As a Cleveland eastsider, I'm always thrilled when last-minute-needs take me to Lorain county because it means another of those all-too-infrequent spontaneous visits to Sandy Ridge, which never disappoint. Yesterday afternoon was no exception. I had a terrific time watching two different Kingfishers at the ponds very actively and successfully fishing. Coots were everywhere and were also very active, along with the usual assortment of Herons, Egrets, and (the pair of) Swans. A lone Bald Eagle was perched along the distant treeline behind the pond, keeping an eye on everything. The big surprise for me at Sandy Ridge was a massive swarm (several hundred, possibly more than a thousand) Herring Gulls (from the looks of them) over the ponds. I usually see many gulls in the housing development adjacent to the park, from which the Eagle nest is most visible, but not in the park itself, and I've never seen them in such numbers! As usual, after Sandy Ridge I drove over to Elywood Park to see if the Barred Owls were visible in their sycamore "basket nest." The foliage is now thin enough to allow for very good looks at the nest, but there were no Owls to see. Granted, it's not nesting-time yet, but I've found that they tend to stay there even during the off-season. Hopefully they'll be around again this winter, as it's a wonderfully reliable and photogenic spot for these birds. Best, Noah ______________________________________________________________________ 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]