I had a great day on the"pond"...It was a bit bigger...and shallower than I
remembered, and it threatened rain, but cleared up reall quick.  I was
eventually able to find the channel and check for any tags on the Godwits.
There weren't any tags...so the chance to meet our visitor from 6 years ago
fizzled...not that I was really expecting it..but it would have been fun if
it had happened. :-D
Lots of little peeps out there.  I was able to get some pics to get a few
IDs but there were far more than I could ID.

The Godwits are really far back, but easily viewed by scope.  The water is
shallow in places but really deep in others.  Plus there is a lot of soft
silt in places...and leeches.  The Godwits were snacking down, and I was
trying to not become one. :-D  I did have to get out once due to a shallow
spot...but other than that it was a good day out on the pond.

Best other finds were 2 Western Sandpipers (I got really good looks at the
bills and the pecs), 9 Black-crowned Night Herons (mostly juvis, and 2
Least Bitterns.

Pics of some of the Godwits here.  The first four are from 2008, the rest
are from today.:
http://www.sjlarue.com/p732913775/h2DD2E614#h2dd2e614

My list from today is below.

Have a great Labor Day!  Happy Birding, and God Bless!

Big Island Wildlife Area--Larue-Prospect Rd. north (Unit B), Marion, US-OH
Aug 31, 2014 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Kayaked far right pond to document Hudsonian Godwits.  It was
shallower than expected, so I stayed in the channel that crosses the pond
(lake).
44 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  10
Trumpeter Swan  2
Wood Duck  4
Mallard  10
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Least Bittern  2     Flushed 2 while kayaking around pond.
Great Blue Heron  5
Great Egret  15
Green Heron  1
Black-crowned Night-Heron  9
Turkey Vulture  2
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Sora  1     heard
Common Gallinule  3     heard
Black-bellied Plover  5
American Golden-Plover  1
Semipalmated Plover  10
Killdeer  30
Greater Yellowlegs  5
Lesser Yellowlegs  30
Hudsonian Godwit  7     High count of the day was 13, but I was only able
to verify 7.
Stilt Sandpiper  3
Least Sandpiper  8
Pectoral Sandpiper  8
Western Sandpiper  2
peep sp.  30     Too far away to ID...but small shorebirds.
Short-billed Dowitcher  10
Black Tern  5
Mourning Dove  4
Belted Kingfisher  1
Eastern Kingbird  2
Blue Jay  10
American Crow  4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Tree Swallow  10
Barn Swallow  10
American Robin  2
Gray Catbird  2
European Starling  10
Cedar Waxwing  4
Song Sparrow  2
Red-winged Blackbird  4
American Goldfinch  4

View this checklist online at
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19630049

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