Today Leslie Sours, Jenny Bowman and I birded select areas in Hardin, Wyandot and Marion Counties. The Good, Bad and Ugly all made their appearances. We began in the Jackson Townships (Hardin and Wyandot Counties) along Township Roads 64 and 50. This areas has been outstanding for Bobolinks and Dickcissels in past years. This year they have been only moderately good as the fields were recently mowed and the usual higher plants and grasses are temporarily gone until they grow back. Therefore we had only marginal numbers of Bobolinks, 20+, and almost a complete absence of Dickcissels. We heard a few call but as recently as last year I had been easily able to find 35 to 40 Dickcissels in the fields along the road. Sparrows were also unusually sparse. We checked a few of the nearby roads and managed only to located a few Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows. Maybe things will return to normal next spring. Meadowlarks however were present in fairly decent
 numbers in all areas we birded. 

At Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area we checked the flooded fields for shorebirds. The recent rain there (from the water level in the flooded fields maybe "from the monsoon season", has caused the flooded areas to be too deep for shorebirds. We saw many Great Blue Herons, some chest deep in the water, but few shorebirds. Killdeer mainly with a Spotted Sandpiper thrown in here or there. Pond 27 provided a bonus, two Black Terns. Bill Kinkead who we ran into informed us of them and their whereabouts. Thanks Bill. We also observed an immature Bald Eagle at Pond 27. Along CH-67 we observed 3 Red-headed Woodpeckers and at the area's maintenance building there were Purple Martins. The ugly of the day were the 3 ticks trying to make a meal of me. They are hot and heavy this year so DEET and tucked socks should be on your check list when in grasslands.

We had a mystery bird along CH-71. A flycatcher was flitting about the bushes along the road. We had very good observations but it would not sing. The physical description was basically similar to both Willow and Alder Flycatcher. It reacted quickly and aggressively to the Alder's call, but less so to the Willow's call. I'm now checking Crosby and other references to decide whether to make a call sans the bird singing, or to surrender. All the Willow's we saw were singing but this bird acted like a mime.

At Big Island Wildlife Area we located multiple Common Gallinule, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes and a Blue-winged Teal. No Purple Gallinule which wasn't a surprise. Bill Heck first located it on May 12 and I and the group with me relocated it a week later, but it is doubtful it is still hanging around. However, I have been fooled in the past by a few unexpected birds that have stayed at Big Island. Bill had seen a Least Bittern there earlier in the day. This is always a good location to check out as many great birds have been found there. Deligence and a touch of luck and you could be the one to locate the next Ruff there.

Charlie Bombaci

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