Our Firelands Audubon birding class has just begun here in Erie County. Today was our first field trip which included the Castalia Duck Pond, the old bridge abutment in Bay View (closed to through traffic, but open for birding and fishing), and Medusa Marsh. The Duck Pond was virtually empty. Not much was seen at Bay View either, just a small raft of Ruddy Ducks, two Wood Ducks, and a male Hooded Merganser, Double-crested Cormorants, and Ring-billed Gulls. At Medusa Marsh, the most plentiful ducks were Ring-bills. Also present were Gadwall, American Wigeons, Black Ducks, a male Hooded Merganser, and a male Northern Shoveler. Other birds included Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Tree Swallows, Great Egrets, Killdeer, Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, one adult Bald Eagle, a kettle of Turkey Vultures, a pair of Trumpeter Swans, Ring-billed and Herring Gulls, and a small flock of Bonaparte's Gulls. Just as the last of us were leaving, we saw a flock of shorebirds flying in the distance. They came from the south and were heading northeast. They flew tightly grouped. I am guessing they may have been Dunlin, but would appreciate any other suggestions as to their identity. There are isolated patches of shoreline along the bay in that direction but the best habitat for them may be Pickerel Creek which is further to the east. If any of you are interested in joining our bird class, we meet Thursday evenings at 7 PM and Saturday mornings at 8 AM in various locations in Erie and Huron Counties. Class runs through May 20. Contact me for more information. Sheryl Young Sandusky ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]