n 
i EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY 
Table 1 . Records Eurasian Wigeon from Ohio and Pennsylvania, spring 2009. 
Date 
Location 
Observer(s) 
Feb-4 Mar 
Octoraro L, Lancaster, PA 
fide SK 
6 Mar 
Delaware, OH 
CB 
8 Mar 
M.C.W.M.A., PA 
D. Stoner et al. 
6-9 Mar 
Killbuck, Wayne, OH 
H. & K. Ostermiller, ph. E. Cornelius 
7-9 Mar 
Clinton, OH 
JLh, m.ob. 
15 Mar 
Custards, Crawford, PA 
RL 
17-21 Mar 
Metzger, OH 
PC, KK 
2 Mar-8 Apr 
Killdeer Plains, Wyandot, OH 
M. 8( S. Reifsnyder, m.ob. 
23-24 Mar 
Black Swamp, Lawrence, PA 
B.VanNewkirk 
24 Mar-11 Apr 
Hardin, OH 
RC 
Feb-9 Apr 
L. Ontelaunee, Berks, PA 
RK 
9-11 Apr 
Seneca/Hancock, OH 
RSs,B.&J. Cullen 
10-16 Apr 
Seneca, OH 
B.&J. Cullen, KM 
9-10 May 
Wayne, OH 
A. E.Yoderetal.,JFYetal. 
ne. Ohio lakes 6 Apr. The 824 Common Gold- 
eneyes counted from Kelley’s 1, 20 Mar (TB) 
and the passage of 6946 Red-breasted Mer- 
gansers in Lake, OH 28 Mar QP) were typical 
seasonal peaks for L. Erie. A Common Gold- 
eneye at Presque Isle 25 May was late (M. Bird- 
song), as was a Red-breasted Merganser in 
Clennont, OH 25 May (A. Scruggs), and 2 Red- 
breasteds at S.R.C.E 31 May (BS). Hooded 
Mergansers were confirmed breeding in Penn- 
sylvania in York (R. Clearly), Lawrence 
(M.Vass), and Northampton (M. Sabatine). 
A Northern Bobwhite took up residence at a 
small, restored prairie outside the COSI muse- 
um in downtown Columbus, OH 25-26 May 
0 - Tinianow). Eight Red-throated Loons 
passed through Ohio, all singles, save 2 at 
Clear Eork Res., Richland/Morrow 28 Mar-2 
Apr (RHr, BG, Greg Miller, m.ob.). Another 19 
were reported 10 Mar-9 May in Pennsylvania. 
A seasonal total of 668 Common Loons was 
tallied at T.M.H. QK, NB). Red-necked Grebes 
staged a strong flight through Ohio, with 37 
birds reported in all; 7 were at Tappan L., Har- 
rison 19 Mar (BG), and a wayward bird at 
Cuyahoga Valley N.R, Summit 21-22 Mar (D. 
Vogus) was a first for the national park. Equal- 
ly impressive were 75+ across 24 Pennsylvania 
counties 1 Mar-17 Apr; a high count of 11 
came from the Susquehanna R., Lancaster 28 
Mar QH). The fallout spilled into West Vir- 
ginia, where 3 each were at Byrd Dam 26 Mar 
(WA) and on the Shenandoah R., Jefferson 20 
Mar (MO). An Eared Grebe lingered at a “sky 
pond” in Bellevue, Sandusky 25 Mar-26 Apr 
(BC, JLh, m.ob.), with another joining it 27 
Apr (VE). Another was on Pleasant Hill L., 
Ashland, OH 14 Mar (KKl). The highest tally of 
Horned Grebe in Pennsylvania was 60 on Key- 
stone Res., Armstrong 19 Mar (M. 63 : R. Hig- 
bee). An imm. Brown Pelican, possibly a pre- 
cursor to the summer influx, 
was well described from Win- 
field, Putnam, WV 9 May (CE). 
Apart from a wintering bird 
present through 6 Mar at 
Grand L., Auglaize/Mercer 
QBo), this was the weakest 
flight in years for American 
White Pelicans in Ohio; sin- 
gles were at Hoover 19-28 Mar 
(CB), at Clear Pork Res., Mor- 
row/Richland 21-22 Mar and 8 
Apr (GCo et al.), and at Magee 
14 May 0- O’Callaghan). The 
600 Double-crested Cor- 
morants over Shawnee Look- 
out, Hamilton 18 Apr OyS), an 
excellent spring count from 
sw. Ohio, was surpassed by the 
1500 on Clear Pork Res., Mor- 
row/Richland, OH 11 Apr OFY), possibly a 
state record count for an inland reservoir. 
