I went to the Wood Duck Viewing area near teal pond off of Bowen Road at Pickerington Ponds Metro Park after work today (8:00pm) at Blacklick Woods M.P. to check on the shorebird scene. It was late and dim light but was still able to make out a lot of shorebirds in the larger pond to the north (left) of the blind slots facing East with my spotting scope. Dunlin, Semipalm. Plovers and sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, and a Lesser Yellowlegs came into view in the closer shallows between two shrubby trees in the fore ground. I was watching and then a Phalarope zipped into view. At first I was thinking Wilson's because thats what was seen earlier in the week. But no! The back of the head had no white stripe, the crown was all dark and it was smaller and jerkier holding its head more up right inbetween feeding and swimming back and forth non-stop. I could even make out the creamy stripes down the darker back. Much darker and smaller than a Wilson's. She seemed to be nearly in full breeding plumage, very cool. You can find Maps of Pickerington Ponds Metro Park at www.metroparks.net. I will be going there in the morning too to see if its still there before heading just north to Blacklick for the day. Blacklick had a few warblers around still but nothing too unusual with about 12 species of warblers, then again I didn't get out of the nature center much. If you go for the shorebirds a scope is needed. 
Ben Warner - Naturalist at Blacklick Woods Metro Park.





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