I spent most of yesterday in Ashtabula Co.  Early on I searched some areas in the Jefferson/Denmark area for possible upland sandpipers.  No luck again with that, but consolation birds included brown thrasher, ovenbirds, and bobolinks.  The variety and quality of wildlife habitats in this part of the state is really remarkable.  I went to Conneaut harbor next, and stayed there a few hours.  Shorebirds are starting to move through there now.  Mid-May through early June is always the best time for seeing them there in spring.  Yesterday, there were small numbers of semipalmated plover, greater & lesser yellowlegs, and least sandpipers present.  The high-Arctic breeders will be coming next.  Also at Conneaut: 2 great egrets (1 in high breeding condition--curious, since they're not known to nest anywhere nearby), a fishing osprey (not migrating), 1 Bonaparte's gull, 7 great black-backed gulls, 14 Caspian terns, e. kingbird, bank swallow, and marsh
 wrens.  I went down to Orwell Marsh on the way home.  Highlights there were 6 blue-winged teal (at least 1 pair), hooded merganser, 5 semipalmated plovers, lesser yellowlegs, least sandpipers, and swamp sparrow.  Finally, close to home here in Mahoning Co. I heard a c. nighthawk in Struthers last evening.  A very welcome sound, as this species is disappearing as a nester around here.  Later, Craig




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