Although the species is in decline Regional- 
ly, reports of American Bittern were especially 
widespread, with 17 across Ohio and more 
than 30 from Pennsylvania. In Ohio, 15 
Snowy Egrets were counted at Magee 21 Apr 
0 - Witter). Singles were noted inland to 
Hamilton 2 May (NC) and Auglaize 14 May 
(MM), with 4 at Killbuck 27 Apr (KKl). Sin- 
gles at Presque Isle 1 May (R. Hollebeck) and 
in Mason, WV 30 Apr-3 May (MO, M. Grif- 
fith) were less expected. Two Little Blue 
Herons were early arrivals at Magee 2-4 Apr 
(T. Kellogg). Elsewhere, Ohio birds numbered 
3 at Killbuck 30 Apr-3 May (fide BG, GL), 
with singles in Montgomery 2 May (RA, S. 
Egleston), at Mogadore Res., Portage 6 May 
(KM), and Armleder Park, Hamilton 8 May 
(FF). In the e. highlands, individuals reached 
Jefferson, WV 25 Apr (L. Prillaman), Bucks, PA 
27 Apr (AM), and Chester, PA 8 May (LL, KF). 
Cattle Egret high counts included 15 at Ar- 
rowhead Business Park, Lucas, OH 28 Apr 
(fide]. Habig) and 8 at Killbuck 30 Apr (Allen 
Troyer), the latter a high count for the Al- 
legheny foothills. Three were in Bucks, PA 9-6 
May (fide AM). A Glossy Ibis at Plains Flats, 
Luzerne, Pa 22-23 Apr was unusual for the lo- 
cale (K. Ripka), and a high of 1 1 was seen near 
Topton, Berks, PA 24 Apr (E Saenger). At least 
10 other Glossies were reported in Pennsylva- 
nia, most in late May (m.ob.). Black Vultures 
continue expanding, despite state-approved 
control measures. Groups of 5 were in Mason, 
WV 12 Apr (GR), and over the Ohio Turnpike 
near Sandusky, Erie 8 May (C. Martin). 
RAPTORS THROUGH TERNS 
In Pennsylvania, Mississippi Kites were found 
at Breezyview Overlook, Lancaster 29-3 1 May 
(CC, D. Hoffman et al.), where up to were 2 
present, and singles were at Pennsy Swamp, 
Mercer 13 May (R. Nugent, M. Little), Blue 
Marsh L., Berks 14 May 0- Silagy), and Prom- 
ised Land S.E, Pike 23 May (K. Loughlin); one 
was over n. Coshocton, OH 26 Apr (DHY et 
al.). An early Swallow-tailed Kite at Presque 
Isle 21 Apr (ph. JM) was a local first for this 
migrant trap and one of very few L. Erie 
records in the United States. We have been re- 
porting on the remarkable spring raptor 
counts from Conneaut for several years. Yet 
those numbers would not have prepared one 
for the flight of 24 Apr, when 590 Sharp- 
shinned Hawks, 2 Northern Goshawks, 5687 
Broad-winged Hawks, 2 Swainson’s Hawks, 
97 American Kestrels, 12 Merlins, and 9 Pere- 
grine Falcons were tallied; more than 6600 
raptors on the day. Additional Ohio goshawks 
passed through Geauga 15 Mar (B. Baber, EB), 
Conneaut 24 Mar (EB), and Lake 25 Apr (JP). 
A few km farther e. along the shoreline, the 
new hawkwatch at Presque Isle produced 
counts of 3264 Broad-winged Hawks 21 Apr 
and 3347 on 24 Apr QM); an albino was stud- 
ied there 2 Apr QM). Nest-building Northern 
Harriers were observed in Ashtabula, OH 29 
Apr (CH), and another pair was in Pickaway, 
OH 30 May (RLy). The count of 170 Red- 
shouldered Hawks at Conneaut 17 Mar (BG) 
was a sign of the species’ recovery. A solid pas- 
sage of Golden Eagles through Ohio included 
up to 2 at Killdeer Plains 1-22 Mar (C. Witt, 
J. Davis, BWh, m.ob.), 5 migrants past Magee 
A long-awaited first for the extreme southwestern corner of 
Pennsylvania was this Little Gull, one of three that appeared 
at Ambridge Reservoir, Beaver County during a substantial 
fallout of Bonaparte's Gulls in the area; at least 438 Bona- 
parte's were present at Ambridge Reservoir that same day. 
Photograph by Geoff Malosh. 
28 Mar-22 Apr (PC, CK, L. Garling, J. Hub- 
inger, C. Goulart), with singles over Cochoc- 
ton 18 Apr (DHY et al). Holmes 18 Apr (KKl), 
and Conneaut 25 Apr (BG). Lingering birds 
in the West Virginia highlands included an 
ad. in Fayette 21 Apr (W. Perrone), one in 
Tucker 26 Apr (C. Rucker), and one at Grant 
9 May (E Atwood). A seasonal total of 200 at 
T.M.H. , the 2nd highest there, was led by 37 
on 18 Mar (JK, NB). Peregrine Falcons re- 
426 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
