I spent the weekend in northern Ohio, starting at Wake Robin Trail at about 9:45 am on Saturday, October 16.  Weekend highlights were Orange-crowned Warbler, LeConte's Sparrow, Red Phalarope, Pine Siskin, Hudsonian Godwit, and Red Knot.

Highlights at Wake Robin were Orange-crowned Warbler (1) near the beginning of the boardwalk and then flew into the trees on the west side, a VERY cooperative LeConte's Sparrow, a young bird of the year, nearly underfoot while we were standing on the boardwalk, many full frame photo opportunities.  Special thanks to Jerry Talkington for his help in showing this bird to birders and keeping track of the status and location of LeConte's Sparrows and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows at Wake Robin Trail.  Jerry first spotted a first of the fall Northern Shrike, which stayed around for almost an hour, giving great looks.  At about 12:00 (noon), I left for Conneaut to look for the Brandt and Red Phalarope.  I arrived at about 1:00 pm and stayed until about 4:00 pm.  The Brandt was a no show, based on the word passed along by birders, and did not show up while I was there.  However, after about an hour, the Red Phalarope returned to the sand spit, and put on a good show.  While I was at the sand spit, a cooperative first of the year for me Pine Siskin flew over calling.  I also heard a fly-over Lapland Longspur, and there was one Common Tern present.  There was a fly-by Merlin headed for the roosting gull flock, but an aggressive Ring-billed Gull intervened and flew after it, sending the Merlin on its way.  Bob and Denise Lane and Laura Keene were also there looking for and waiting in vain for the Brandt to show up again like it did on Friday.  I think that the weather was too nice on Saturday, based on descriptions from Bob of the conditions at Conneaut on Friday.  When I left Conneaut, I headed to the Mosquito Lake WA on the northwest corner of Mosquito Lake to look for the Hudsonian Godwit, which was still present Friday evening, as reported by Bob Lane.  The godwit was a no show from about 5:00 - 6:30 pm on Saturday, October 16.  I scanned the area from Hoagland-Blackstub Road, but found only 5 Greater Yellowlegs, one fly-over Lesser Yellowlegs, 6 Dunlin and lots of Killdeer.  There are lots of waterfowl, American Widgeon, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and Northern Shoveler, as well as 5 Sandhill Cranes (flying over).  I also scanned from the east end of Mahan-Denman Road where it dead ends into the lake with a good view of an adult Bald Eagle standing on the nest.  The large Rusty Blackbird flock of about 80-100, reported by Bob Lane, was still present, feeding in the wet woods bordering the area off of Hoagland to the north of the immediate mudflats and east of the viewing spot.

On Sunday, I stopped briefly at Wake Robin Trail again, but stayed only briefly to slowly walk the boardwalk once, because there were no reports of any new birds from Jerry T.  Then I headed to Conneaut again.  It's a long way to these northern Ohio areas, so I try to maximize my time at the hotspots.  The Red Phalarope was very cooperative, almost walking right up to me, while I was crouched on the sand spit, providing nearly full frame photo opportunities.  I got there too late for the Little Gull, but did see the Franklin's Gull, which is a different plumage, younger bird, than the Franklin's Gull that has been present at Caesar Creek SP in southwest Ohio, for almost a month.  There were large numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls to sort through.  I left Conneaut at 12:00 (noon).  The weather was getting too nice and all the gulls were departing.  A brief drive by on the Cedar Point Chaussee, west of Sheldon's Marsh, revealed empty mudflats and waters edge.  I arrived at Ottawa NWR at about 3:00 pm.  I walked out to the Crane Creek estuary and quickly found the flock of 30+ (33 max count) Hudsonian Godwits.  There were still a lot of shorebirds present:  25 Black-bellied Plover, I Golden Plover (fly-over, calling, no black axillaries), 5 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, hundreds of Dunlin, 30 Sanderling, 25 Long-billed Dowitcher (giving peeping flight calls), lots of Killdeer, a few Pectoral Sandpipers.  On the way out to the estuary, I saw and heard about 20-25 Rusty Blackbirds.  I left Ottawa at about 5:30 pm, and arrived at Maumee Bay SP at about 6:00 pm.  The Red Knot, reported by Doreene Linzell and Dan Sanders was still present at about 6:20 pm on the lakeside beach, in one of the two eastern areas right on the lake near the resort.  It cooperated, allowing a few photos, before I quickly left it alone to not be further disturbed.
Jay

Jay G. Lehman
Cincinnati, OH

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