A bit early for triple digit plover numbers, I was hardly expecting 1000 plus. Birding the easternmost edge of the Big-Island/Killdeer Plains IBA complex with a bias toward the Big Island area this morning I scouted about 20 square miles of potential shorebird habitat (AKA agricultural fields). The vicinity of Big Island in particular looks promising with extensive flooding. I got a late start for a proper census of the golden-plovers as they are in the habit of leaving shortly after sunrise on SW winds. By 9:30 am I had found flocks of 335 ... at Irwin Shoots Rd and Upper Sandusky-Prospect Rd. (some of you may recall this area flooding regularly in the mid-90's attracting the likes of Wilson's and Red-necked Phalarope before re-tiling efforts a few years later left the area dry much of the time. 410 ... half mile N of Unit E of Big Island W.A. along Upper Sandusky-Prospect Rd. 195 ... at Herr Rd. wetlands (along with 75 Pectoral Sandpiper) 90 ... Groundhog Rd. wetlands This is the site of the control plot in the late 90's for the 3 years study of the Big Island wetland restoration effort. Locate to the SW 6 miles off Green Camp Rd (south and parallel La Rue-Prospect Rd. which runs along Unit B (Main wetlands) of Big Island. Birders should not be ignoring the extensive CRP lands to the south and southeast of BI, much of which remains flooded. None of these birds were re-located on a pass through at 12:30 to 1:00, nor were any along Washburn Rd. at Killdeer Plains (which was mostly dry). More on my 3 hr survey of Big Island W.A. proper in a separate note. Additional shorebird concentrations within the IBA were limited to 130 Pectoral Sandpipers in the wetand to the south of Unit B (Unit I ... I think). cheers Vic Fazio Tiffin, 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]