers.  Forster’s and Caspian terns pause in Ohio on the way to their breeding grounds.

Since I don’t often see terns I have to think to identify them.  Caspians require the least thought because they’re easy.  They’re the largest tern in the world — the size of a herring gull — and they have large orange beaks that look like a carrot attached to their faces.

If they’re barking I know them right away.  To me they sound like wild parrots.  Click here to hear.

This one barked at Steve Gosser when he took his picture.

 

By the way, if you’re up near Foxburg in Clarion County, stop by the Red Brick Gallery (17 Main Street, Foxburg, PA 16036) to see a display of Steve Gosser’s beautiful bird photos.  Gallery hours are Fridays 4-8pm, Saturdays 12-8pm, and Sundays 1-6pm.  The show runs through May 28.

Here’s the show announcement.  Sorry I missed the opening last weekend.

(photo by Steve Gosser)

2 thoughts on “Bark!

  1. Thanks for the reminder. Bob and I are going to walk Foxburg Trail tomorrow morning, have lunch at the Foxburg Inn, and since you reminded me, we’ll stop by the Gallery, too. Sounds like a perfect day to me. 🙂

  2. Spent the w/e in foxburg and attended their Bird Fest. The birding was excellent and the event leaders were knowledgeable and welcoming. And, I’m now a proud owner of one of Steve’s prints.

Leave a Reply to Denise Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *