I thought Dan Sanders's post from ten years ago to this list might be of
interest and provide some perspective, and perhaps stir some memories.
Ten+ years of archives are available via these two URLs:
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://aves.net/archives/
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ohio-birds/
Some of the menus are not correctly labeled: I found this message via a
submenu under the first URL above by choosing Jul 28 2007...go figger.
Enjoy,
Bill Whan
Columbus

25 August 1999
Subject: Avocets, Buff-breasted Sandpipers and Black Terns

Greetings!
    Had anyone told me at the beginning of this year that it would be
possible to see 24 species of shorebirds is Ohio in less than one week,
I might have laughed at them; especially with the loss, in the last
three years, of prime shorebird habitat at Metzger Marsh and more
recently at the Lorain impoundment. There, indeed, was a very big
question mark in the birding community about where shorebirds could be
found this year. Well, due to lower Lake Erie water levels (and I'm
still not sure about what happened at Medusa Marsh), 2 prime shorebird
R&R areas have emerged for our birding enjoyment and success. Why the
lake levels are now lower is open to discussion, but had this not
occurred, good shorebird habitat along the lake (Conneaut harbor
excepted) would be mostly missing and we would be searching the
mudflats of a few inland reservoirs like Hoover Reservoir and Berlin
Reservoir with much less success. I emphasize the word "few" as most
reservoirs are not "let down" until after the height of the shorebird
migration. Those that are lowered early enough are the ones with a 10
horsepower motor limit and fishermen won't complain as this lowering of
the water levels tends to concentrate the fish, making them easier to
find. All the others are lowered only after the swimming and
water-skiing season ends. Well, most of you have probably figured all
of this out already and my point is only to emphasize the fact that we
were very lucky this year. What about next year and the future? What
will the lake levels be then? Why aren't there some areas being
created, preferably along lake Erie, with shorebird habitat as the
major focus? Do we want this to happen? What can we do to bring this
about?

    Don Burton and I had some very good luck at the Lake today. I hope
that you are able to find all of these birds and more, too! Here is a
summary:

Ottawa NWR - Extreme NW section (the long walk), on the lake side of
the impoundments.

Black-bellied plover (l), Semipalmated plover (50), Killdeer (75),
Greater Yellowlegs (90), Lesser Yellowlegs (240), Spotted Sandpiper
(6), HUDSONIAN GODWIT (2), Semipalmated sandpiper (60), Pectoral
sandpiper (45), DUNLIN (l), Stilt sandpiper (2), Short-billed dowitcher
(25), RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (2).
    Also, the 2 Am. White Pelicans were still there as well as Caspian,
Common and Forster's Terns.

Medusa Marsh - Killdeer (20), Least sandpiper (25), Pectoral sandpiper
(5), Semipalmated sandpiper (l5), BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (2) last seen
toward the West end.

Sheldon Marsh - All birds seen from the Cedar Point Causeway along the
West side of the marsh.

Black-bellied plover (2), Semipalmated plover (75), Killdeer (50),
AMERICAN AVOCET (3), Solitary sandpiper (l), Spotted sandpiper (2),
HUDSONIAN GODWIT (7), MARBLED GODWIT (2), Semipalmated sandpiper (55),
Pectoral sandpiper (42), Short-billed dowitcher (36), RED-NECKED
PHALAROPE (l).
    Note: The tundra swan, seen today on the West side of the
causeway,has an injured left wing which would explain its presence
throughout the summer months.
    Our total shorebird species for the day was l8, with 3 new "year"
birds. Also, thanks to Adam Goloda, we were able to locate the 7 black
terns that he and a friend had found at the Huron River mudflats just
below the bridge where Route 2 crosses over the river. To get there, go
East on Route 6 through Huron. At the edge of town, turn right (South)
on River Road and continue until you come to the bridge. Scan
downstream from the mudflats area where we found the birds flying. Good
luck!

More later,
Dan Sanders
Columbus

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