Sometimes when bird news slows to a crawl, I like to look back to see if
it 'twas ever thus. At random, I chose to look at shorebirds from July
2003 in Ohio as reported on this forum. I can send a complete version to
anyone who'd like to see one, but here's a summary:
---thirteen counties were involved, six with significant reports;
Wyandot and Marion counties had the most (mostly at two "accidental"
specks of habitat), with transient numbers from Erie's Pipe Ck, Ottawa
(mostly ONWR estuary), and Ashtabula (Conneaut Harbor only), with
honorable mention to refreshing results from Williams and Fulton
counties. Hoover Res had high water and was not in play, nor was Lorain.
---totals were hardly spectacular: 270+ lesser yellowlegs, 118
short-billed dowitchers, 4 sanderlings, 2 western SP, one ruff, one
knot, 4 Wilson's phal for example; these might easily have been seen at
a single spot on a single day in a good year.
---July 2001's list of species totaled 24 (regular Ohio spp=34, review=13)
        black-bellied plover
        semipalmated plover
        killdeer
        Am. avocet
        greater yellowlegs
        lesser yellowlegs
        solitary sandpiper
        willet
        ruddy turnstone
        spotted sandpiper
        whimbrel
        red knot
        sanderling
        semipalmated sandpiper
        western sandpiper
        least sandpiper
        white-rumped sandpiper
        pectoral sandpiper
        dunlin
        stilt sandpiper
        ruff (review species)
        short-billed dowitcher
        Wilson's snipe
        Wilson's phalarope
Thus far this year, we've had only one shorebird species--a couple of
piping plovers--not seen in 2003, but the month is young. But where are
the usual birds like dowitchers? Things may change; a few short-lived
spots seem to have quickly decayed (e.g. Pipe Creek) this month, and at
least one--the Lorain impoundment--seems to have revived to at least
faintly remind veterans of the good old days there, but overall the
prospects for good observations--and good stopovers for these
long-distance migrants--don't look all that good at the moment.
        Other birds reported in these habitats in 2003 included a couple of
Franklin's gulls, a few black terns, and several tricolored heron
reports that may have involved the same individual. June-July of 2003 in
all had 63 black terns---not nearly so many now, and we seem in danger
of losing more and more of this one altogether, even as a migrant. Good
shorebird habitats in 2003 were few, but they were fewer this year, in
part due to higher water levels, but also the usual negligence of the
habitat needs of our most numerous migrants---yes, more species than
warblers, more than waterfowl--continues.
Best wishes to all, including the birds,
Bill Whan
Columbus

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