Today after church, I worked on 59C6NW.  I had more eastern meadowlarks,
killdeer, more red-tailed hawks, a kestrel, and miscellaneous sparrows, etc.
I saw an American coot on a large farm pond, of all things.



On the way home, in block 59C6CW, I had my first tree swallow of the year,
and my first Louisiana waterthrush, both firsts for that block, which has
become by far my favorite.  There are some very interesting habitats in that
block, much more that I would have expected.



According to my AviSys records, I now have 79 species in that block.  If
course, I can't enter either of today's birds, because it is not within the
"safe dates".  For those not doing OBBA II, that means that the chance of
the birds seen being migrants and not local nesters is too great to count
them as local nesters at this time, without something more that just
"seeing" them.  I saw my first Cooper's hawk in that block, as well.



Also, although is it not yet "safe date", I had a blue jay clearly engaged
in nest-building.  The foundations of the nest had been put in, and the jay
was bringing what looked like straw or very long grass, and tucking it in
with the other materials.  I watched several minutes, and the bird was
definitely nest building.



I also had red-bellied woodpecker entering and leaving a cavity, and
European starlings carrying nesting material and entering tree cavities.  I
was watching a kestrel in the same general area, and when it flew, it
disappeared on the other side of a dead tree with a lot of cavities in it.
I believe it may have entered a cavity out of sight on the other side of the
tree.  I'll know to keep watching.  I have seen a lot of kestrels, but have
yet to find an exact nesting site.



I'm talking to more farmers and land owners, and hope to get access to
unused barns and outbuildings, woodlots, unmown pasture and grasslands, and
hopefully, wetlands and/or bogs.  I'm meeting some great folks, and a
retired farmer and his wife picking up trash along one of the gravel roads,
promised to spread the word to watch for barn owls.  They had one in a silo
many years ago, and there are quite a few unused solos in the areas now.  We
are already aware of one "pair" of barn owls in Licking Co. - not successful
nesters last year, but apparently interested in staying. (Not in any of my
blocks, though.)  This couple has many bird feeders, and they regularly have
pileated woodpeckers come to their feeders, and more recently indigo
buntings - a first ever for them.  They were very excited to share.



If anyone wants to join me after June 1 - the safe date for nearly all
migrant species, I'd love to have a second or third pair of eyes.



Margaret Bowman

Licking Co., OH




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