Taking advantage of today’s nice weather I picked up a friend who is recovering from work on a knee and having a bad case of cabin fever and we were off on a car birding safari. The rules were simple, they were to sit back, if possible stay off the knee, and enjoy the birds. We began with a run over to the Honda Wetlands at Glacier Ridge Metro Park in SE Union County. There have been several reports of American Bittern, Least Bittern, Virginia Rail and Sora from the wetland over the last few days. When we arrived there were several birders present who had been there since early morning with less than fantastic luck. Some had located the Virginia Rail and Sore but the bitterns were AWOL. From ground level we located the Sora and a family of Pied-billed Grebes but struck out on the others. We left Glacier Ridge and headed north to Killdeer Plains. The drive was probably the most excitement of the day. We encountered unexpected detours that lacked route signs and detour routes of epic stature. I thought we had become entangled in a See Ohio Tour. We finally arrived at Killdeer Plains and checked on the Sandhill Cranes. I spotted and adult in the wetland grass with my field glasses but before I could set up the spotting scope it meandered further into the grass and out of site. Since we had an agenda for Hardin County we made a quick run up to T-64 and T-50. Along the furthest west section of Wyandot County, Jackson Township Road T-64 there were Dickcissel calling from both the north and south sides of the road. They were virtually everywhere. Many were very close and easy to view. Scanning the fields we were finding them up on stalks. When facing the sun their breasts were striking. We found a Bobolink and Orchard Orioles on the south side. Common Yellowthroats and Yellow Warblers plus Savannah Sparrows were mixed in to make things interesting. At the edge of the woods on the south side, east of the field of Dickcissel we located three Red-headed Woodpeckers. As we were exiting the area we located a Vesper Sparrow. At the east section of Hardin County, Jackson Township Road T-50 there were more Dickcissel in the grass on both the north and south side. If anyone needs a Dickcissel for 2011 this is the place to go. Use the intersection of T-64, T-50 and C-215 as ground zero. This area also produced a few Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, and Savannah Sparrows. Charlie Bombaci ______________________________________________________________________ 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]