While most (I hope) of us are out atlasing breeding birds during our
spare time, migrations are ongoing.
        As for northbound movements, a year-old female rufous hummingbird,
banded January 13th in Tallahassee, was recaptured in Chenega Bay,
Alaska yesterday, after a journey of nearly 4000 miles.
        Heading south through the Plains, a female long-billed curlew was
detected via a transmitter a couple of weeks ago; she was probably a
failed breeder, but observers on Florida's Atlantic coast are reporting
arriving shorebirds (both yellowlegs, western & semi & least SP, semi
plover, etc., adults one hopes were more successful, and that their
young, abandoned in the Arctic not long ago, will soon follow them.
Don't ask me how, but seemingly even adults get lost...
        ...Witness a red-necked stint from either Alaska or across the straits
in Siberia, one of only three state records for the month of June, was
discovered and well photographed in Massachusetts the day before
yesterday. Ohio's only record of this species comes from 21 July, a more
normal schedule, if not itinerary...
        Apparently wildlife authorities in the Gulf States are looking for ways
to safely accommodate southbound migrant birds in view of the oil spill
disaster; one promising way of enabling them to avoid oiled areas is a
proposal to have farmers start flooding otherwise unproductive fields to
provide foraging areas so they can overfly dangerous locales.

Bill Whan
Columbus

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