This morning there were five Great Egrets foraging in the eastern end of Cowan Lake. (Click here<http://www.ohiobirds.org/birdingsites/showsite.php?Site_ID=48>for a description and here<http://local.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&z=12&om=1&msid=104411027825639848188.000001121091b9b478454&msa=0>for an interactive map). This is the only spring record I have for more than one bird on the Cowan/Caesar Creek/Spring Valley axis. Also notable were two female Red-breasted Mergansers. My previous late date for this species was 11 Apr. Near the fishing pier, there was a pair of Canada Geese with four newly fledged goslings. The spillway is beginning to come into condition for shorebirds, as evidenced by the presence of three Spotted Sandpipers today. Cheers, Bob -- Robert D Powell Wilmington, OH, USA [log in to unmask] http://rdp1710.wordpress.com Nulla dies sine linea ______________________________________________________________________ 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]