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August 1998

Water levels at Pond 27 of Killdeer Plains W.A. have come down enough to accomodate long-legged waders. From Tue. last week through yesterday a Marbled Godwit was present - Rick Counts. Last Wed. it was joined by an American Avocet (Kirk Alexander) and yesterday by a Wilson's Phalarope. Also before the front went through, some 200 yellowlegs yesterday, with 75+ remaining today. Three-four Stilt Sandpipers have been around on occasion. The easternmost corner now has a small amount of exposed mudflat where frequent turnover of smaller shorebirds takes place. During the 20 min. or so Kirk Alexander and I stood before it we had Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated, Least, Pectoral, and Solitary Sandpipers stop in only to move on after a few minutes. Another inch or two lower and an extensive area for these smaller shorebirds should appear. With the prospect of a Ruff or Hudsonian Godwit in September, area birders should be putting KPWA back on their itinerary.

Lorain still holds the attention of most birders seeking shorebirds. Notable last week were 10 Stilt Sandpipers from 23-26 August with 2-3 remaining since. Buff-breasted Sandpiper has been on again off again with 2 there on Friday. A Red Knot was also reported Friday. All five peeps, including Baird's, White-rumped, and Western Sandpipers have been reported all week. I was there for 30 minutes on both Thur. and Fri. ( all I could spare) and saw none of these things - need to give this place a couple of hours to do it justice. Here is a graphical summary of what has been reported to me the past 10 days at Lorain.

The above observations made by Jason Larson, Kevin Metcalf, Jenny Brumfield, Tim Colborn, Bob Conlon, Larry Gara, Vic Fazio, et al.

Another Buff-breasted Sandpiper was reported from Maumee Bay S.P. yesterday - Tom Kemp.

Songbird migration has really picked up the past week. Last Wed. night was heavy for warbler and Swainson's Thrush calls during the night. This was repeated again this past weekend Sat. & Sun. night with Veery heard over Tiffin last night. Veery was among migrants captured at Springville Marsh SNP (Seneca Co.) yesterday. Tom Bartlett et al. also noted Black-throated Blue Warbler (an interesting partial albino male), Chestnut-sided, Tennessee, Blackpoll, Blackburnian, Northern Waterthrush, American Redstart, and Magnolia Warblers. A Palm Warbler was an early find there. Tennessee's were numerous this morning in Marion County, accompanied by a few Nashville. Many of these species, plus several Black-throated Greens, a Northern Parula, and a Worm-eating Warbler were noted yesterday by Mike Busam at Miami Whitewater Forest (Hamilton Co.). Paulding Co. is also reporting a variety of migrants (13 warbler spp. last week) - Doug & Micki Dunakin.

If there was any doubt as to transient nature of shorebirds at Lorain, it should be put to rest by events of yesterday. Joe Hammond reported a common mix of shorebirds at mid-day. At 2:00 pm., Greg Demars had 16 American Avocet, 1 Willet, and 1 Stilt Sandpiper. At 7:15 pm. Marian and Jeff Kraus did not report the avocets but had 5 Willets. Elsewhere : Grasshopper Sparrows (up to 15) and Dickcissels continue at Big Island W.A. as of yesterday while Upland Sandpiper was found along Rt 95 at Big Island W.A. on Monday - V.W.F.III.

Apologies for the recent technical difficulties. The present solution is temporary but by 1 Sep. I expect to have a permanent new home for these files.

The Lorain impoundment has been the site for shorebirds with observations of Marbled Godwit on Mon. and Tue., 3 Whimbrel and a Willet on Tue. and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Wed. Although nothing out of the ordinary was reported for Thur. another dozen species may be viewed closely at this location. Directions

Shorebirds elsewhere include a mix of common species at Hebron Fish hatchery which apparently now sports some habitat - Bob Royse. The first and far (NW) impoundments at Ottawa N.W.R. have some exposed mudflat which Sunday held 2 Wilson's Phalarope with one remaining through Wed. - Don Burton and Dan Sanders. Other shorebirds have included several Stilt Sandpipers, and a couple of Baird's Sandpipers. Numbers of Snowy Egrets have been of interest with up to 28 present - Tom Kemp. Usually an immature and adult Little Blue Heron have been seen among them with 4 Little Blue Herons today - Joe Hammond and Bill Whan. Joe further reports a White-rumped Sandpiper and Sandhill Crane at Ottawa today. The Buck Creek State Park Laughing Gulls remain as of today (2 1st yr birds present since Saturday) - Doug Overacker et al.

This week's cold front produced record cold in the northeast of Ohio and should spur additional warbler sightings. Last Sunday Bay-breasted and Tennessee Warblers were present on Kelleys Island while Canada, Magnolia, and Nashville Warblers were noted Tue. at Blendon Woods (Columbus) - Doreene Linzell. Common Nighthawks were on the move over Seneca County Wed. night. News comes from northwest Union County of a Short-eared Owl photographed in wheat stubble on the 6th adding to the growing location records for potential nesting within the state - Mike Gallaway.

Early fall observations recently include a spate of Merlin sightings; an adult at Kelleys Island on Sunday - V.W.F.III & Tom Bartlett, a bird flying over the pier at Lorain on the 12th Don Burton and Dan Sanders, and two birds in southeast Ohio (Athens Co.) on the 7th - Steve Edinger and Vicki German. All of these observations come before the earliest published fall date of 18 August 1990 - a bird in southwest Ohio. An Evening Grosbeak and a Dark-eyed Junco were reported from a Clark County feeder today - George Hollingworth. While the grosbeak is exceptionally early for Ohio it is anticipated by this date along the north shore of Lake Erie in years in which a winter irruption ultimately takes place. Recent Osprey reports (Wed. at Lorain impoundment, today in Delaware Co.) likely represent migrants rather than hack birds.

Shorebird news from Lorain impoundment over the weekend included 3 Marbled Godwits and 2 American Avocets on Saturday - Doreene Linzell et al. with 2 of the godwits remaining Sunday while a third avocet turned up - Rich Nicholls et al.. Saturday there were several Stilt Sandpipers while Sunday a Willet was added to the mix. Len Powlick found 7 Least Bitterns, including 4 juveniles, at Big Island W.A. on Saturday. Belatedly (my fault), I can report that Len had 5 Little Blue Herons at the first pond of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on the Sunday 2 August ; 4 of these were immatures. The more expected Snowy Egret was represented by 14 individuals. Bob Placier closely studied a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Hebron Fish Hatchery on August 3rd. No shorebird habitat at Hebron but Bob considered conditions at Pickerington Ponds to be fair with 9 Least Sandpipers present that day.

An immature Little Blue Heron was walking along a dike at Turtle Creek W.A. (Ottawa Co.) last Tue. - Tom Bartlett. The same day I pulled into the middle dike parking lot at Big Island W.A., only to flush a Least Bittern from the cattails within the ditch between the lot and the main impoundment. I subsequently learned this bird has been present here since 16 July - Carl Hoagstrom. At the Lorain impoundment yesterday were 2 Whimbrel - Marian and Jeff Kraus. A White-rumped Sandpiper was at the Cowan Lake spillway (Clinton Co.) on Saturday - Larry Gara.

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maintained by Victor W. Fazio III / last modified 26 Nov. 2000