While in Westerville for a family visit, I managed to drive over to
Hoover Reservoir Saturday Nov. 3 from about 4:30 to 6 PM. I set up my
scope on the dry mud reached from Weise Road. There were some birds
visible at the water's edge.

Highlights were:
100+ Hooded Mergansers
6 Bufflehead
5+ Bonaparte's Gulls
a big kettle of 45+ Turkey Vultures south of the Sunbury Rd. causeway
1 Northern Harrier, flying north above the trees of the east shore
30+ Great Blue Herons, most lined up like soldiers in review in a big
group on the east shore

Also, there was a group of 16+ shorebirds belly deep in the water at
the edge of muddy peninsula, hard to see with the distance. They were
quite active, often plunging their entire head underwater, tail to
the sky. Medium shorebird size; all white below, brown above, some
with a hint of buffy color on the throat; long, thin slightly
drooping bill. I don't get much practice with shorebirds but I
believe they were Stilt Sandpipers. I welcome any comments on other
possibilities.

On Sunday morning, I visited Hoover Meadows for the first time, a
wonderful little place. I encountered nothing unexpected but several
groups of Bonaparte's Gulls passed overhead, about 80 in all, all
headed west toward the Reservoir.

Then I returned to Weise Rd. again around 10:45 and saw much the same
as the previous day. Some loafing Ring-billed and Bonnies, Hooded
Mergansers and the same group of Sandpipers, with the addition of six
more possible Stilt Sandpipers (they flew away just as I focused my
scope but had same behavior) and a single Greater Yellowlegs. Two
adult Bald Eagles were perched in trees on the east shore. A 7 pt.
buck walked within 25 feet of me and I also caught glimpse of a Red
Fox on the way back to the car, always a treat.

Bill Zimmerman
Cincinnati

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