I've been away for a few days, so the fields have had little disturbance.  I went out first thing in the morning to see if the potential nesting pair of kestrels were still around.  Saw the male on a  perch he favours in a clearing.  As I was watching him, I heard a couple of grunting calls and turned to see an American Bittern, slowly flapping, slowly gaining altitude.  Might have missed him if he hadn't called.  The fields are almost ankle deep in water, and it must have thought it looked close enough to a marsh to take an evening's rest.  Second time I've seen one on this property. Wandering over to the spot where I hope the kestrel's nest is, I saw the female take off from the approximate spot, before I was within 500 feet of it. Decided against pursuing a higher degree of certainty, and wandered into the woods along the edge of the kestrel's territory.  There I was able to hear and see a pine warbler...again hoping for a nester.  The same area as one inhabited last year.  And poking along the ridge, I saw a small hawk fly off a branch and relocate. Broad wing. All in all a very interesting morning.  New, calling from the woods, a wood thrush.  No warblers except the pine.

Inga Schmidt
Chagrin River Road, Geauga Co. at the Cuy. Co. line 
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