A tour through the Big Island/Killdeer Plains area this morning was mostly unremarkable, but I did find a few birds of note. In a flooded field south of Hillman-Ford Rd. (about 2 miles northwest of Marion) there were 12 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and 4 American Pipits. Along Washburn Rd. (on the southeast edge of Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area) there was a nice-sized flock of passerines including: - 60 American Pipits - 35 Horned Larks - about 200 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, many of which were in full breeding plumage Also, here along Washburn Rd. were a small group of 13 Pectoral Sandpipers and a flyover of 12 more AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS. Big Island had a nice assortment of waterfowl, mostly in the middle impoundment along LaRue-Prospect Rd. There were probably 200 each of Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, and Ruddy Duck, with lesser numbers of Northern Shoveler. There of course were boat-loads of coots. I also noted 7 HORNED GREBES here, all of which were mostly (if not completely) in alternate plumage. Good Birding, John -- John Kuenzli Columbus, OH ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. 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]