Delaware Wildlife Area, Delaware County; Jackson Township, Hardin County; Jackson Township, Wyandot County; Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, Wyandot County; and Big Island Wildlife Area, Marion County Today I was joined by Darlene Sillick, Leslie Sours and Doug Whitman for a day of birding aimed mainly at grassland birds. We kicked things off at Delaware Wildlife Area in Delaware County. Our arrival was greeted by an incredibly cooperative Red-headed Woodpecker that put on a show landing in front of us and staying in the open for a very long time. As we slowly worked our way along Leonardsburg Road we located Green Heron, Osprey, Willow Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Indigo Bunting, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole and others. Next we headed north to Hardin County to get Doug two life birds, Bobolink and Dickcissel. I took our crew to Jackson Township Road 50 where Doug quickly got both lifers. The fields surrounding us had a conservative estimate of 50+ male Bobolinks. They were popping up everywhere. The field was like a popcorn maker missing its lid. The same fields had innumerable Dickcissels calling from grass stalks and low shrubbery, plus a few calling from the telephone wires above us. We estimated their numbers at about 30+. We got many great looks at this beautiful songster. Just for kicks we added a few eastern Meadowlarks and Vesper Sparrows. I then moved us just over a mile to Jackson Township Road 64 in Wyandot County. The fields on either side of us were full of Dickcissels, we estimated their numbers at about another 30+. They were everywhere and many perched and sang in the sunlight right in front of us. Doug was getting to really like Dickcissels. Along the culvert we added Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Kingbirds, Orchard Orioles and a Grasshopper Sparrow. As we travel along the road to head for Killdeer Plains we started stacking up numbers for Red-headed Woodpeckers. Little did we think that the day would end with us locating 19 Red-headed Woodpeckers, a high count for all of us and a sigh the species is faring better. Combined with my field trip Saturday I tallied 26 Red-headed Woodpeckers over the two days. Nice! At Killdeer Plains we stopped for a lunch break that became eat and look. We were serenaded by Yellow Warblers, Brown Thrasher, Willow Flycatcher and Warbling Vireo. Back on the road we ran up more Red-headed Woodpeckers including 7 adults at once on TH-123 at the Abraham Green Tree Marsh. Horned Larks and Eastern Meadowlarks were plentiful along the roads and at Pond 3 we located Trumpeter Swans, Wood Ducks, Hooded Merganser hens, Pied Billed Grebes and Yellow Warblers. At Pond 27 there were few waterfowl but we Darlene and Leslie found a tree with separate Baltimore Oriole nests on both sides. They contently watched as a female sat on her nest. One of the nests was the lowest from the ground that I have ever seen. Any of us could easily reach up and grab the low branch it was attached to. Our final stop was Big Island Wildlife Area in Marion County. By now we were at mid afternoon and activity had slowed to a crawl. We checked our Herr Road and the viewing platform on SR 95. Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Duck, Great Blue Herons were about all that was moving. We called it a day and headed for home. Of much surprise to us were some of the birds we did not locate. Species such as Red-eyed Vireo, Bald Eagle, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Carolina Wren and grassland sparrows. The absence of the sparrows was partially understandable as there were gusty winds much of the day which likely kept them hunkered down. Still I would have expected to at least hear them more than we did. Still, I’ll take the day as the overall weather was comfortable, the birds located made a decent list, and my companions were first rate. A complete list of our day’s finds follows. Charlie Bombaci for, Darlene, Leslie, Doug and myself SPECIES LIST Pied-billed Grebe Great Blue Heron Green Heron Turkey Vulture Canada Goose Trumpeter Swan Wood Duck Mallard Hooded Merganser Osprey Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Ring-necked Pheasant Killdeer Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Belted Kingfisher Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Horned Lark Purple Martin Tree Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Marsh Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Cedar Waxwing Yellow Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Common Yellowthroat Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting Dickcissel Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole House Finch American Goldfinch House Sparrow ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. 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