Greetings Birders - 
 
In the last post I quickly mentioned today's highlights at Medusa Marsh, and left out the 28 Snowy Egrets that are also utilizing the mudflats/wetlands. This is a good count for this uncommon Ohio species. This also attests to the marsh's sheer number of birds right now. Between the egret flock (which also included 30+ Greats, 15 Great Blues, a Green Heron, and 2 Black-crowned Night-Herons on the sidelines), the blackbird masses, the shorebirds, and several eagles in the area (one sitting on the mudflats not disturbing the birds in the least), this little nook of habitat is a very happening place. 
 
On the drive home, I finally had my first push of Common Nighthawks. Thank goodness as this species seems to be harshly declining each year and I had yet to see any sort of movement or congregations. On I-77 just south of Brecksville, at least 20 birds were hunting madly over the highway, and as I continued into Fairlawn/Montrose, another 50+ birds were active along the highway and over the shopping plazas. 
 
best of birding -
Jen
 
Jen Brumfield
[log in to unmask]
Sharon Center, OH
_________________________________________________________________
Talk to your Yahoo! Friends via Windows Live Messenger.  Find out how.
http://www.windowslive.com/explore/messenger?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_messenger_yahoo_082008
______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]