Visited the Bellevue flooded fields (TR 292 near the RR tracks) and Willow
Point today.  Peregrine Falcons scared off the shorebirds at *both*
locations!

Highlights (full list below):  The Buff-breasted Sandpiper was back at the
flooded fields, along with a Marbled Godwit and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes

Water is receding fast in the flooded fields, particularly on the southeast
side (where the most shorebirds are) but there still is plenty of shorebird
habitat.  Overall numbers were down considerably from Monday; still, a few
hundred shorebirds is a great collection in Ohio.

We were able to observe the shorebirds for a couple of hours until the local
Peregrine strafed the fields several times.  This immature bird apparently
was just practicing, as it missed several easy opportunities and didn't seem
to care a lot.  (Yes, that's an anthropomorphic interpretation, but we were
there....)  Whatever the purpose of the falcon's activity, it was enough to
scare off most of the shorebirds, which went heaven-knows-where.

We then headed to Willow Point.  Water is being pumped into the southerly
pond (for fish?  for waterfowl?  certainly not for shorebirds) but habitat
toward the east end of the pond still was good, as was habitat in the
northerly pond.  Shortly after we arrived, though, and before we could
little more than start our shorebird search, another Peregrine moved in,
scattering shorebirds every which way.  This one seemed more intent on
hunting and pursued one shorebird (a peep, possibly a least) in a very
acrobatic chase for several minutes.  Fortunately for the peep, the falcon
either got tired or decided that it wasn't that hungry, as it finally broke
off the overhead chase high in the air above us and settled down to rest in
a nearby snag.  The shorebirds showed no sign of returning, so we left, too.

The show put on by this last Peregrine was amazing -- but I certainly wish
it had come as the finale rather than intruding on the first act!

Here's a list for the day:

Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Bufflehead (a bit surprising at flooded fields)
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
American Golden-plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Short-billed Dowitcher
Marbled Godwit (flooded fields)
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
Ring-billed Gull
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling


--
Bill Heck

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