From Opus

Visitors to southeast Ohio’s dazzling Hocking Hills region are often awed by discover the area’s incredible rare and unique bird population. The Hocking Valley Birding Trail now helps travelers find the best locations for birding and offers tips for spotting the most unique bird species that visit or live in the Hocking Hills. A few species to look for include:

• Wood Thrush: Performing a beautiful flutelike song, thrushes prefer deep, cool wooded ravines and can be spotted in Hocking Hills State Park, Rockbridge State Nature Preserve and along the HockHocking Adena Bikeway.

• Pileated Woodpecker: Big trees attract big woodpeckers. This crow-sized insect eater is found in large, mature forests with plenty of dead snags, like those found in Hocking Hills and Lake Hope State Parks. Look for telltale rectangular holes in the trees.

• Ruffed Grouse: Spring is the best time to find this elusive chicken-sized game bird that likes young growth forest with large downed logs. Males noisily drum their wings against their chest to get the attention of a potential mate.

• Bald Eagle: It’s hard not to spot our national symbol soaring overhead. This raptor loves fish and is found during spring and fall migration near the water, such as Lake Logan and Lake Hope.

• Red Shouldered Hawk: This soaring raptor likes mixed forest. Best viewing is in the winter when scarce food and bare trees make sources make more bold and visible. They’re often found in Clear Creek Metro Park and Wayne National Forest.

• Prothonatary Warbler: Spring migration brings warblers to wooded areas near swamps, ponds or streams, like Wakeena Nature Preserve and Waterloo Wildlife Area. Their rising “Tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet� call can be heard through June.

• Eastern Bluebird: This cavity nester is among the first to herald spring. Place boxes on the edge of open fields well in advance of their return and you may attract a brood or two. Eastern Bluebirds call Clear Creek Metro Park and Lake Snowden home.

• Wood Duck: Another cavity nester, this duck loves wooded areas near open water, like Lake Hope. The brilliantly colored males are a work of art. Their distinctive “squeal� may announce their presence before you see them.

• Cerulean Warbler: Found in mature woodlands, this species is in decline in Ohio. Listen for the sharp, rising "zray, zray, zray, zreee" song.

• Black Vulture: With a habitat that’s moving northward through Ohio, distinct white wing patches and a shorter tail distinguishes the Black Vulture from the Turkey Vulture. Black Vulture have been spotted around Hocking Hills State Park.

• Yellow-throated Warbler: One of the earliest spring warblers, this grey-backed bird wears a yellow bib and is commonly found in streamside sycamores.

• Red-headed Woodpecker: The only woodpecker in the eastern U.S. with an all-red head, this “star� has been sited around Lake Hope and boasts wings marked by large white patches.

• Whip-poor-will: This nocturnal species is more often heard than seen, singing his own name, "whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will,� sometimes more than 1,000 times in a single night.

• Wild Turkey: The adaptable wild turkey has returned to Ohio after years of absence. They prefer mature forests with substantial cover and plenty of food sources.

Beyond the many unique natural attractions, the Hocking Hills offers wide variety of accommodations, from camping and cabins to hotels and country inns. In addition to numerous hiking trails, parks and forests, the Hocking Hills area offers unique gift and antique shops, canoeing, horseback riding, golf and more. Complete consumer information on hummingbird events, festivals, accommodations and the many sites in the Hocking Hills region is available online at www.1800Hocking.com or toll-free at 1-800-HOCKING.