Walked through about half the new wetlands yesterday afternoon. Since
afternoon light is best, heat prevented a full survey. Like many other
spots these days, ideal shorebird habitat is at a premium. Only the
large bodies of water remain, and puddles and mudflats are dried up.
        Waterfowl were limited to mallards, b-w teal, and shovelers, all of
which recently nested here, with flotillas of young. Shorebirds were
found in shallow spots in the large ponds (but they seemed to be loafing
rather than feeding, and were therefore awfully spooky), and a wet
corner of a cornfield just to the north along the bike trail actually
provided the best variety, as well as viewing, where over a hundred
birds were feeding hungrily.
        Totals:
killdeer 190
pectoral sp  115
lesser yellowlegs 101
greater yellowlegs 5
least sp  6
spotted sp  2
solitary sp  7
semipalmated sp  2
        This area is in a nascent state, having been planted in corn through
last year. A good stock of food that allows migrants to stop and load up
before moving on seems not yet present. Food for shorebirds that is:
while we were counting a flock of 90 yellowlegs standing in one pond, a
peregrine falcon strafed the area, dispersing all of them.
The area may even be visible from the tower-top nest of the downtown
falcon pair.
        This area was planted in wheat during spring, but now a lot of native
prairie plants have emerged, so little muddy puddles and stretches of
shallow water are both hard to find and less attractive to shorebirds.
There are some new tracts of cattail, but they've dried out a bit. As
this area matures a more natural shorebird regime will set in. Trails
are planned, so birding should be easier. Dragonflies were thick as
thieves along the bike trail a few hundred yards south of the Kuhlwein
Rd marsh, and a few hundred yards further is the very productive
shorebird feeding area mentioned above, which abuts a rural back yard.
Good birding to all,
Bill Whan
Columbus

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