I did another morning of atlasing in the Deer Creek area today. I spent the time in a block (67D6NE) that is largely private farm land in Fayette County. This block had some fields that were mowed a few of weeks ago. There isn't a Bobolink to be found anywhere in the block any more, but Grasshopper Sparrows have recently returned to those fields in good numbers, and they're much more numerous than before the mowing. Except for that one particular field near New Holland that I mentioned in a previous post, there isn't a single Grasshopper Sparrow to be found anywhere in the Deer Creek Wildlife Area this year, but there sure are common west of the reservoir in Fayette County. Hopefully they'll successfully nest before the next mowing. Unfortunately I haven't seen or heard a Bobolink anywhere in the area for a couple of weeks now. Vesper Sparrows seem to do well in that block, and can be found in many places in hedge rows bordering corn fields. I'm finding pretty much the same birds in the same places that I did a month ago.  New for that block today was a hen turkey with about 15 chicks, and another singing male Blue Grosbeak in an area that I hadn't previously checked. I was thinking that the grosbeak might possibly be the first Fayette Co. record for them until I looked carefully at a map and a satellite image to realize that it was in Pickaway Co. by about 100 feet.

This is sure a great time to get out for atlasing. There are young birds everywhere, and this is the time to change to T7's into CF's and FY's. One highlight today was getting a DD for Common Yellowthroat when a male hopped right in front of me on the ground and did a broken wing display. I've never seen anything like it before.

Bob Royse


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