A common element in ohio-birds reports is of course location. Ohio has
some great city names, recognized everywhere--Toledo, Cincinnati,
Cleveland--and all of them good birding spots. We have only one each of
those, but the index in one atlas accumulates eleven Ohio municipalities
with the name "Five Points," for example, as well as ten "Stringtowns"
and eight "Centervilles." Zzzzzzzz.
        Looking further, we find an appalling lack of imagination characterizes
our township names. Forty-three of our 88 counties have a Washington
Township, and 37 a Jackson. There are 25 named Union, 25 Liberty, 24
Jefferson, 22 Monroe, 21 Franklin. Ho-hum. I couldn't find a single
township name used only once in Ohio, not that I was able to stay alert
going through all those patriotic monikers. We do have a few distinctive
town names--Knockemstiff, for example, or Ai, Fly, Ducat, Gratis, and
Jumbo--and long may they prosper in the annals of disambiguity. However,
Knockemstiff, though I'd love to announce a good find from there, is not
yet a birding destination as far as I know.
        Some favored birding spots in other states have memorable names--I like
Banshee Reeks (Virginia), Soldier's Delight (Maryland), Beehunter Marsh
(Indiana), and one I just ran into this morning, Pissingmare Pond
(Newfoundland)--but I can't think of anything nearly so striking in
Ohio. Does anyone care to nominate an Ohio birding spot whose name is in
this league, or close to it?
Bill Whan
Columbus (Ohio)


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