Howdy All, On Wednesday, 01/21/09, at lunch-time, I visited the Cincinnati Nature Center and found five Pine Siskins under the feeders. Pine Siskin is # 101. On Saturday, 01/24/09, I stayed in SW Ohio. I looked for Wild Turkey along Route 50 near Perintown several times throughout the day without success, and checked without success several times for the Eastern Phoebe on nearby Round Bottom Road at Round Bottom Recycling. The Eastern Phoebe had been reported there on Sunday, 01/18. I checked Meldahl Dam for the Peregrine falcon that has been reported there off and on during January, but without success. I visited East Fork SP at South Beach, where I found about 30 Canada Geese, 50 Mallards, 6 Black Ducks and one drake Northern Pintail. These were far out on the lake requiring a scope. This flock was scattered near the saddle dam, far removed from some waterfowl hunters who were set up in a blind well to the east. On the way into the beach I saw a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk perched and hunting at the edge of the woods across from the park headquarters office. I also checked the I-275 bridge across the Ohio River for the Peregrine Falcon that is occasionally seen perched there, but also without success. Then I headed to Spring Valley WA. I arrived at about 2:00 pm. I walked the trail to the boardwalk looking for the open water where the Virginia rail had been seen on Thursday evening by John Hull. No luck there. Then I checked the location to the northeast of the boardwalk at the beaver dam where two Virginia Rails had been seen by Shane Eggleston and John Habig. In at least two previous Januarys, I have seen Virginia Rail at this location, but not on Saturday. I checked this spot at least three times over about two hours between walking to other locations at SVWA. An adult Red-shouldered Hawk with a full crop flew over the beaver dam area and landed nearby during one visit. Somewhat later, another adult Red-shouldered Hawk flew over the trail back to the parking lot. This one did not have a full crop, so it could have been a different bird. I checked the trail to the boardwalk one last time. I found the open water right near the beginning of the boardwalk, where a Virginia Rail had been seen previously. Just for fun, I walked out the boardwalk to the end. On my way back to the parking, at about 4:40 - 4:45 pm a Virginia Rail was at the open water spot!! It was standing on the ice with its head completely immersed in the water, apparently feeding. I tried to take some pictures but it was impossible, because the bird preferred to stay hidden behind the bushes and dead cattails. It was fun playing "hide and seek" with this bird! Eventually, the rail tired of this game and ran quickly across the ice to the heavy cattails further from the trail. Virginia Rail is #102. At 5:15 pm, the Fox Sparrow was still under the feeders at the parking lot. I stayed at SVWA at dusk and tried for Barred Owl and Screech Owl but without success. On Sunday, I started late, as I was tired, and tried again for Wild Turkey and Eastern Phoebe at the locations checked on Saturday, but again without success. I ended the day at dusk at the Fort Miami Power Plant near Shawnee Lockout Park. I did not find a Peregrine Falcon. However, there was a Great Horned Owl perched up on the red and white striped stack at the DuPont facility right next to the power plant. The owl was perched on a walkway railing that is part-way up the stack. I have to wonder what impact this GHOW may have on the nesting success of Peregrine Falcons at the power plant. In the early days of peregrine re-introduction, Great Horned Owl, preyed on inexperienced peregrines at night if they roosted on the top of exposed perches. Yesterday, Tuesday, 01/027/09, I checked Turtle Creek Road, west of the I-71 underpass, in a corn field on the right. I found 28 Wild Turkeys there at 3:00 pm. This is a location that John Habig told me about, but he indicated that he hadn't seen them there recently. I suspect that with the snow yesterday, they returned to the cornfields to find food. Wild Turkey is #103. Between 4:15 and 5:00 pm, I walked the trail on the left at the Old Newtown Golf Course across from Bass Island Park, where Chipping Sparrows were found on the CBC and recently one was seen and photographed there by Mark Gilsdorf on Sunday, 01/25/09. Mixed in with a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows and Tree Sparrows, I found one winter plumage Chipping Sparrow. I believe that I saw a second one but not as well as the first one. Chipping Sparrow is #104. See Cincinnati Birds, Message Board for details about this location, a link to a photograph and details about my sighting. Perhaps the fun (drama!) will continue on Saturday, this weekend. Jay G. Lehman Cincinnati, OH [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ 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]