Blackbrook Audubon Bird Walk Returns to Mentor’s Veterans Park

Blackbrook Audubon invites birders of all skill levels to its monthly bird walk on Sunday, July 26, at Veterans Park in Mentor. The group will meet at 8 a.m. at 5730 Hopkins Road. Park trails are level and include asphalt, compacted gravel and boardwalk sections. Walk leaders will have a couple pairs of binoculars available to lend. Blackbrook will continue hosting the bird survey on the fourth Sunday of the month through August. June Walk Highlighted Summer Adaptations Summer weather was ramping up during June’s walk, giving the nine observers a chance to see how local birds cope with rising heat and humidity. A Northern Flicker fanned her wings while perched high above the trail. Nearby, a Great Blue Heron used gular fluttering while standing in the sun, rapidly vibrating its neck muscles to force air over throat membranes, which serves as the avian version of panting. A Common Grackle also held its beak open without making a sound. Other sightings included a Gray Catbird carrying a winged insect, likely headed to a nest. A Cooper’s Hawk nest the group has monitored for a couple months now holds young with fuzzy heads. Observers could also spot an Osprey nest atop a cell tower next to the park. Park Protects Rare Ohio Swamp Forest At 100 acres, Veterans Park is home to Granger Pond, the largest inland pond in Lake County, and protects a remnant of original Ohio swamp forest. The property was once a sand quarry before the City of Mentor purchased it from the Granger family in 1970, forming Mentor’s first neighborhood park. Lake Metroparks now manages the site and stocks the pond with catfish, bass, bluegill and rainbow trout. A valid Ohio fishing license is required to fish there. Wide Pond Draws Fishermen and Waterbirds Alike Granger Pond’s wide expanse attracts both fishermen and birds such as kingfishers, herons and mergansers. The eBird.org list for the location shows 211 species recorded. Just under a mile from Lake Erie, the pond and tree cover at Veterans Park give birds inland shelter during stormy lake conditions. Blackbrook Audubon serves as the local chapter of the National Audubon Society, covering Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties. Those interested can contact the group at blackbrookaud@aol.com or follow updates on its Facebook page.