I made a quick loop south from Columbus this afternoon. Thanks for the heads up from Rob Thorn, Redheads were easily found in the Haul Rd. quarries as I was leaving town.

I then checked out the Charlie's Pond/ Pickaway Co, Airport loop, but nothing too unusual, and nothing new for me was found. Several N. Harriers were up and about and one field had a small flock(!) of N.Flickers feeding on the ground. I then headed over to the area mentioned by Jay Lehman in Ross Co. hoping to see the Ross's Geese, but they weren't there. Either they left or they were feeding in the miles of cornfields nearby. I assume that those birds were same ones that were at the Deer Creek Reservoir last month, so that's where I headed next.

I wish I had more time at Deer Creek. I looked for the reported Great Egret without success.  Another birder mentioned that she had seen it BELOW the dam, but when I got there it wasn't present. Good 'ol Pelican Pete was below the dam, swimming briefly in the wooded creek. The pelican didn't stay long and returned to the reservoir. Below the dam at the first jog in Crownover Rd. there is a small cornfield where I counted no fewer than 28 Great Blue Herons clustered out in the middle of the field. The egret wasn't with them, but it's good to know that it's still around. Waterfowl hunting is apparently still going on, so there wasn't much in the reservoir. I didn't look for the shrike, but other birds seen there during too short of a visit included :

3 N Pintails
2 Common Goldeneyes
1 Hooded Merganser
1 R-br. Merganser
~50 Great Blue Herons
1 Am. White Pelican
8 KILLDEERS
Ring-billed Gulls (many)
~25 Bonaparte's Gulls
11 SANDHILL CRANES

The Killdeers were my first for the year, and the arrival just before sunset of the cranes were a very nice consolation prize (Ohio yearbird #85) after missing the Ross's Geese and Egret.


Bob Royse


Robert Royse
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www.roysephotos.com

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