Like the Monty Python troop in their search for the holy grail, I trekked around Ashtabula Co. yesterday (5/2) seeking the ever-more-elusive upland sandpiper. Again, many acres of suitable habitat were visited. And once again, not a sign of any uppies. From what I can tell, there are alarmingly few reports from the Great Lakes states this spring. I don't know of a single Ohio sighting yet. There were plenty of good birds in the rural areas of Ashtabula Co: wild turkey, n. harrier, Am. kestrels, e. kingbird, e. bluebirds, savannah sparrows, e. meadowlarks, and bobolinks. I hit Orwell Marsh in the late morning, and again in the early evening; it is in prime condition for shorebirds, I found 9 species but no rarities. Also here were: 6 blue-winged teal, 9 green-winged teal, sora, and 7 species of warblers. Conneaut harbor was very good in the afternoon--lousy weather in May usually equals good birding with minimal human disturbance there. There were some of the
common shorebirds moving through. Also of interest were: Am. wigeon, n. pintail, blue-winged teal, lesser scaup, red-breasted mergansers, 2 great egrets, 4 black-crowned night-herons, Bonaparte's gulls, a first-cycle LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, 24 great black-backed gulls, 37 Caspian terns, 20 Forster's terns, red-headed woodpecker, purple martin, ruby-crowned kinglet, and a small group of warblers containing a pine warbler. No bank swallows seen, though. Finally, at the Pymatuning causeway were common loon, bald eagle, and cliff swallows. Later, Craig
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