I made the trek up to the Ashtabula lakefront today.  Old man winter is still in control there.  From Lake Shore Park you could see some open water pockets,  At Walnut Beach on the west side a huge lead opens up to the west offshore.  Other than that, tons of ice remain.  Seen within scope range were: Canada geese, mallards, 20 buffleheads, 150 c. goldeneyes, 150 common mergansers, 50 red-breasted mergansers, 16 double-crested cormorants (behind the power plant), an imm. bald eagle, and many gulls including 25 great black-backs.  There was virtually no water visible offshore at N. Kingsville or Conneaut.  Just ice, ice baby.  It might be interesting off Geneva SP to the west.   I had some good sightings while driving through Ashtabula Co. and Trumbull Co. on the way home.  About a dozen red-tailed hawks were seen, a number looked paired.  From State Rte. 11, I got a good look at an imm. NORTHERN SHRIKE in Plymouth Twp.  Down the road in New
 Lyme Twp. were some wild turkeys.  Once I got into Trumbull Co., I traveled east on State Rte. 87 and picked up Am. kestrel and horned lark in Gustavus Twp.  At the Pymatuning Creek crossing in Shenango WA, 2 bald eagles (1 an imm.) were putting on an aerial show!  At that point, I called it a day.  Later, Craig




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