Howdy All, After leaving work early yesterday to enjoy some great spring sunshine, I visited Buck Creek State Park, arriving at about 5:00 pm and leaving at about 7:30 pm. When I arrived, there were about 20 Double-crested Cormorants visible from the beach, but the light for scanning the reservoir for waterfowl was much better on the parking area below the Visitor Center on the west side of the reservoir. I found the previously reported winter plumaged Red-throated Loon at a distant well to the north of the parking area below the Visitor Center. The bird was near an orange and white buoy in the direction of the point of land where the reservoir narrows. A good telescope was necessary. I met Doug Overacker twice, first at the parking area at the beach and then again at the parking area below the Visitor Center on the west side of the reservoir. The Red-throated Loon was identifiable by the very slim head and neck, the very white front and side of the neck and face, the small head and thin slightly up-turned bill relative to nearby breeding plumaged Common Loons. In general, this bird is smaller and more slender than the more bulky Common Loons. At least once, the bird turned and caught the sunshine just right so that I could see yellow on the thin, upturned bill. I shared my scope with Doug Overacker, who was birding by bicycle, and he also got identifiable but distant views. When Doug first arrived at the Visitor parking area along the reservoir, I was scanning the distant birds. He found a gorgeous full breeding plumage male Surf Scoter, which was very close to us. Just as I got the scoter in my scope to digiscope the bird, the scoter took flight and showed its amazing bright red or orange red feet and legs! That's something that I do not recall seeing before! WOW! Doug pointed out that the two Ross's Geese were on the south end of the beach when he rode his bike across the dam path. So before leaving for the day, I stopped by the beach, where I met Rick Asamoto. The two Ross's Geese were on the grass along the beach. Rick and I were able to approach close enough for some photos. Also present on the reservoir yesterday were about 15 Common Loons many in breeding plummage, an estimated 50 red-breasted Mergansers and about 6 Buffleheads. There was a close flock of gulls on the beach, which were constantly stirred up by people walking their dogs, and a distant flock far out on the reservoir well to the north. Quite a few Bonaparte's Gulls mixed in, but I did not get an estimate or count of numbers. What a great few hours of birding on a great spring afternoon. Jay 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]