I saw six Turkey Vultures in 75 miles between Galena and Chillicothe, then
made a slight detour from my northbound return from errands to scope the
Yellowbud Moraine along Westfall Road (Lutz Road, Swaney Road, etc.), west
of Route 104, NC Ross County.

Wilson's Snipe (2) probing the feathered edge of one pool.
American Woodcock (1) probing nearby.
Lesser Yellowlegs preening by water's edge (1).
Horned Lark (1) gathering nesting material, many others in song and several
seen engaged in sexual chasing or agonistic chases.
Meadowlarks in song.
Dozen-plus Killdeer well distributed throughout damp landscapes.
A few teal with dabblers, all too far away and too skiddish to get a view of
before they flew.
Some Red-winged Blackbirds singing here and there.

This hummocky glacial recessional moraine, though very efficiently ditched
for drainage and converted to clean agriculture, nevertheless attracts good
migrant diversity some years (when there's enough rain or melt to fill the
moraine pools--and before they slowly drain through field tiles).

Hummocky recessional moraines pool water in small depressions. Imagine
you're a shorebird or teal migrating and you look down to see a landscape
spangled with reflecting pools similar to that you will soon see in the
Prairie Pothole region--you're going down for a closer look--it's genetic!

Rains this week should fill the pools and bring more birds.

Tom Bain
Scoping the Yellowbud Moraine
North-central Ross County

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