A 9AM visit to the area between Greenbower and Price Streets this morning was both rewarding and disappointing. Lots of activity could be seen on the mudflats at a distance. Shortly after I reached my first scanning location; Bang! Bang! Bang! Off goes all the birds. A short distance away and around the corner, at the best viewng spot, I find three camouflaged guys behind a blind made of downed tree limbs, observing their 20+ Canada Goose decoys. It is almost laughable to see three guys serenading decoys with a Mallard duck call, with no waterfowl in sight, while an adult Bald Eagle is watching them from nearby. I wonder what the Baldy is thinking about this trio? Prior to my visiting friends being flushed, I did have some good sightings. Here are the more interesting ones: Great Egret ~ 12, Semipalmated Plover ~ 25+, Killdeer ~ 50+, Greater Yellowlegs ~ 8, Lesser Yellowlegs ~ 12, Semipalmated Sandpiper ~ 5+, Least Sandpiper ~ 30+, White-rumped Sandpiper ~ 1 (my first of the year), Pectoral Sandpiper ~ 20+, Stilt Sandpiper ~ 1, Caspian Tern ~ 6, and one singing Warbling Vireo. It is difficult to try and enjoy the peacefulness of the mudflats, knowing that at any moment the silence can be broken by gunfire. I plan to return this afternoon and see if any birds have returned or if there are any new arrivals.   Bob Lane / Mahoning County                                              
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