This report is from yesterday’s (Saturday, February 18) Columbus Audubon
field trip to Killdeer Plains.  We had a good day, although the cold wind
did keep some species down.


The highlights were

   - good numbers of waterfowl on the eastern basin of Pond 27,
   - a couple of very cooperative Red-headed Woodpeckers in the dead trees
   on the east end of Pond 33, and
   - Short-eared Owls over the field directly across County Road 75 from
   the Sportsmen’s Center.  The owls showed up very late, after sunset but
   before the light had faded completely.  There were at least three, and
   perhaps as many as six, owls hunting over the field at this location.

The big miss was a Northern Shrike reported during the day along Township
108 near the small footbridge south of County 71; we were not able to
locate this bird. We did not really expect to find owls in the traditional
owl grove near County 71 between Township 103 and Township 123 -- and we
didn't.


On the non-birding front, after the fading light made it impossible to
watch the Short-eared Owls, we had excellent views of Jupiter and were able
to resolve four moons through spotting scopes.

-- 
Bill Heck

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