Hello all:

Today I located a Red-necked Grebe at Big Island Wildlife Area. It was
located in the middle impoundment on Larue-Prospect Road. This same
impoundment is stuffed with waterfowl right now, with hundreds of ducks and
coots. I also had Horned and Pied-billed Grebe, and there are massive
numbers of Gadwall and American Coots. Good numbers of divers, too, with
Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Ring-necks, Lesser Scaup, Redhead,
Canvasback, Bufflehead, Ruddy Ducks, etc. A few Bonaparte's Gulls in
various stages of alternate plumage were around, including a few with a
complete black hood.

Herr Road yielded some pintail and both teal species. Shorebirds were
limited to a handful of Lesser Yellowlegs and a Killdeer. The area is
heavily ponded, with high water everywhere, and bears scrutiny in the
coming weeks as shorebird migration ramps up.

I also hit Killdeer Plains, and there's great numbers of waterfowl there as
well-really large numbers of Gadwalls and wigeon again. I tried hard to
pick out a Eurasian Wigeon but no luck; but with the sheer amount of wigeon
around, I could have easily missed one. Birds of note at KPWA include 6
Sandhill Cranes at Pond 27, four Common Loons in the reservoir (which is
heavily drawn down, exposing tire reefs and small islands), and my FOY Barn
Swallow at Pond 3 -which also had an odd Gadwall with a white top to its
head, similar to that of a male wigeon. Possibly a hybrid?

Good birding,
Andy Sewell
Columbus

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