Just another chapter in shorebird sightings from this list during July's
last week of another year. Draw lessons as ye will.


        Medusa Marsh 24 Jul 2001 Harry diCarlo
The Whimbrel was still present at
Medusa marsh at 1:30 tuesday
afternoon. [present 22-31 July]

        Conneaut/Walnut Beach 24 July 2001  Jim McConnor
Semipalmated Sandpiper @15
Least Sandpiper @ 6
Stilt Sandpiper ...3
S.B. Dowitcher....4
Pectoral Sandpiper....5
Solitary Sandpiper...1
Lesser Yellowlegs...2
Spotted Sandpiper @ 4
Semipalmated Plover @6
Sora ....1
        At Walnut Beach
Semipalmated Sandpipers @ 8-10
Avocet...2
Whimbrel...2
Killdeer located in abundance both locations
Not as much habitat at either location this year due to lack of rain.

        Paulding Sewage Lagoons 24 July 201 Doug&Micki Dunakin
Thanks to the watchfulness of John Yochum, we were treated to good looks
at three Avocets at the Paulding Sewage lagoons this evening. For those
interested, the Paulding lagoons are located about two miles northeast
of the village on Johnson Road (Delorme, Page 34, south of C-3). The
village has been draining the south lagoon, and we have been seeing some
shorebirds that normally fly right on by. Ten species were present this
evening, including Sanderlings, which are most uncommon for us and
several Semipalmated Plovers. Alas, just before we left, an arriving
Great Blue Heron spooked the Avocets, and they flew away. Will they
return? Who knows? We'll keep an eye on the lagoon and post a followup
tomorrow. Incidentally, the last time the village of Paulding undertook
repairs on the lagoons at this time of year, we saw lots and lots of
great birds, and for a couple of weeks, the lagoons were the hot spot in
these parts for good shorebirding. Will history repeat itself? From all
early indications, the answer seems to be "YES!"

        Medusa Marsh 25 July 2001 Joe Hammond
1 Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
3 AMERICAN AVOCETS
10 Greater Yellowlegs
~100 Lesser Yellowlegs
2 Spotted Sandpipers
1 Ruddy Turnstone
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper
8 Least Sandpipers
20 Pectoral Sandpipers
4 Stilt Sandpipers
6 Short-billed Dowitchers
29 Caspian Terns
2 Common Terns
45 Forster's Terns
        Pickerel Creek 25 2001 July Joe Hammond
Killdeer
1 Greater Yellowlegs
~20 Lesser Yellowlegs
3 Spotted Sandpipers
4 Least Sandpipers
20 Pectoral Sandpipers
11 Stilt Sandpipers
50 Short-billed Dowitchers
2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos

        Medusa, Pickerel Creek, Pipe Creek 27 July Peter Gottschling
There were still two Avocets at the east end of the impoundment at
Medusa this morning.  They were on the far side sometimes behind the
broken row of loosestrife.
Paula Lozano found two Wilson's Phalaropes at Pickerel Creel about 9:30
AM. The first in the pond along the dike just before the trees at the
end of the closed Vickery road section.  The second was about 1/4 mile
east of the corner looking south into an area with lots of dead trees
and eagles.  Park at the gate where Vickery road joins 6 and walk in
(see Joe's directions below).  There were also 40+ stilt sandpipers and
even more short billed dowitchers.
Pipe Creek contained the same variety as the other places.  Take the
left fork trail after entering and go straight to the only pond with
water and mud.

        Central Ohio 27 July 2001 Rob Thorn
Over the last two days I've stopped by 4 usually reliable shorebird
sites around & in Columbus, and the news is not pretty.
Hoover Reservoir: the North end had only minimal mudflat 2 days ago,
before the recent rain and cooler weather.  Only a few Kildeer, Spotted
& Solitaries.  Quite a few herons, though.
Olentangy Wetland Research Park: reasonable mudflats yesterday, but few
shorebirds (the same cast of characters as Hoover).
Pickerington Ponds: virtually no mudflats this morning.
Buckeye Lake:  the impoundments that were so promising 4 weeks ago were
in the process of being filled to the brim this morning.  Needless to
say, very few shorebirds.
So, if you've a yen for sandpipers, Big Island is probably the best bet
nearby, but it's arguably more profitable to make the drive up to
Sandusky.

