Our Columbus group did a little loop through central Ohio dividing our
time between passerines and shorebirds. We encountered a dearth of the
former and a satisfying number of the latter. We spent productive time
at two shorebird spots, finding eleven then twelve species, a total of
17. I wonder if the hordes who visited other spots today did any better.
        At Killdeer the spot is the twin impoundments on the north side of C71
just east of T108. There is a pullout accommodating two cars. The best
viewing is just 25 feet in. The right-hand one has more water and more
vegetation, and had gallinules, soras, coots, etc. as well as 30-40
snipes. The left-hand one had more variety: grassy and muddy edge,
mudflats, and shallows. Here we had an Am. golden-plover, semipalmated
plovers, killdeers, lesser yellowlegs, a sanderling, semipalmated sp,
least sp, Baird's sp (3), stilt sp, long-billed dowitcher, and Wilson's
snipes.
        At the Darby MP wetlands in Franklin County (northern pond) we saw
semipalmated plovers, killdeers, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs,
semipalmated sp, western sp (1), least sp, white-rumped sp (4), pectoral
sp, stilt sp (20+ nearly all juv), Wilson's phalarope, and red-necked
phalarope (2).
        I was pleased to see (undoubtedly thanks to Metro Parks staff) a narrow
path had been made out to this site that spared the prairie vegetation.
To find it, go to the grove of trees where the bike path crosses the
road south of Kuhlwein. There is an old driveway there, running east.
Near its end near the big walnut tree a trampled trail in the orchard
grass leads off to the right, then east. This trail runs along the
border between the park's prairie and the soybean field on the north.
After a few hundred yards it meets a road-sized mowed trail; follow this
toward the water visible in the distance. The shorebirds are in the
closest, NW corner of the pond and easy to observe with afternoon light.
Please use this path if you go; it makes things very easy, and preserves
the vegetation.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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