Derby Rd. and Buchanan Rd.

Derby Rd. and Buchanan Rd.

Waterford, Ohio 45786

About this Location

Buchanan Road is Township Road 6. It runs east from OH-676 and makes a sharp left turn after about a half-mile. At that point, continuing straight, the road becomes Derby Road, Township Road 1, which is about 2.6 miles long, rejoining OH-676 further east.

The Buchanan Road section is agricultural; Derby Road is mixed agricultural and woodland, with occasional rural houses and yards. Buchanan is paved and there are no good pull-offs in the half-mile that is part of the hotspot. However, traffic is light, so stopping in the road briefly is usually possible. Derby Road is partially paved and has very light traffic. Parking on the right edge of the road usually presents no problem since the road is wide enough for what little traffic there is to pass. All land along both roads is private property.

Best birding locations, from west to east:

Buchanan Road: The half-mile section is dominated by icterids and starlings, numbers of which can be large in the fall. Song and (in winter) White-crowned Sparrows and Barn Swallows can be seen here too.

Derby Road, the first quarter-mile east of Buchanan Road to a dilapidated house: Wooded at first, giving way to a field on the north side and early successional habitat on the south side. Great Crested Flycatchers, Indigo Buntings, and a variety of songbirds can be found here.

Derby Road, the middle 1.5 miles: Mostly wooded with some riparian bottomland. Occasional fields. A wide variety of songbirds varies with the season. Eastern Wood-Pewees, Great Crested Flycatchers, Wood Thrushes, Acadian Flycatchers, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Towhees.

Derby Road, power line crossing: Red-tailed Hawk nest on second power line pole to the north. Scope needed. Yellow-breasted Chats, Field Sparrows, and Summer Tanagers along the road, with a few other songbirds in both directions.

Derby Road, the quarter-mile immediately west of OH-676: The woodlot and yard of the house on the south side have Red-headed and sometimes Pileated Woodpeckers. Along the road Yellow-rumped Warblers in winter. Eastern Bluebirds in warmer months.

These roads traverse privately owned properties. Please view birds from the roadside only.

Features

  • Roadside viewing

  • Restrooms on site

Content from Terry Bronson