Eastern Highlands & Upper Ohio River Valley | 
Victor W. Fazio, III 
Gabe Leidy 
RickWiltraut 
I f there was a theme to this spring, it was 
one of migrant concentrations. In what 
was close to an average phenology with 
few exceptions, several record counts and/or 
widespread flights stood out. Weather is an 
integral part of such concentrations of mi- 
grants, so too the very rapid communication 
among birders, which permits close examina- 
tion of a passage or fallout of a species. 
Changes in bird populations and the shifting 
use of tlyways and habitat mean that our 
counts of birds are always in flux. The degra- 
dation or outright loss of key habitat, whether 
for migratory stopovers or breeding, reduces 
bird populations in the long run but may 
serve, in the short term, to concentrate some 
species into fewer locations: the Special At- 
tention box on gulls within the Ohio interior 
is a good example of XXX. We urge birders to 
continue documenting such concentrations, 
and especially to continue providing deep 
context for observations, so that we may bet- 
ter understand changes in our avifauna. 
Abbreviations/locations: Berlin L. (Stark/ 
Portage/Mahoning, OH); B.S.B.O. (Black 
Swamp B.O.); Buck Creek (Buck Creek S.P., 
Clark, OH); Byrd Dam (Robert C. Byrd Lock & 
Dam, Mason, WV); Caesar Creek (Caesar 
Creek S.P., Warren/Greene, OH); Conneaut 
(Conneaut Harbor, Ashtabula, OH); Deer 
Creek (Deer Creek WM.A. and S.P, Fayette/ 
Pickaway, OH); Funk Bottoms (Funk Bottoms 
W.M.A., Ashland/Wayne OH); Green Bottom 
(Green Bottom W.M.A., Cabell, WV); Head- 
lands (Headlands Beach S.P, Headlands State 
Nature Preserve, and Mentor Marsh/Lagoons, 
Lake, OH); Hoover (Hoover Res., Delaware 
and Franklin, OH); J.H.N.W.R. Qohn Heinz 
N.W.R., Philadelphia/Delaware, PA); Killbuck 
(Killbuck Marsh W.M.A., Wayne/Holmes, OH); 
Killdeer Plains (Killdeer Plains W.M.A., 
Wayne/Holmes, OH); Magee (Magee Marsh 
W.M.A., Lucas/Ottawa, OH); Metzger (Metzger 
Marsh W.M.A., Lucas, OH); M.C.W.M. (Middle 
Creek W.M.A., Lancaster/Lebanon, PA); Ottawa 
(Ottawa N.W.R., Lucas/Ottawa, OH); Presque 
Isle (Presque Isle S.P, Erie, PA); S.R.C.F (Suse- 
quehanna R. at Conejohela Flats, Lancaster, 
PA); T.M.H. (Tussey Mt. hawkwatch, Flunting- 
don/Centre, PA). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH VULTURES 
The 122 Greater White-fronted Geese, a strong 
showing in Ohio, included 42 at Mercer W.A., 
Mercer 7 Mar (RA), 32 in Hardin 18 Mar (RC), 
and up to 14 in Holmes (H. Mason et al). In 
Berks, PA, 12 at three locations 3 Mar-9 Apr 
may have involved two subspecies, frontalis 
and flavirostris (RK). Other Greater White- 
fronted Geese in Pennsylvania were in Beaver, 
Franklin, Lehigh, Chester, Bucks, Montgomery, 
and Lancaster (m.ob.). Snow Goose passage 
through Ohio peaked with a flock of 150 in se. 
Wayne 11 Mar (Reuben Miller), while one lin- 
gered in the sw. in Preble 17 May (B. Wulker). 
The Regional peak of 100,000 also came 10-1 1 
Mar at M.C.W.M.A. (CC et al.). Seven Ross’s 
Geese at Cowan Lake S.P, Clin- 
ton 13 Mar (RA, LG) was a high 
count for Ohio, where addi- 
tional reports included 2 in 
Clark 22-27 Mar (DO, RLy, 
m.ob.), with singles in 
Delaware 1 Mar (SWi), Hardin 
8-11 Apr (RC), and Tuscarawas 
25 Apr (ph. G. Benish), the lat- 
ter a first county record. No- 
table were singles at Muse, 
Washington, PA 17-21 Mar (C. 
