Greetings---checked some areas in the NE yesterday for shorebird potential.  Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in Mahoning Co. has a good-looking drawn-down unit.  But viewing is very distant, even with a scope.  I spotted great egret, c. moorhen, and lesser yellowlegs.  Conneaut has adequate habitat to attract migrants to put down, but the best feeding area from springtime has dried up as L. Erie levels have dropped some.  Plus people, dogs, etc. almost always disturb the birds this time of year.  I did have greater and lesser yellowlegs, 18 least sandpipers, short-billed dowitcher;  also a red-breasted merganser, bald eagle, and Forster's tern.  Pymatuning Res. is still up---no shorebirds, had a Caspian tern and 5 Forster's terns on the PA side.  Nothing of note was at the Fish Hatchery or Miller's Ponds (both in PA) either.   Orwell marsh in Ashtabula Co. had guys out doing some official-looking work in the western unit.  The eastern unit has decent mudflats, but only
 killdeers were present.  Actually, killdeer numbers were up every place I visited--they are already moving, or at least gathering.  Last stop was at Mosquito L/WA:  one pond NE of the main lake is down, and had a greater yellowlegs.  A lesser yellowlegs and Forster's tern were down at the south end of the lake, beside the swimming beach.  Also at Mosquito were 2 Am. kestrels and a mama wild turkey w/8 youngsters.  It was good to see purple martins at 3 locations yesterday.  Has anyone checked the Huron R. at the Rte. 2 crossing this year?  How about Sheldon's Marsh, or the old Cedar Point chaussee?  I don't know if these sites are developing any mudflats this year.   Later, Craig

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