With the front's passage, shorebirds cleared out en masse from Pickerel/Pipe Creek. Only 143 dowitchers remained at Pick, and not single one at Pipe Creek. Two Wilson's Phalaropes continue at Pickerel in Unit 18 - the northeastern most impoundment. A Willet was a new arrival at Pipe Creek in Unit B. The day's highlight was a TRICOLORED HERON at Pickerel. I spotted the bird flying directly away quite far off, so far, in fact, that size and dark bluish uperparts had me thinking adult Little Blue. Just as I feared this one was going to get away, the wader alighted a dead tree. Through the scope, a Tricolored Heron took shape - even at a distance the bird's whitish belly and neck stripe and yellow-based two-toned bill were quite obvious. By the time I navigated the dikes, got lost, and ended up driving to the spot, I could not refind the heron. The exact location was the wooded swamp at the first parking area along SR 6 (from the east) - that's where I last saw it perched. It was first flying over the interior of the refuge, northwest of this swamp. Good birding - Gabe Leidy Parma ______________________________________________________________________ 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]