The Ohio State Ornithology Club birded Killdeer Plains and Big Island Wildlife Areas yesterday (2/25), from noon to dusk.  These locations are in Wyandot county, just to the Northwest of Marion, Ohio.

Highlights included:
14 Greater White-fronted Geese on Pond 3
~40 Tundra Swans on Pond 3
2 Trumpeter Swans on Pond 27
2 flyover Sandhill Cranes at Big Island (also 2 flyover cranes during a quick stop at Delaware SP Reservoir on the way up)
Dabblers in high numbers on many of the ponds, including several hundred Wigeon, Pintail, and Gadwall throughout the day
Divers scarce; 1 Hooded Merganser, 1 Ruddy Duck
3-4 Red-headed Woodpeckers just south of Pond 3
2 Killdeer, and several large flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, which were on territories and singing at Big Island.

Notable absences: Rough-legged Hawks and Short-eared Owls.  Despite high numbers of Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers at both sites, we did not find a single RLHA or SEOW.  During our trip here at the same time last year, we had more than 15 of each species.  Most of the owls were at Big Island last year, which we searched (and stood at the observation platform) for more than an hour at dusk yesterday.  

Note on the geese and waterfowl:  these birds move a LOT between the ponds at Killdeer.  There are constantly flocks in the air, and you just have to search each body of water for the waterfowl.  If you go looking at either of these sites, I highly recommend printing out and bringing this ODNR map along:
http://ohiodnr.com/tabid/19775/Default.aspx

Good Birding,
Alex Hughes

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