Hi all, Wed. 9/3 Darby Dan sod field, 7 a.m. We arrived early, finding thick fog preventing views over most of the field. Many shorebirds were fairly close but visibility was only about 100 ft. No Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers. American Golden plover -- 2 Killdeer Lesser Yellowlegs -- 7 Least Sandpiper -- 10 Baird's Sandpiper -- 2 juv. Pectoral Sandpiper -- 13 Long-billed Dowitcher -- 1, feeding in rain pool, sleeping, with bill tucked over shoulder (worn adult) BDMP; open woods around ranger station. Red-eyed Vireos singing, few warblers and/or flycatchers. Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1, snag, top of tall deciduous tree, overlooking first parking area. Eastern Wood pewee - < 15 Thurs. 9/4 Darby Dan sod field, 7 a.m. It was apparent at arrival there were more Killdeer (620) than previously. Shorebirds were closer also and the pools were surrounded by small to large flocks. As we started to set up, they errupted and remained unsettled for sometime. We quickly discovered why, a juv. Cooper's Hawk striking and successfully taking a Killdeer. We watched it for a while until it flew, heading toward the road and into the tree line along side the shoulder. It stayed a while, perched near the trunck at mid level. It allowed a very close approach, letting us observed it within ten feet. Shorebirds remained in the air, mostly circling the west end. But they did land again, first spreading out from below the ridge and further west, then into areas much closer, especially the grassy area before the ridge and the pools in the north and northeast corner, closer to the rd. We stopped again, after a visit to BDMP, Black-bellied Plover -- 11 Americ Golden plover -- 22 Killdeer Semipalmated Plover -- 9 Lesser Yellowlegs -- 10 WILLET -- 2 RUDDY TURNSTONE -- 4 Least Sandpiper -- 15 Baird's Sandpiper -- 5 juv. Pectoral Sandpiper -- 33 Buff-breasted Sandpiper -- 7 Short-billed Dowitcher -- 1, juv. Wilson's Snipe - 5 Wilson's Phalorope - 1 BDMP; open woods around ranger station, Overlook trail. A few (more) Red-eyed Vireos singing. A few warblers around, mostly upper level/canopy specialists. Red headed Woodpecker -- 1 imm. Hairy Woodpecker -- 4 Downy Woodpecker -- 2 Eastern Woodpewee -- 18 Least Flycatcher -- 2 Tennessee Warbler -- 10 Northern Parula -- 5 Yellow-throated Warbler -- 4 Bay-breasted Warbler -- 8 Black and White Warbler -- 7 Heat and humidity returning. And note that a local sod farm is worth keeping and eye on, especially following times of changeable weather/region wide storms and soaking rains. During the right conditions, it can be very rewarding -- cases of observers detecting everything from Pacific Golden plover to Long-billed Curlew or a rare Godwit (even Bar-tailed and Black-tailed have turned up) to Sharp-taled Sandpipers (so check any large flocks of Pectorals!) exist! Good birding! -- David Tan Columbus [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]