Franklin's Gull Red-necked Phalarope Dickcissel Grasshopper Sparrow American Bittern, more... A single alternate plumage Franklin's Gull flew low over the silo foundations along the east side of the road a short distance south of the Red-necked Phalarope location described most recently by Paul Gardner, below. Its broken eye-ring gleamed in low evening side-light as it passed just over our heads around 8:00 PM. The phalarope was an easy find thanks to posted instructions. Jackie and I joined forces with Jeff Pontious to walk the field and wetlands. We found Grasshopper Sparrow numerous, a single over-flight American Bittern and another booming briefly, Spotted Sandpiper pairs sorting out mating issues, at least nine Dickcissel's, four within ear-shot of the silos and five more south along the roadside, Jeff reported. Coyotes howled after the storm siren sounded at 9:00PM, three different distant groups. Tom & Jackie Bain Delaware County -----Original Message----- From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Gardner Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:06 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [Ohio-birds] Battelle-Darby: Red-necked Phalarope, Hooded Mergansers I relocated the previously reported red-necked phalarope at about 5 PM in the Battelle-Darby Metropark wetlands west of Darby Creek Dr. opposite the farmhouse with 448 on the mailbox. In the pool south of this one and immediately north of the bike path, I observed a female hooded merganser with two young trailing behind her. Battelle-Darby Metropark is in western Franklin County. http://www.metroparks.net/MapBattelle.aspx Paul Gardner Columbus, OH ______________________________________________________________________ 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] ______________________________________________________________________ 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]