Today Darlene Sillick, Tom Bischoff, his son Stephen Bischoff and myself spent the day birding some of my favorite central Ohio locations. We visited Township Road 50 in Jackson Township, Hardin County, Township Road 50 in Wyandot County, Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in Wyandot County and Big Island Wildlife Area in Marion County. We tallied 83 species for the day with our final find the cherry on our birding hot fudge sundae, a Purple Gallinule at Big Island. Bill Heck and his birdathon team reported seeing a Purple Gallinule at Big Island on May 12. Our team had visited the site earlier that day and we located Common Gallinule but did not see the Purple Gallinule. Today we found it amid a small group of Common Gallinule. This could have been an easy miss, but my cureosety was raised when I realized I wasn't perceiving the white along the wing. When we scoped it we were able to confirm its identification. Red bill, white forehead badge, no white along
 the wing, etc.

The day began at TWP Rd 50 in Jackson Township, Hardin County. The fields had been recently mowed which proved surprisingly to work to our advantage. Spaced on each's chosen territory were Bobolink males. With little cover they stood out and were like a field of singing flowers. I counted 41 males and 2 females. Other birds in the mowed field and the fallow field across the road included Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow and Vesper Sparrow.

Close by at TWP Rd 64 in Jackson Township, Wyandot County we located additional Dickcissel, Common Yellowthroat, Orchard Oriole, Red-headed Woodpecker, Bald Eagle and a few additional species.

From this location we went to Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area. On the north side of CH-68 there is a large area of Pond 27 that is dry. In this area of mudflat we located 86 Dunlin, Semipalmated Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper. In a flooded field at CH-115 and Ohio 294 we loaced Killdeer, Solitary Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper. Near the stable building next to the Sportman's Club we found a Killdeer nest with 4 eggs. The adult did the classic broken wing act for us. We departed before we caused her any distress. At Pond 3 we spotted several of the nesting species with their young in tow. Species I have found nesting here include Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck and Pied-billed Grebe. 

At Big Island Wildlife Area along with the Gallinule we located a variety of waterfowl including Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Wood Duck and Trumpeter Swan.

Charlie Bombaci

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