Greetings, birders!

Battelle Darby MP, Teal trail to wetlands and first path east of Trail
10/21/13 -- Overcast, breeze, 7 - 830 pm.  (by 8 it was really to dark)

Teal wetlands, saturated wet prairie community, an extensive tall grass
prairie integrating woodland cover in form of shrub/small tree and broad
leaf saplings primarily as variably dense isolated "islands"  with open
grassy meadows and cattail marshy boarders to Teal.  Key is variety in and
combined wetlamd/prairie with abrubt change thus providing many 'styles' of
edge/margin habitat providing foraging site for an amazing diversity of
species, avian and otherwise (as we all know)

There is no reason to leave main trail, by standing quietly on trail and
looking east down path sparrows and more forage in path.

HIGHLIGHTS:
3 Short-eared Owls and 1 Long-eared Owl (I mention LEO since its not a
roost)

Excellent views of the owls which responded to me sqeaking (if owls are in
area they will respond rapidly, if they do it will be brief, so no need to
keep trying to get them, one look is all they need to know you are not
food).  I was actually sqeaking for sparrows, lots of them there

LEO was first, giving high pitched whistle on approach (a bit like the one
uncommon call of Hermit Thrush). It came right down the path toward us, at
grass tfop height.  It came within ten ft. pulled up and 'stopped' just
above our heads.  It looked, studied us.  Immediately the orange facial
disks with broad white center, between eyes to bill, and dark gray body
streaked and barred dispelled my first thought that it was SEO.  Quite a
nice unexpected look (I've had them do this before, a behavior shared by
Barn, SEO and NSWO, the migratory ones). It circled us twice and then
continued north down Teal trail.  Later I saw it (or another) above horizon
over the Teal wetlands.  Although shares foraging habitat with SEO, being a
bird that must navigate dense woods, foliage, conifer/deciduous thickets
LEO wings are shorter and broader than SEO and this translates to a
different flight style--not bouyant mothlike, but stiffer, quicker wing
beats, more fluttery flight.  We stayed completely still from the first
moment and watched.

I was surprised then when a SEO, some time later, followed in the LEOs
path.  First one, then two and finally three.  We stayed until after dark
and the SEOs were crusing about, mosty further north, until to dark to see.
 Near dark, we could hear one quietly calling 'wuup - wuup - wuup. I didn't
expect this sp until well into Nov. (last year we found them here 11/20).

Other birds:

Ducks were in the air, sometimes many flocks.  About a thousand -- most of
them diving into the wetlands!  Three Northern Harriers and the owls had no
impact on them.  The majority were Wood, American Black and Mallard,
followed by Green winged Teal.  The rest were Gadwall, Am, Wigeon, Blue
winged Teal, No Shoveler (50+), No Pintail and Hooded Merganser.

We had excellent close views of three Virginia Rails walking in the middle
of the path while we watched and sorted through the sparrows, Song and Swamp

Finally, the Bobolinks seem to have passed -- my last date was 31 10/18 (we
had them daily since their peak 8/23 - 26).   It seems to me they stayed
very late this fall.

Good birding!

PS  Indiana, a Spotted Redshank and Lesser Sand plover in the same year,
whew!
--
David Tan
Columbus
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