I arrived at KPWA at about 2:30 pm after being out of state all weekend.
Later on that.  Not very many birds at KPWA, but much flooding.  Found two
Horned Larks on Washburn Road, and a relatively small flock of Canada
Geese with a few Mallards.  The ponds along Marion Wyandot Road west of
Washburn Road, including Pond 27, were essentially devoid of waterfowl.
Found a small flock of Canada Geese and Mallards.  There was one adult
bald Eagle perched in the treeline along Road 115 opposite the
intersection with Road 75.  There was one Northern Shrike, visible as a
bird with binoculars in the large fields in the southwest corner of the
intersection between 115 and 75 but well north of the intersection with
Marion Wyandot Road  at about 3:30 pm.  It was perched in the tops of two
hawthorn trees that are not widely separated.  The bird was identifiable
as a Northern Shrike at 60X in my Swavroski HD telescope, but identifiable
only as a possible shrike in binoculars.   At about 3:45 to 4:00 pm, I
heard a Barred Owl calling behind the Sportsman Club at Road 108.  At
about 5:00 to 5:30 pm, there were clouds of waterfowl returning to the
hidden pond behind Pond 27 along the north side of Marion Wyandot road,
but it was too dark on a cloudy, misty afternoon for identification.  Most
looked like Mallards by size and shape.  At about 5:45 pm, two Short-eared
Owls appeared over the field that is in the northwest corner of 108 and
75.  These birds were hovering in the wind as they hunted.  Had never
before seen SEOW hovering like a Red-tailed or Rough-legged Hawk.  I left
the Sportsman's Club area at about 5:50 pm.  Checked the Pond 27 area for
late returning waterfowl flocks but found none.  Other birds in the area.
There were three drake Common Goldeneye in the upground reservoir
(Killdeer Reservoir) and one Ring-billed Gull. Five Hooded Mergansers in
the pond along Road 123 between 75 and 71.  I saw about four Red-tailed
hawks, and 6 Northern Harriers, one of which was a male "gray ghost."  At
the end of Monday, 01/15/06, my Ohio January list was 84.

I arrived at KPWA  for my first Ohio birding of this long weekend, because
I had just returned from a successful life-bird chase to Rhode island to
see the two Pink-footed Geese in Newport, RI.  Although I initiated this
trip, and Curt Dusthimer also participated, Dan Sanders did a yoeman-like
job of driving there Friday night and the return trip on Sunday and
Monday.  We also birded in the Cape Ann area, Gloucester-Rockport, north
of Boston, MA, and found, all three scoters, Red-necked Grebe, Eared
Grebe, Harlequin Duck, Common and King Eider, Iceland and Glaucous Gulls,
Purple Sandpipers, and Great Cormorants.  A seawatch at Hallibut Point SP
produced, Northern Gannets, Black Guillemots, Razorbill, Common Murre and
Black-legged Kittiwakes.  It was a great trip.
Jay

Jay G. Lehman
Cincinnati, OH
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