I continued surveying for OBBA II, in non-priority blocks, since the emphasis in June will be on priority blocks. Had some interesting birds, several first-of-season for me: Canada goose - with goslings wood duck - with ducklings black vulture turkey vulture Cooper's hawk red-tailed hawk wild turkey killdeer rock pigeon mourning dove red-headed woodpecker - obvious nesters red-bellied woodpecker - carrying food for young downy woodpecker northern flicker pileated woodpecker - carrying food eastern wood-pewee Acadian flycatcher willow flycatcher eastern phoebe - fledged young great crested flycatcher - FOY, several in multiple blocks eastern kingbird tree swallow barn swallow cedar waxwing Carolina wren house wren gray catbird northern mockingbird brown thrasher eastern bluebird wood thrush American robin - one on nest, many carrying food Carolina chickadee tufted titmouse white-breasted nuthatch blue jay American crow - fledged young in three blocks European starling - fledged young everywhere house sparrow - carrying food white-eyed vireo - singing on territory yellow-throated vireo red-eyed vireo American goldfinch blue-winged warbler - singing on territory yellow warbler - many singing on territory cerulean warbler American redstart common yellowthroat - many singing on territory hooded warbler - singing on territory yellow-breasted chat - several singing/displaying on territory scarlet tanager - singing on territory summer tanager - a pair, but too early to count eastern towhee - many singing on territory chipping sparrow - fledged young field sparrow - carrying food - could hear young in nest savannah sparrow - singing on territory Henslow's sparrow - FOS, singing on territory grasshopper sparrow - FOS, several singing on territory song sparrow - fledged young northern cardinal - carrying food indigo bunting - many singing on territory bobolink - too early to count for OBBA, but several seen red-winged blackbird - fledged young eastern meadowlark - fledged young common grackle - carrying food brown-headed cowbird - pair observed Baltimore oriole - singing on territory orchard oriole - pair observed, male singing on territory That should be 68 species, with many confirmed nesters, in four blocks, in 5.5 hours of actual atlassing. Of course, there were a lot of duplications during that 5+hours, but it was a great day to be out in the field. I encourage everyone to volunteer for this final year of OBBA II. You might be surprised how much you will enjoy the experience, and as Mark Shieldcastle suggested, you'll be "paying it forward" toward bird conservation. The real push begins in June and there are very few places in the state that don't need more attention. Margaret Bowman Region 60 Coordinator, OBBA II ______________________________________________________________________ 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]