I never got around to visiting the OH nesting BB Whistling-Ducks last year so I wanted to see this group. I saw 2 adults & 6 ducklings at the v small farm pond behind the barn. The owners are so kind to let birders walk thru their barn to view the ducks! They've even placed signs so birders know where to go as well as a guest book to sign.

One of the adults would fly across the pond whenever a group of domestic ducks made their way close to the pond edge. The domestic ducks did not venture into the water while I was there. After the domestic ducks back off, the adult BBWD would fly back to the opposite bank.

The ducklings are of course beyond cute with their stripes. They're quite small--I watched them on the pond bank under the weeds then they ventured out onto the pond with one adult staying on the pond edge & the other swimming near the ducklings.

Another birder there commented that these nesting BB Wh-Ducks are only 1.5 away from where the nesting group was last year. Same birds? Their offspring?

I did not linger too long. The adults seemed wary & of course protective of their little ones. Given how small the pond is, I didn't want to stress them. Heard E Meadowlark & Purple Martins while I was there.

Since I was close to Funk Bottoms, I went there before heading home. Terrible light/heat waves but I found a few shorebirds besides lots of Killdeer:

Pectoral SP

Lesser YL

Greater YL

Least SP

Spotted SP

Tree, Rough-winged & Barn Swallows plus more Purple Martins

Several Great Blue Herons, then from the observation tower, I saw 2 Great Egrets. Saw one Red-headed WP & heard E Peewee, Com YT, Indigo Bunting there as well.

Along the roadsides, I had at least 3 Kestrels, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Cooper's Hawk & 1 Black Vulture along w/some TVs.

Peggy Wang

Granville