I had been thinking about going to Pickerington Ponds, so when Paul posted this RFI for the area, I decided to visit there this morning. There were substantial mudflats, but not many shorebirds. The most interesting observation involved an Osprey and two Great Blue Herons. From the Glacier Knoll observation deck, looking south, there is a line of dead trees perhaps 100 yards long. I noted the Osprey in the tree at the east end of the line, and the two Great Blue Herons high in the tree at the opposite end, perhaps ten feet apart. The Osprey left its perch and flew to the Great Blues, where it flew very close to one of the herons about five times, making the heron flinch each time. Finally the heron flew away. The Osprey flew in the same general direction, but stayed at tree-top level while the heron flew near the ground. The Osprey then went back and perched in a tree near the second heron, but at least while I was watching, in never disturbed the second heron. Here is a list of all the birds I saw. Canada Goose, several locations Wood Duck, 12, including 4 young, all at Pintail Marsh Mallards, everywhere Blue-winged Teal, 2 at Pintail Marsh Pied-billed Grebe, 4 at Teal Pond, 2 at Pintail Marsh Great Blue Heron, 26 total, some at all locations Great Egret, 9 at Teal Pond Green Heron, 2 at Teal Pond, 2 at Mallard Marsh Osprey, 2, 1 at Arrowhead Marsh, 1 at Ellis Pond Red-tailed Hawk, 1 adult, 1 juvenile, both at Arrowhead Marsh American Coot, 2 at Teal Pond Killdeer, many, everywhere Greater Yellowlegs, 4, Teal Pond 2, Ellis Pond 1 and Pintail Marsh 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 9, Pintail Marsh 7, Ellis Pond 2 Solitary Sandpiper, 4 at Ellis Pond Spotted Sandpiper, 1 at Teal Pond Least Sandpiper, 4, 1 at Pintail Marsh, 3 at Ellis Pond Ring-billed Gull, 1 at Pintail Marsh Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Belted Kingfisher, 1 at Teal Pond, 1 at Mallard Marsh Northern Flicker American Crow Barn Swallow, at most locations, 4 young still on nest at Ellis Pond Observation Deck House Wren American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird, 1 seen at Wood Duck Observation deck, 1 heard at Glacier Knoll European Starling Common Yellowthroat, heard only at several locations Eastern Towhee, heard only on trail to Pintail Marsh Field Sparrow Song Sparrow Indigo Bunting American Goldfinch Gene Stauffer Grove City ______________________________________________________________________ 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]