It is still a prime time to atlas here in Ohio with some goodies found this morning at the Hardin Co. wetlands.In it's third year of existence, this has become a very productive cat tail marsh.

Highlights this morning include:

Dozens of young wood ducks
A Redhead hen with 9 young in tow. New nesting record here.
A pair of Ruddy Ducks with 5 young. Second brood of ruddies this year.
Many family units of Pied billed grebe. Some young small with striped heads.
A pair of Am. Bittern that have been present all summer. No confirmation of breeding.
A single Least Bittern both seen and heard. First found in late May, no indication of breeding though.
5 vocal sora rails. They bred here last year.
Dozens of coot with many young birds in tow.
8 Wilson's Phalaropes with 3 young birds feeding within 15 feet of me! Local nesters I presume, with sucessful breeding here in 2006.
1 pair of Yellow billed cuckoos.
15 territorial Marsh Wrens in the cat tails. Quite a colony, up from the 4 inds. last year.
Also Dickcissels, Bobolinks, Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows are still actively nesting.

Rick Counts
Wyandot Co.

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