I was birding in NW Pennsylvania yesterday afternoon, at the end of the day I booked up to Conneaut for the last 20 minutes of daylight.  The harbor is open now and held 350 Canada geese, 20 mallards, 1 redhead, 5 greater scaup, and a modest number of ring-billed, herring, and great black-backed gulls.  The big wind turbine right in the harbor at the water plant was a startling new sight; it isn't real tall though, and doesn't look like a special hazard to the birds there in my opinion.  Some of you may be aware of plans to build a large "wind farm" in the area east of Conneaut Creek and just west of the Roderick Preserve/State Game Lands in adjacent Pennsylvania.  This parcel was bought by US Steel years ago and a big steel plant was slated to be built there, but market conditions changed and the plant was never built.  Long story short, the city of Conneaut was and still is desperate for revenue--and is hoping development does take place on that
 property.  And if there is, say, a bald eagle nest on that property (quite likely) you can be sure that THAT will not stand in the way of "progress".  There have also been ideas around (campground, marina, etc.) for developing the harbor area itself.  Conneaut does know about and does appreciate the birds and visiting birders there, but they need revenue more and right now money talks.  Something such as BSBO's BWIAB could do wonders here!!!  Craig Holt, Lowellville




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