25 April 2011

Tonight after supper I stopped by Bolton Field Airport on the
southwest side of Columbus to check for Upland Sandpipers.  I was not
disappointed!  There were 3 distant UPLAND SANDPIPERS out on the air
field, and I occasionally heard some "wolf-whistles" coming from their
direction.  One GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was singing near the airport
building and a migrant SOLITARY SANDPIPER called as it flew over.

I spent dusk at the wetland restoration northeast of the corner of
Kuhlwein Rd and Darby Creek Dr.  An AMERICAN BITTERN was
thunder-pumping off and on the whole time I was there and another
individual flew over while the first one was still calling.  At least
2 VIRGINIA RAILS, 2 SORAS, and 1 PIED-BILLED GREBE were also calling,
making for a great wetland chorus.

After dark I visited Waterman Farm at OSU hoping to hear a migrant
Eastern Whip-poor-will.  Amazingly, after walking only about 50 meters
into the woodlot and playing a few seconds of tape, an EASTERN
WHIP-POOR-WILL flew in and gave a few "pup" notes followed by a short
series of whip-poor-wills!  They must be passing through Columbus in
numbers right now because two different friends of mine have also
found Whip-poor-wills in the area over the past 2 days.

The radar for most of the eastern US is absolutely lit up with
migrants as I write this, so get out there and bird tomorrow if you
can!  Keep the reports coming...

Good birding,
Dave Slager
Columbus

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