My son, Jack Stenger, asked me to forward the following report to Ohio-birds.

Jay Stenger
Cincinnati, Ohio


Yesterday, 11 April, I birded the southern end of Delaware
Wildlife Area along Panhandle Rd and Leonardsburg Rd. Delaware
WA is located 4 miles north of the town of Delaware in Delaware
County.

Upon arrival I was surprised to see the main marsh drained,
exposing large mudflats throughout the marsh. Although there
was not a large variety of species, the mudflats were teeming
with shorebirds. The marsh was drained to allow repair to the
water control structure in the dike. Water will not be pumped
back into the marsh until mid August. There are still a few
substantial pools of water remaining (enough to hold a swimming
pelican and dabbling ducks). This remaining water combined with
the spring rains should keep Delaware WA a place to watch for
large shorebird numbers this spring.

Highlights for the day included:

26  Canada Goose
16  Green-winged Teal
12  Blue-winged Teal
4   Northern Shoveler
15  Mallard
6   American Black Duck
2   Wood Duck
7   Red-breasted Mergansers (reservoir)
2   Ring-necked Pheasant
1   Pied-billed Grebe
1   AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (present since 28 Mar)
60  Double-crested Cormorants (on Delaware Reservoir)
3   Great Egret
10  Great Blue Heron
25  Turkey Vulture
1   Bald Eagle (ad.)
1   Cooper's Hawk
1   Red-tailed Hawk
1   American Kestrel
210 American Coot
20  Killdeer
14  Greater Yellowlegs
4   Lesser Yellowlegs
450 PECTORAL SANDPIPER
400 Bonaparte's Gull (many with full black heads)
150 Ring-billed Gull
72  AMERICAN PIPIT (in surrounding fields and mudflats)
3   Brown Thrasher
2   Yellow-rumped Warbler
1   Swamp Sparrow

Jack Stenger
Delaware, OH

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