The Mountwood Bird Club of Parkersburg, WV had a great trip to Killdeer Plains last Thursday afternoon and Friday.   The weather was good and the birds cooperated.  The ground was snow-covered which made it easy to spot the small birds in the fields and drove many of them to the edge of the roads.

We found four Long-eared Owls, the Northern Shrike, many Rough-legged Hawks (light and dark phase) and Northern Harriers and five Bald Eagles.  The Short-eared Owls came out at dusk.  We even saw one catch its prey and then do battle with a Harrier as it tried to steel the prey.  We also found a Red-headed Woodpecker.  The ponds were all frozen over so there was no duck around.

In the area around CR 112 north of Upper Sandusky there were lots of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks -- along the roads, in the fields and flying -- and some Lapland Longspurs   Probably our best year yet for Snow Buntings.

Here is our list for the Killdeer Plains area:

Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Wild Turkey
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Chickadee species
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
House Sparrow

For the record, we also visited Big Island WA.  Lots of Harriers there.  We also stopped at the egg farm area near Johnstown, OH. where we saw Horned Larks and Snow Buntings.  We stopped at Alum Creek and Hoover Reservoirs.  We did find some waterfowl there:
Tundra Swan
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Canvasback
Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron

Dick & Jeanette Esker
Wood County
West Virginia
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