The numbers of waterfowl at LaDue are way down. At 1:30 this afternoon I found about 15 red breasted mergansers, a few buffleheads and horned grebes, 1 american coot, 1 ruddy, 2 common loons, and 2 cormorants. Passing through Frohring Meadows I heard a fox sparrow singing. Looking through the clump of shrubs with the taxus I located three birds. Also the first tree swallows I've seen there this season. At home a pileated woodpecker is sitting inside a cavity it's been working on for the last two weeks. Right out in the open. I can see him turning around inside the hole and tossing wood chips out. This dead elm is a snag for every hawk and owl in the vicinity, and wouldn't seem a promising spot for nesting. Inga Schmidt Chagrin River Road, Geauga/Cuy Co line ______________________________________________________________________ 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]