Campsey et al.), and in Jeffer- 
son, WV 30 Mar (E. Kirsh- 
baum, MO). Additional Penn- 
sylvania singles were noted 
across Lancaster, Berks, 
Chester, and Northampton 
(m.ob.). Ohio Cackling Goose 
reports fell within the norm of 4 birds in Mar, 
while 6 at Struble L., Chester, PA 9 Mar (LL) 
was the Regional high count. Tundra Swan 
high counts included 368 at Ottawa N.W.R., 
Ottawa, OH 1 Mar (D. Vogus) and 260 at 
Akron, Summit 11 Mar (G. Bennett). In Penn- 
sylvania, 1900 Tundra Swans were on the 
Susquehanna R., Lancaster 5-10 Mar (CC), 
and 1731 was a seasonal tally at T.M.H. (JK, 
NB). The peak of 3600 came 5-10 Mar at 
M.C.W.M.A. (CC et al.). A flock of 400+ Amer- 
ican Black Ducks in Highland 8 Mar (JyS) was 
accompanied by 700 Mallards. There were 130 
Northern Shovelers, 180 Northern Pintails, 
and 250 Green-winged Teal at Big Island 
W.M.A., Marion 16 Mar QMc). The spring 
flight of Eurasian Wigeon (Table 1) was the 
strongest on record. A subspecies of annual 
Regional occurrence, a Eurasian Teal was at 
Hidden L., Bucks, PA 9 Mar-24 Apr (B. Keim). 
Noteworthy inland Ohio tallies of Canvasback 
included 100 at Grand L., St. Mary’s, 
Auglaize/Mercer 8 Mar (JBo) and 200 at Deer 
Creek the following day (RR). That same flight 
produced 200 at L. Arthur, Butler, PA 8 Mar 
(D. Darney) and 600 at Pymatuning L., Craw- 
ford, PA 9 Mar (SKi). A good count of 2500 
Redheads was made at Deer Creek 9 Mar (RR), 
and 650 were at Metzger 9 Mar (KK). Better 
counts of Ring-necked Ducks were 429 at 
Green Lane Res., Montgomery, PA 11 Mar (G. 
Franchois) and 700 at Pymatuning L, Craw- 
ford, PA 9 Mar (SKi); one tarried in Wetzel, WV 
9 May (WJ). The 2500 Lesser Scaup at Deer 
Creek 9 Mar (RR) and 650 at Pleasant Hill L., 
Ashland, OH 14 Mar (SS) marked an average w. 
migration. Recovering numbers of Greater 
Scaup could be seen in the 67 1 around Kelley’s 
L, Erie OH 21 Mar (TB, Sandy Tkach). A late 
Greater Scaup accompanied a Lesser off Pipe 
Creek W.M.A., Erie, OH 16 May (GLy). The 
main Ohio Surf Scoter migration late Mar-ear- 
ly Apr saw an average of 28 birds reported, 
with one lingering at Grand L., St. Mary’s, 
Auglaize/Mercer 14 May (MM). A remarkable 
30 White-winged Scoters, most inland, high- 
lighted this w. scoter passage. Inland, 4 were at 
Caesar Creek 7 Mar (B. Lacker) and three- 
somes in Warren 9 Mar (RA, J. Habig, S. Egle- 
ston), Clark 5 Apr (RA), and Wayne 19 & 28 
Mar (BG, SS). Two White -winged Scoters at 
Peace Valley Park, Bucks, PA 27 May (AM) and 
one in Mason, WV 3 May (MO) were late. 
Noteworthy were 5 Black Scoters in Forest, PA 
9 May (F McGuire) and 2 on the Shenandoah 
R., Jefferson, WV 20 Apr (MO). Some 30 Ohio 
Long-tailed Ducks were reported, most from 
inland locales, with a high count of 9 at Pied- 
mont L., Belmont/Hanison 19 Mar (BG), while 
35 were on the Susquehanna R., Lancaster, PA 
14 Apr (CC). Buffleheads staged a good early 
Apr flight, when G. Bennett tallied 860+ at 11 
Providing just the fifth record for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania was this 
Ruddy Turnstone, which spent 25 May 2009 feeding along the bank of the Al- 
legheny River behind PNC Park. Another turnstone was seen the same day 13 
kilometers upriver on the Allegheny. Photograph by Geoff Malosh. 
VOlUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
425 
