Greetings-----there are currently 3 or 4 Am. kestrels on wintering territories here in the Lowellville area of Mahoning Co. Last year had similar numbers. I wish I could report seeing more elsewhere in NE Ohio, but no such luck. Mosquito has at least a couple. Ashtabula Co. has hosted respectable numbers in recent years, especially in Denmark Twp. I saw 2 good-sized family groups there this summer. Cooper's hawks are regular, but not overly abundant at these areas. These areas are also more rural than urbanized. Around here, the closer you get to Youngstown, the more Cooper's you see. I agree that lack of nesting cavities is limiting the number of breeding kestrels. When I lived in Streetsboro, a pair raised young right across the street in an old barn----until the missing board that provided entrance was replaced. Once the building was sealed, kestrels vanished from that site. If you check out the back issues of The Cleveland Bird Calendar, the editor astutely noted the decline in local kestrel numbers back in the late 1990's, if memory serves. Definitely a species that needs to be monitored now. I would also add c. nighthawk and c. moorhen to that list. Later, Craig --------------------------------- Cheap Talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]