Waterfowl migration is well under way.  Birds are moving in as the ice
starts to recede.  I started the day at Miami Whitewater Wetland at about
8:30 am.  I wanted to try for Sandhill Cranes reported there recently, but
got there too late.  Should have been there at dawn.  There is quite a lot
of open water, probably because the water is rather shallow and can heat
up more quickly than deeper water.   There were 15 species of waterfowl
(including Am. Coot) present this morning.

Canada Goose about 20, Wood Duck 8 (4 pairs), Gadwall 2 (m + f), American
Wigeon 3 (m + 2f), Mallard about 15, Northern Shoveler 13, Green-winged
Teal 8 (4 pairs), Canvasback 1 (m), Redhead 2 (m + f), Ring-necked Duck
35, Lesser Scaup 7 (6 m + 1f), Bufflehead 4 (1m + 3 f), Common Goldeneye 1
(f), Hooded Merganser 1 (m), American Coot 10.

In addition, Red-winged Blackbirds 8 (plus a migratory flock of about 50)
are setting up territory.  Three AMERICAN PIPITS (3) put on a show by the
observation platform.  There was aflock of about 100 Common Grackles
feeding along New Haven Road.

I stopped at the Lost Bridge area, east of Elizabethtown, Ohio, before
crossing the Whitewater River in the extreme southwest corner of Ohio.
Andy Bess, who I met at the wetland, told me that there may be Greater
Scaup present in the flooded field.  There were indeed Greater Scaup 3 (2
m + 1f) and Lesser Scaup 2 (m +f) for good comparison.  The Greater Scaup
had a larger bill and larger nail on the end than the Lesser Scaup. Lesser
Scaup head shape rises rather steeply in a smooth curve to a peak in back.
 Greater Scaup has a bump on the forehead followed by a flatter portion
and rounded in the back, which gives the head a more rounded rather than
peaked in back look.  There were 30 Ring-billed Gulls roosting to the west
of the flooded area, and Canada Geese at too great a distance to pick out
the Cackling Goose reported at this location.

Then I stopped at Caesar Creek SP to check on ice conditions.  The lake is
mostly still frozen with open water along the beach and near the Youth
Pond.  There were Canada Geese 44, Green-winged Teal 2 (m +f), one scaup
that looked like a Greater Scaup in a brief look before it flew off,
Common Goldeneye 10 (3 m + 7 f) and American Coot 66.  There were a few
Ring-billed Gulls.

I checked the Nature Center right by the Pioneer Village, but did not find
anything of note, except a Barred Owl calling in the middle of the
afternoon.  At the Visitor Center by the dam, there was a lot of activity
at the feeder, notably three Fox Sparrows under the feeder.

Next I stopped at the Roxanna gravel pit on the north side of the New
Burlington Roxanna Road.  There was a hole in the ice that has increased
since last weekend that was filled with waterfowl.

Canada Goose 20, Gadwall 40 (mostly pairs), American Black Duck 5, Mallard
2, Canvasback 2 (both m), Redhead 22 (mostly pairs), Ring-necked Duck 400
(yes, I counted 250 and estimated the rest!).

At Spring Valley at the end of the boardwalk, there is now open water,
which held

Canada Goose 6, Mute Swan 2, Gadwall 14 (pairs), Mallard 1, Canvasback 2
(m +f), Ring-necked Duck 17.

My last stop of the day was Melvin Quarry northeast of Wilmington off Rt
22.  I left there between 5:30 and 6:00 pm.

TUNDRA SWAN 3, Gadwall 2 (m +f), American Wigeon 2 (m + f), Mallard 4
(pairs), Green-winged Teal 1 (m), Redhead 22 (only 2 f), Ring-necked Duck
17.

I looked for longspurs and snow buntings along Starbuck, Gallimore, Sabina
and Melvin Roads but found only Horned Larks.

At the end of the day, I had seen 19 species of waterfowl, including Mute
Swan and American Coot.  Quite a good waterfowl day in SW Ohio.  Actually,
in a 24 hour period, I saw 22 species of waterfowl, because I saw three
Common Mergansers (1m +2F), several Ruddy Ducks and Pied-billed Grebe at
Camp Dennison Satruday night between 5:30 and 6:00 pm.
Jay

Jay G. Lehman
Cincinnati, Oh
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