Brad Sparks and I spent this morning at Darby under a lowering sky, walking out in large fields carrying long metal objects while thunder rumbled in the distance. Having returned safe, I want to report maybe a dozen sedge wrens not far north of the Kuhlwein Rd pkg lot (take the bike trail north paralleling the road, then trail takes a sharp right, look for birds just after you take the right-angle left that follows. Very visible and vocal males 2-3 feet off the trail, noisiest about dawn. A few dickcissels continue to sing, along with various sparrows. Now there seems to be only one pond with much water, the northwesternmost (accessible from the old grain-bins site*), where all the shorebird action was last year. Habitat-wise, it is perfect, and far more easily viewed from the east side (walk east, then take second mowed trail on left)--meaning morning visits are best. All the habitat is close enough, but far enough away so that birds do not easily spook. Thus, a spotting scope will greatly enhance viewing. semipalmated plover 3 killdeer ~100 spotted sandpiper 13 solitary sandpiper 6 greater yellowlegs only 2 lesser yellowlegs 18 semmipalmated sandpiper only 6 pectoral sandpiper around 40 short-billed dowitcher only 1 This habitat is ripe and welcoming, and should produce many more shorebird species as migration continues and enough rain keeps it wet. Bill Whan Columbus * it occurs to me that many birders remain puzzled by this. The grain bins, once a prominent feature, have recently been removed since Metro Parks acquired the land. From US40, take Darby Creek Dr south ~ 1.5 miles (passing Kuhlwein Rd and a Parks parking lot on the left). You'll soon pass a prominent crossing of the MP bike trail, then the turn-off to the new Darby MP Nature Center on the right (no admittance yet), but soon thereafter is a small grove of trees in the large prairie on the left, with two driveways. This is the site of the grain bins, where you can see their concrete foundations, a small shed, and some driveways. For the time being, parking here without blocking driveways is allowed. There are no signs, bathrooms, trash cans, trail maps, or water. You can see this spot is not for the average park visitor. The mowed trail to the shorebird site heads east (you can see downtown Cols buildings in that direction) from the NE corner of this area. Two trails go left from this one to loop the pond; the second, shorter one, leads to the east side where viewing is now better. A circuit of the pond is a bit more than a mile's walk in hot open prairie. This will be better marked and improved later this year by the MPs, and the less adventurous may want to wait for improvements. The rest of us should thank the Metro Parks for allowing responsible use of still relatively undeveloped property. ______________________________________________________________________ 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]