This afternoon we found 10 species of shorebirds at the Lorain impoundment, with Semipalmated Sandpipers quite numerous (~100), but nothing unusual. The remaining birds were: Black-bellied Plover 1, Semipalmated Plover 12, Killdeer many, Lesser Yellowlegs 2, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Sanderling 10, Least Sandpiper 10, Pectoral Sandpiper 1 and Short-billed Dowitcher 5.

We counted 41 Bonaparte's Gulls, including several juveniles. There were also juvenile Caspian and Common Terns on the flats. One of the juvenile Common Terns was seen begging, unsuccessfully, alas, from a Bonaparte's Gull. Land birds were pretty quiet.

Migration time for Upland Sandpipers is here and we checked Burke Lakefront Airport today, but it was nearly avian free. It may take the passage of a weather front to actually incite a movement, but we should be listening for them.

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We took a brief look at the Mosquito Creek WA and Lake areas this morning and found quite a few shorebirds, though none exotic. We saw 2 Great Egrets, an immature Bald Eagle, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and various other breeding birds. Bank Swallows were gathering and Yellow Warblers were calling or vaguely singing.

Shorebird locations were the weedy fringes of Redhead Pond (just west of the north end of Hoagland-Blackstub Road) and mudflats along the road on the west side of Mosquito Lake. We had 4 Semipalmated Plover, ~20 Killdeer (including one half-pint juvenile), 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 8 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 20 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 12 Least Sandpiper and 3 Pectoral Sandpiper. While this isn't shorebird heaven, for this year in Ohio, it isn't bad at all, and the potential for more is there.

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This afternoon we finally followed up on the increasing shorebird reports with a visit to the Lorain impoundment. We saw 11 species of shorebirds with the highlights 2 Red Knots and 2 Wilson's Phalaropes but did not find the Hudsnian Godwits recently seen by Nick Barber. Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper were numerous with Semis most common. We also saw 7 Semipalmated Plover, 5 Killdeer, 4 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Ruddy Turnstone, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers and 16 Short-billed Dowitchers.

Other birds included Bonaparte's Gulls, Caspian, Common and Forster's terns, a Marsh Wren still singing, Warbling Vireo plus Yellow Warbler and Indigo Bunting.

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On a non-birding trip to the unglaciated portion of Ohio we got in a little morning birding in Athens and Gallia counties, the former mostly in the rain at Strouds Run State Park. Stll, Athens County had singing White-eyed, Yellow-throated, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated, Kentucky and Hooded Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat and Scarlet Tanager. Yellow Warbler and orioles (except one male Baltimore) were conspicuously silent or absent. We heard many of the same birds while eating lunch along a country road near the southern edge of the county.

On the 17th it was especially pleasing to locate a male Blue Grosbeak in Gallia County, knowing they should be present. This bird was feeding in a weedy strip along a tobacco field on Northup-Patriot Road and further along the road Grasshopper Sparrows were singing. The next day we were surprised by a group of Wild Turkey, 3 adults, 4 half-grown young and one quite small.

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We met Tom Leiden in Ashtabula County where we found nesting Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers last year and Tom had found their new nest this year. The birds are in a new location in a beautiful spot. In past years we had seen Orchard Oriole there and today we found a pair feeding two fledglings and we learned that their call note is one we heard last week that is reminiscent of the electronic tones of Three-wattled Bellbird.

Tom went on to check the other sapsucker nests he has found and we headed to the county airport where we have had some good birds. We were excited to see a female Northern Harrier that went out of sight and stayed. We went to a better vantage point and just when we were giving up the male appeared, carrying prey. We watched while the female met him and they transferred the food. The female went a short way and disappeared in the area that must contain the nest with young.

We covered a number of other spots and really liked the one where Beckwith Road crosses the West Branch of the Ashtabula River. Though not a ravine, the river is lined with hemlocks. Birds there included Least Flycatcher, Carolina Wren and Cerulean Warbler. We had one Alder Flycatcher along Old Kyle Road. The northern/southern bird combinations of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker/Orchard Oriole and Least Flycatcher/Carolina Wren were wonderful examples of Ashtabula County's rich possibilities.

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We visited Eldon Russell Park (on Rapids Road north of US 422) for the first time in April and wanted to see the Prothonotary Warblers there and look for breeding birds in other parks in the county. We took the nature trail at Eldon Russell Park along the "ditch" cutting off a loop in the Cuyahoga River where there are apparent nest boxes for the warblers of which we saw and heard at least six. We are quite impressed with their success. The park has a good variety of habitat and the appropriate birds in them. We saw one of two Yellow-billed Cuckoos which we hope are not just late migrants and heard two Least Flycatchers and a third along Rapids Road outside the park. To the east, especially along Patch Road, the Amish farms have many pastures and hay meadows where we found Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows numerous and Purple Martins were taking advantage of many martin houses.

We stopped briefly at Swine Creek Reservation and Headwaters Park (East Branch Reservoir) and then went to The Rookery to see what its status was. We found that this park had its formal opening on June 6! It is very nice with one short trail and a mile of trail along the old interurban lines. It is 24 years since Vera Carrouthers first took us here to census the heron colony (in a protected preserve and not a public area of the park) and we are delighted with what the park system has made available here and can hardly wait to get back earlier in the day and when it isn't beginning to rain. Our last stop was at the Bessie Benner Metzenbaum Park which looks like another good birding location. We haven't spent much time in Geauga County in the summer recently and really like the parks, mostly new in the 90s.

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When we stopped at the Lorain impoundment this afternoon it finally felt summery again, warm and humid with steam rising on the flat. We are still amazed at the summering population of Great Black-backed Gulls and counted 31. There was a Caspian Tern, 12 Forster's Terns and 2 Common Terns acting very like a courting pair.

Shorebirds continue with the resident Killdeer and Spotted Sandpipers joined by 2 Black-bellied Plover (1 alternate plumage, 1 partly), 3 Semipalmated Plover, 10 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 2 White-rumped Sandpipers. Ducks included a pair of Gadwall and there was a Great Egret with full breeding plumes. The trees had a Warbling Vireo and Amercan Redstart and at least 2 Marsh Wrens sang continuously in the phragmites.

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Send mail to: Dick & Jean Hoffman (djhoff@ix.netcom.com)

Archived: Sep 28, 1998