I got to check Conneaut harbor today for about an hour each in the morning and late afternoon.  A first-summer western sandpiper was the best bird by far.  This species is quite rare in Ohio in spring, but I've managed to find them the last several years in Ashtabula Co. in the far NE corner of the state.  None were adults in alt plumage.  I was able to study this WESA from as close as 25 ft. by staying in my car and using it as a blind.  Also at Conneaut today: osprey, semipalmated plovers, spotted sandpiper, semipalmated sandpipers, least sandpipers, 16 dunlins, 4 great black-backed gulls, 2 Caspian terns, an imm. Forster's tern, willow flycatcher, e. kingbird, warbling vireo, purple martins, bank swallows, and marsh wren.  Now some bad news: this morning at the Conneaut sandspit there was a freshly burned-up CAR.  This is extreme even by planet Conneaut standards.  Long story short, the Port Authority people and the police are on the case, and
 intend on restoring law and order there.  They will probably be chaining off certain roads at dusk, so if you go there at the crack of dawn you may have to do some walking out to the spit.  This is far better for the birds' welfare there than the way it is now, the less disturbance the better.  Also, the sand "road" on the spit is tricky now, so if you aren't experienced at beach driving you could easily get stuck.  Later, Craig




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