Brad Sparks, Paul Gardner, and I stopped at the T80 pond in Seneca Co
this morning. Two male and two female black-necked stilts were evident;
one female was hunkered down on what could well be a nest, located near
the summit and the center of the length of the embankment that runs
roughly parallel to T80 on the far side of the nearest pond.
        We lucked into a good spot by following T80 north, which changes names
to Dunton Rd in Sandusky Co. This road is closed due to flooding, but
one can drive to the water's edge. Here we found four swallow species in
great numbers, three short-billed dowitchers, a least sandpiper, 12
lesser yellowlegs, a stilt sandpiper (!), a common tern, three pairs of
ruddy ducks, a hooded merganser. The water is only a few hundred yards
north of the county line, and extends to the RR tracks.
        We ran into Doreene Linzell and Dan Sanders at Pickerel Creek WA, whom
we joined in walking along the dike along the impoundment with a
pumphouse on Rte 6. A calling whimbrel flew over as we talked. We walked
in from the east, findng an American avocet, greater and lesser
yellowlegs, a dozen s-b dowitchers, spotted/least/stilt/white-rumped
sandpipers, and two alternate-plumaged dunlins (!). Several sedge wrens
were found, thanks to hints from Su Snyder, at the well-signed pull-off
for the prairie fringed orchids along the road to the HQ. Hats off as
usual to the local managers of PCWA for affording foraging spots for
shorebirds; this one should be good for these migrants until the teal
hunt requires flooding of the impoundments around 1 Sept.
        The rest of the time it rained. You have to wonder if widespread
flooding of more normal nesting sites for stilts and black rails, etc.,
out west might have played a role in their appearances here this summer.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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