I headed NW from Columbus this afternoon to pursue my January 100 list. The main targets for the day were Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings, which I still hadn't come across yet. I head N through Kenton and was planning on going to the Longbrake Wetlands for another crack at the longspurs. The tiny lettering in the DeLorme Gazetteer resulted in a fortunate mistake. I found myself on Jackson Twp. Road 60 (instead of 50) between Hardin County Roads 195 and 205. In the corn stubble on that road I found a large flock of several hundred LAPLAND LONGSPURS mixed with a similar number of Horned Larks. I found no Snow Buntings with them unfortunately, but there could have been some nearby. This area is 1 mile south and 1 mile west of the Longbrake Wetlands on DeLorme P.47 B 5 near the center fold of the page.

After that I headed N to the Findlay Reservoir, where I have seen Snow Bunting in the past along the berm.  No luck with them there either today. It wasn't a total waste, though. I was able to finally add HORNED GREBE to my yearlist. Other birds at the Findlay Reservoir this afternoon included :

Canada Geese (~400)
Mallards (several)
Am. Black Ducks (several)
Lesser Scaup (~10)
Common Goldeneye (~10)
Common Merganser (~20)
Hooded Merganser   (1)
Am. Coot  (~30)
Ring-billed Gull (many)
Herring Gull (~25)
Bald Eagle (2)

There were several flocks of Horned Larks in the corn fields near the reservoir, but I found nothing else with them.

Just as I was arriving home in Columbus I found a Great Horned Owl perched atop a telephone pole on McKinley Rd. near the Indian Mound, bringing my yearlist to 97. Three more to go.

Bob Royse


Robert Royse
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www.roysephotos.com

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