I spent the morning roaming around the edges of this large airport in southern Franklin County/northern Pickaway, mostly hunting for nesting raptors and early grassland migrants/residents.  The airport is a former military base, but as it transitioned to civilian use, it razed many of the military buildings and expanded a buffer zone around the runways.  As a result, it has far more short-grass habitat than any of the surrounding farm fields, amking it an island of this scarce habitat.  Highlights for the morning included

Raptors - 3 active Red-tailed nests, plus a harrier and a kestrel, made for a good raptor morning

Shorebirds - Kildeer were everywhere, but they were the only evident shorebird.  Habitat along the western edge, where there are lots of shrubby wetlands, looks great for Woodcock, so another visit late in the evening is in order.

Horned Larks - only 1 singing, in the open farm fields south of the airport

Pipits - none at the airport that I dtected, but 2 were flying north up Walnut Creek along the eastern margin.

Meadowlarks - many (20+) singing in the airport, but hardly in the surrounding farm fields

Sparrows - Field Sparrows were singing in two successional fields (one at the north end, another along the southern margin on Airbase Rd).  Even better was a Vesper Sparrow singing in the grasslands at the southwest corner of the airport; these grasslands also had a singing Savannah Sparrow.

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]