2007 and 2008 seemingly are producing Ohio's smallest shorebird numbers in recent memory, especially at Ohio's 'natural' settings--i.e., leaving out drawn-down reservoirs, construction sites, and Conneaut Harbor. Without the quite natural flooding in limestone country, the pickings would be awfully slim. Take dowitchers for example. Juvenile short-billeds should be passing through now, but where are the reports? Mike Bolton's weekly surveys in the NW marshes have produced a grand total of 170 SBDs up to 1 Aug this year. Any at Winous Point, Tom? We don't expect long-billeds in spring, but thus far only one has been reported this fall, by yrs truly last week (btw, this was identified by a missing primary, molted basic coverts feathers, and bulky profile). The short-billed dowitchers migrating through Ohio are mostly of the L. g. hendersoni "prairie" race. This most colorful subspecies, also the easiest to confuse with long-billeds, is the most endangered dowitcher form. In 2001 its world population was estimated at only 60,000. In 2005, it looks like the estimate is ~27,500. See http://www.fws.gov/shorebirdplan/Conservation.htm , and go to "Biogeographic Shorebird Populations" for estimates of all N. Am. species as of 2005. Even if we have to observe the fall migration from a distance, I heartily recommend Jean Iron's reports from James Bay, maybe 700 mi north of Conneaut. Read them at http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/SHOR . Many of the birds she reports are not headed our way, but southeast; still, it is a stirring thing to hear these first-hand reports from wild country. The most recent reports share many interesting observations. For one thing, a good year for lemmings has led to increased breeding success for shorebirds and waterfowl, because predators (foxes, gulls, jaegers, etc.) eat fewer young birds as a result. She mentions studies showing that migrant shorebirds are spending less time at staging areas--and wasting precious energy flushing more often--as a result of increased predation from peregrine falcons and merlins. It is tempting to blame this threat to shorebirds in part to widespread introductions of peregrines to areas they'd never occupied earlier, another example of unanticipated results of ill-advised manipulations of bird populations by wildlife agencies. (My opinion, not necessarily Jean's). Fervently wishing you good shorebirding, Bill Whan Columbus ______________________________________________________________________ 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]