Birding in Xenia, Ohio

This past week, while visiting family in Xenia, Ohio, I had the opportunity to go birding at the Narrows Reserve and the Morris Reserve. I started at the Narrows Reserve where a beautiful hiking trail paralleled the Little Miami River. While it was a cold morning, it was a good day of birding and there were few people on the trail. I counted 14 birds on the walk by sight (many more by sound).

The most common birds I saw were Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Carolina Chickadees, and American Robins. The chickadees stayed fairly high in the canopy, but the gnatcatchers and Robins would often come down to eye level.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1000.

American Robin. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 4000.

I was surprised to come across a single male Prothonotary Warbler and a Yellow-throated Warbler along the river bank. Both stayed high in the tree, but it was still a treat to see these two familiar birds.

Prothonotary Warbler. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 720.

Yellow-throated Warbler. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 1000.

Birding is usually pretty good at most trail heads and as I got back to the parking lot I heard a wren calling from the tree line. There I found a House Wren perched low in a tree. It flew down to a branch laying on the ground where it continued to sing.

House Wren. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1000.

The next day I visited the Morris Reserve which is 177 acres of woodlands, prairies, and meadows. On this trip I took a trail through the woods where I soon found a pair of Carolina Wrens hanging around some downed branches on the ground.

Carolina Wren. Looking a little disheveled while preening and singing. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 2000.

Carolina Wren. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 1400.

Yellow-rumped Warblers were in full-breeding plumage with the yellow-spot on their heads fully visible. They were busy chasing after each other, usually darting into the middle of a tree or a bush so getting a clean shot was difficult. Here is the best one I could get.

Yellow-rumped Warbler. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 3200.

Song Sparrows were in abundance and singing out in the open. This one was near the trailhead and would alternate singing and preening.

Song Sparrow. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1000.

The next day I returned to Morris Reserve where I specifically wanted to find American Goldfinches. I had heard them on the previous hike where they seemed to stay high in the tree canopy. They also seemed to be near the perimeter of the woods, staying in the tree line that bordered the field. So on this trip I chose a field trail that ran along the perimeter of the woods. It didn’t take long to find a goldfinch.

They also seemed to be in the trees and brush at field level, so found a trail that took me through the field but with a good view of the brush line. It didn’t take long to catch a flash of yellow in my peripheral vision.

American Goldfinch. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 2000.

American Goldfinch. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1800.

Near the American Goldfinch I was using Merlin to identify by sound other birds. Merlin told me there was a Common Yellowthroat in the area so I hung around to find it. It took about half an hour, but I was thrilled to find it and get a photo.

Common Yellowthroat. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 900.

Further down the trail I came across a copse of trees where I could hear an Eastern Towhee singing. I soon found a male and female pair, rooting around in the brush and occasionally popping out to perch on a branch. I was particularly excited to photograph the female bird, which I’ve never photographed before and she looked absolutely beautiful.

Eastern Towhee (female). Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 1250.

Eastern Towhee (male). Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 1250.

These two nature reserves are excellent birding areas with very well maintained trails. Go check them out, and happy birding!