Saturday, November 13, 2021
Field Trip to Cleveland's West Side Lakefront Parks

​On a chilly, windy Saturday morning the Kirtland Bird Club’s November field trip started at Rocky River Park in Rocky River. Twelve participants, club members and guests, enjoyed good views of rafts of Surf Scoters, Buffleheads and Bonaparte’s Gulls. One Common Tern was spotted in the passing stream of Bonaparte’s, and Common Loons were feeding with small, tight flocks of Bonaparte’s. Two Bald Eagles brought the total species seen here to 22.

Ten people continued to the next stop, Columbia Road Park in Bay Village. Fewer species were seen, but everyone enjoyed views of the natural waterfall and Lake Erie from
the overlooks. A third Bald Eagle was added to the trip list here. The next stop was Cahoon
Memorial Park West in Bay Village. From the parking lot 13 Killdeer were counted on the soccer fields south of Lake Road. We joined another group of bird-watchers, who reported seeing and photographing a Pacific Loon before we arrived.

The east end of the Huntington Reservation was our final stop. Using the Water Tower to block the wind, we scanned the lake for waterfowl. An immature Bald Eagle landed in a nearby tree and was soon joined by a fourth-year Bald Eagle. The last bird added to the trip list was a Great Blue Heron that landed on the beach near the mouth of Porter Creek.