All,
 
I entered this weekend's birdathon in the "most species seen by an individual birder in 24 hours" category. The Cincinnati birdathon begins on Friday at 5 pm until Saturday at 5 pm on the first weekend before Mother's day every year. This year's birdathon was 5/6-7/11.
 
As an individual, I decided to stay confined to a fairly small area rather than running all over the place as in years past. So I did my birding mostly in western Hamilton county, with a trip out of the county into Butler county to visit Ellis Lake. In all, I had 138 species in 24 hours, including 133 in w. Hamilton county alone, with 5 species added when I went to Butler county. The sites I visited were: Kilby Road Gravel Pits, Shawnee Lookout County Park, Fernald Preserve, Miami-Whitewater Forest & Wetlands, Mitchell Memorial Forest and Ellis Lake.
 
On Friday evening (5/6) between the hours of 7 pm and 8:10 pm I was at Fernald Preserve. The GARGANEY was there at the biowetland the whole time I was there. There is also a report of a pair of Common Moorhens in another pond. Not far from the biowetland I also had dickcissels, bobolink, grasshopper and savannah sparrows. I saw cliff swallows over lodge pond and there is also a female ring-necked duck there.
 
At Kilby Road Gravel Pits Friday I had BALD EAGLE and Osprey together, as well as 6 common loons and a red-br. merganser (female) in the pond. Today (Saturday 5/7) I had a blue grosbeak there as well.

At Miami-Whitewater Wetlands, the highlight of the evening was an American Bittern flying in and displaying American Woodcocks. There is also a Northern Shoveler and a half dozen Lesser Scaup on the lake.  By nightfall I was at 78 species Friday night, with 35 in the first hour at my starting point at Kilby Rd. Gravel Pits.
 
I was at Miami-Whitewater Forest this morning (Saturday 5/7) for the dawn chorus. I had most of the expected warbler species. Highlights in the forest today were Wild Turkey, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and PHILADELPHIA VIREO (within two trees of one another at Timberlakes) and a GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH at the Tallgrass Prairie Trail.
 
At Shawnee Lookout County Park one of the many Ceruleans (female) was collecting nesting material. A pair of Ceruleans at Miami-Whitewater were courting. This is by far the most abundant warbler in this part of the state at this time of year. I've confirmed breeding in both of these locations in past years, as well as other nearby locations in the 1990's.
 
I will type up a formal report of all 138 species that I found and provide off-list for those interested.

David A. Brinkman
Xavier University graduate student
Middle childhood math & science
Cincinnati, OH

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