GREAT STUFF!!  The three Wood Storks were still present and actively
feeding until about 8:30 - 8:45 pm last night, when I left.  It was so
dark then that only three white blobs were still visible feeding in the
pond.  They did not go to roost before I left the area.  I left work in
Cincinnati at about 5:50 pm and arrived at 8:00 pm to a large group of
Amish birders and a few others, who were respectfully watching the three
Wood Storks actively feeding quite close to the road.  Several of us,
including Jen Brumfield and Gabe Leidy tried some photography with only
fair results as it was quite dark.  However, the birds were quite
visible in detail through my Swarovski 80 mm HD spotting scope.  What a
sight for OHIO!!  Hopefully the birds will stay, and there will be
better light in the next few days.  I wondered why the birds were still
feeding so actively and so late.  Were they in preparation for another
long flight??  Hopefully, not!!  I took the fastest route in MayQuest to
get to the location and not the shortest.  It was I-71, I-270, I-70 to
SR 93 north toward Adamsville to CR/TR 145.  It is only about 23-25 mile
north of I-70 by SR 93 to the location.  Special thanks to Bruce Glick
who kept us informed over the past two days, and particularly those
Amish birders who found these birds.

 

It was especially pleasing to see the respectful and quiet Ohio birders
in action.  I just returned from an unsuccessful attempt to see the
Jabiru in Texas near Raymondville.  We (Curt Dusthimer and I) and Dan
Sanders separately, arrived too late on Saturday, 08/23/08 only to
discover that the bird was no longer there.  It flew off Friday
apparently after a group of birders and/or photographers pushed the bird
on Friday morning, so hard that it left the area.  The sad tale has been
discussed ad nauseum on TEX BIRDS.  All of the other birders that came
from a long distance to Texas were respectful of property and the birds
in the flooded areas near Raymondville.  I have met many of them on each
trip to see a rare bird in North America over the past 8 years, or so.
Let's keep up a great tradition here in Ohio and be respectful of
property and the birds when there are rare birds present!!  

 

Jay

 

Jay G. Lehman

Cincinnati, OH

  


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