        East Fork State Park 28 July 2001  Hank Armstrong
Dave Brinkman called to report the first shore birds of the season were
spotted on the south swimming beach of East Fork SP There were two
Sanderlings feeding among 19 Ring-billed Gulls and one Caspian Tern at
the beach

        Sandusky Bay areas 28 July 2001 Bill Whan
A bunch of us from Columbus hit the hotter shorebird spots in Erie and
Sandusky Cos. today. Thanks to Mary Warren--see her earlier post--who
greeted us at Medusa Marsh and pointed out a whimbrel and an avocet. We
later located another avocet, a black tern, and two Wilson's phalaropes
at this spot. Numbers of shorebirds here overall were down considerably
from earlier in the week--no dowitchers, for example, only a couple of
stilt sandpipers, and so on. Water from recent rains had apparently
diminished the habitat--and of course species that benefit from deeper
water had plenty of other places to go. A pintail was a surprise here.
        The area described earlier at Pickerel Creek WA had slightly higher
water and fewer shorebird species, but at least had maybe 70 s-b
dowitchers and ~40 stilt sandpipers, as well as another Wilson's
Phalarope. All three phalaropes seen today were in basic plumage, and
one of us had seen two in fading adult plumage only the day before, so
this species is on the move. Nine eagles were seen at once here.
        Pipe Creek WA's Unit B (A is off-limits for tern nesting, and C&D now
lack standing water and are heavily vegetated) had fewer shorebird
species than it perhaps deserved, with some emerging mudflats along the
margins. Stilt sandpipers far outnumbered dowitchers here, and here we
found most of the day's peep spp, though nothing unusual. Another
pintail showed up here.
        The Cedar Pt. Chausee had higher water than lately as well, but still
had fair numbers of dowitchers, peep, yellowlegs, etc. An oddly-plumaged
willet 400 yds off teased us for a while with thoughts of marbled
godwit. Here and elsewhere appreciably numbers, maybe a hundred overall,
Bonaparte's gulls had arrived, most in alternate plumage. We ended up
with fifteen shorebird species, and some drier weather may improve the
chances for more at these spots.

        Conneaut 29 July 2001  Kevin Metcalf
I visited Conneaut Harbor for a while on Friday, 7/27. Most interesting
bird was a MERLIN that harassed the shorebirds (mostly least and
semipalm. sandpipers, semi. plovers, a few s.-b. dows.) but was not
successful in catching anything while I was there. I wonder if this bird
is an early migrant, or possibly a locally summering bird - did anyone
note a merlin here anytime during the summer?

        Medusa Marsh 29 July  Mary Warren
The whimbrel and 4 avovets present this morning (about 8:00 am)at Medusa
Marsh at west end. The avocets were all in the same field of view.
Beautiful. Hope you get to see them soon.

        Caaesar Creek SP 30 July Larry Gara
        This AM there was one Semipalmated Sandpiper and one Sanderling on
Caesar Creek beach along with the usual few Killdeer and the group of
Ring-billed Gulls.
        Cowan Lake Sp 30 July Larry Gara
This afternoon the spillway at Cowan Lake had:
2 Least Sandpipers
3 Spotted Sandpipers
2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS 8 Killdeer
The Marsh at the end of Lotus Trail had:
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
l Least Sandpiper
2 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS
10 Killdeer

        Sheldon Marsh, Medusa Marhs 30 July 2001  Vic Fazio
The mudflats at the western end of Sheldon Marsh State
Nature Preserve were entirely exposed today and remain
so for a couple of days under the current seiche conditions.
As viewed from the Cedar Point Chausee, the following
were tallied . . .150 Killdeer, 7 Semipalmated Plovers, 4 Greater
Yellowlegs, 11 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 4 Spotted
Sandpipers, 60 Least Sandpipers, 210 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 55
Short-billed Dowitchers, 1 Stilt Sandpiper, 140 Bonaparte's Gulls, and 4
Great Black-backed Gulls
As previously reported the Medusa Marsh American Avocets and
Whimbrel were readily seen up close this morning.

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