49 Bird Species Seen at Byers Woods Festival

Joe Lyons • June 27, 2023

ASHLAND, Ohio – Visitors to Byers Woods Park were looking up this past Saturday.

They were there for the 16th annual Bobolinks and Butterflies Festival, an event held by the Greater Mohican Audubon Society (GMAS) and Ashland County Park District to celebrate one of the county’s most distinct birds.

The male bobolink is a small blackbird with a yellow cap and white on its wings while female and nonbreeding birds are mostly brown. Several males during the walk performed a courtship behavior colloquially known as parachuting. A male bobolink flies out of the grass and sings in flight. Then the bird folds his wings over his head in a steep “V” shape and drops slowly to the ground.

While bobolinks were the highlight of the festival—the group saw around twenty individuals—they were only one of forty-nine species of bird seen or heard. GMAS member Christina Stump was encouraged by the attendance, a total of 38 guests and volunteers. “My goal was to overflow the parking lot,” she said, “and we accomplished that.”

After the morning walk, visitors heard two presentations on wildlife conservation. Louise Fleming-Dufala shared her journey to attract pollinators by planting pocket gardens. She explained that it is important to grow both host plants, which are used by caterpillars, and nectar plants, which are used by adult butterflies.

Something to avoid are nonnative cultivars, or hybrid species, which may be unclearly labelled. “Avoid native seed packs,” Fleming-Dufala said, “unless they are guaranteed native [to Ohio].” Fleming-Dufala recommends Natives in Harmony as a source for Ohio genotype plants.

Stump spoke about the impact of solar panels on grassland birds. “This is a growing concern, especially in the great plains region,” she said, referencing a recent article by the National Audubon Society. “We need to be working with our local officials to protect important habitat and find alternatives,” Stump said. She proposed functional solar, such as solar carports, as alternatives to using grasslands for solar projects.

Stump encouraged attendees to sign a community-organized petition opposing solar at Byers Woods, linked here: https://bit.ly/ByersWoodsPetition.

Also assisting with the festival were members of the Ohio Ornithological Society, Friends of the Ashland County Park District, and Ashland County Public Library.

As the group prepared for the afternoon butterfly walk—which included two uncommon dun skippers—GMAS member Gary Cowell Jr., spotted a young bald eagle flying over the park. One more reason to look up.

About the Greater Mohican Audubon Society

The Greater Mohican Audubon Society (GMAS) is a chapter of the National Audubon Society serving Ashland, Holmes, Richland, and Wayne Counties of North-central Ohio. The group is dedicated to environmental education, conservation, and restoration of habitat. The group holds bi-monthly bird walks and participates in national projects such as the Christmas Bird Count. For more information about the group, please visit the website https://gmasohio.com/ or follow us on Facebook @Greater Mohican Audubon Society.