EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY 
About the fifth report (third this decade) from the Western Basin of Ohio, 
this Chuck-will's-widow was netted by banders of the Black Swamp Bird 
Observatory 21 May 2009. Photograph by Mark ShieMcastk. 
local observations. An individual returned to 
the vicinity of Baltic, Tuscarawas, OH 4 Mar 
(AHY) and remained for the season, while an- 
other appeared near Bunker Hill, Holmes, OH 
28 May-Jun (M. Hershberger, Emery Yoder). 
Left over from winter, 2 Snowy Owls were in 
Cleveland 1 Mar (G. Cudworth), and another 
remained in Pittsburgh 6 Apr (fide S. Kinzey). 
Two Barn Owls at Stone Valley, Huntington, PA 
2 May (D. Wentzel, J. Potter) were locally un- 
usual. The B.S.B.O. banded a Chuck-will’s- 
widow in Ottawa, OH 21 May for an excep- 
tional record from the Western Basin marsh- 
es; singles at Lavalette, Wayne, WV 27 May 
(GR) and in Bucks, PA 29+ May (fide AM) 
were unexpected. A Chimney Swift in Preston, 
WV 29 Mar 0- Boback) was well ahead of all 
of other reports. 
Early Eastern Wood-Pewees reached Coal 
Center, Washington, PA 20 Apr (AT) and Hamil- 
ton, OH 27 Apr (R. Ripma), while early Olive- 
sided Flycatchers were in Hocking, OH 1 May 
(D. Horn) and Huntingdon, PA 2 May (GG et 
al). Scissor-tailed Flycatchers visited Crown 
City W.M.A., Gallia/Lawrence, OH 20 May (J. 
Dunlap, /ideJMc) and L. Winola, Wyoming, PA 
26-27 Apr (M. Catalano, /ide A. Lambert). For 
the 2nd year. Willow Flycatcher appeared in 
Apr, with one the 27th in Delaware, OH (SWi). 
A transient Loggerhead Shrike in Sandusky, OH 
17 May made the state’s only report Q- Kuen- 
zli). Eight Northern Shrikes were reported, in- 
cluding 2 at Magee through 18 Mar (KK, CK) 
and one through 28 Mar in Holmes, OH (SS). 
Bell’s Vireos returned to nesting grounds in 
Hamilton, OH (NC) and Franklin, OH (RLy) in 
late May. A Blue-headed Vireo in Wood, OH 9 
Apr 0- Cullen, BC) set an early date for the 
Toledo area. Common Ravens returned to Jef- 
ferson, OH, but nesting was not confirmed (E. 
Hall, Jide AB, RLy, KM, m.ob.). Ravens fledged 
3 young at Prickett's Fork S.P., Monongalia, 'WV 
16 May 0- Herron). Observations of 5 birds in 
Wetzel, 'WV 9 & 25 May (WJ) were just 16 km 
from Monroe, OH, a potential enclave 
for the species. A Fish Crow at Done- 
gal L., PA 7 Mar (RL) was a first for 
Westmoreland. A Northern Rough- 
winged Swallow in Clermont 24 Mar 
(B. Doss) and a Barn Swallow in Ot- 
tawa 30 Mar (KK) follow a recent 
trend of early arrival. Early-arriving 
Ohio Sedge Wrens included one in 
Butler 2 May QyS) and one in Union 3 
May (RTh). A Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
in Greenbrier, WV 28 May (AN) was 
unexpected at the Region’s s. border. 
A second-year male Mountain Blue- 
bird near the Toledo Airport, Lucas, 
OH was first seen 30 Mar (D. Barda, P. 
Hayes) but not widely viewed until 5- 
17 Apr (fide G. Links, m.ob.). Cathanis thrush 
migration was ahead of schedule by many ac- 
counts, with 9 Gray-cheeked and 47 Swainson’s 
at Magee 25 Apr (VF) one example. A Hermit 
Thrush was a late migrant at Magee 28 May 
(RNl). A Varied Thrush flew past veteran ob- 
servers at Headlands 14 May (EB, RH). An 
American Pipit was still in Wayne, OH 23 May 
(]FY, KKl). An early Tennessee Warbler 18 Apr 
in Greene, OH (M. Ruane) heralded a wide- 
spread flight that saw 20+ individuals across 
the state by 26 Apr. A Yellow-throated Warbler 
in Franklin 23-24 Mar (B. Masters) was early 
while one in Monroe, PA 25 May was n. of its 
normal range in e. Pennsylvania (RW). Five 
Kirtland’s Warblers in Ohio matched the 
record 2006 season, with singles in Adams 12 
May (C. Bedel, P. Whan), in Cuyahoga 
16 May (a window-strike; fide D. 
Kramer), a second-year male at Magee 
17-18 May (A. Johnson, SWs, J. 
Mizanin, m.ob.), in Lake 21 May 0?), 
and at Magee 21-22 May (KM, RNl, D. 
Snuffer). Numbering 200, Palm War- 
blers eclipsed even Yellow-rumpeds at 
Magee 27 Apr (RNl). Single Yellow 
Palm Warblers were seen in Jefferson, 
WV 16 Apr (MO) and in Cochocton, 
OH 19 Apr (James E. Yoder). An early 
Louisiana Waterthrush was sighted in 
Franklin, OH 14 Mar (RTh). A coop- 
erative Swainson’s Warbler held terri- 
tory at Cooper’s Rock S.E, Preston, 
WV 24 May-13 Jun (L. Graffious, B. 
Johnson, AN, m.ob.), about 160 km 
n. of the usual haunts for the species. Five Con- 
necticut Warblers were netted at Navarre 
Marsh, Ottawa, OH 27 May (B.S.B.O.). Two 
Mourning Warblers at Marklesburg, Hunting- 
don, PA 29 Apr (D. & T. Kyler) and one in 
Monongahela N.E, Pocahontas, WV 28 Apr (K. 
Brown) were early arrivals. A Yellow-breasted 
Chat in Bucks, PA 27 Apr was the earliest ever 
there (AM). 
Summer Tanagers in Pennsylvania included 
singles at Powdermill Nature Reserve, West- 
moreland 18-19 May (RL, M. Lanzone, E. 
DeLeone, T. Vechter) and at Buhl Farm Park, 
Mercer 7 May (S. Sanford). Quite late was a 
Clay-colored Sparrow at Ottawa 29 May (CK), 
one of 1 1 reports this spring, vrith all but two 
from nw. Ohio. The species had returned to its 
summer grounds at Canaan Valley N.W.R., 
Tucker, WV 24 May (MO). Lark Sparrows are 
proving to be wide-ranging across the w. por- 
tion of the Region. A pair was discovered by 
an ornithology class on The Ohio State Uni- 
versity campus, Franklin 11-15 May (A. 
Champagne, J. Lennon); the pair remained 
into summer. The wintering bird in Crawford, 
OH was present through 3 Mar (]. Muchow). 
Three at Byrd Dam 26 Apr (|N, M. Keatley) 
were a surprise. Another was in Holmes, OH 9 
May (KKl, SWr). A Grasshopper Sparrow near 
Walnut Creek, Holmes, OH 9 Apr (Wayne E. 
Miller) was early. A singing Le Conte’s Spar- 
row in Paulding, OH 15 May was a county first 
(MD). A vocal Nelson’s Sparrow was in Lucas 
17-18 May (DO, PC), while one at Killbuck 15 
May (KKl, JFY) provided only the 2nd spring 
record for e-cen. Ohio. Ohio’s first Golden- 
crowned Sparrow visited a Hancock feeder 7- 
24 Apr (RSs, J. Loughman, m.ob.). A Harris’s 
Sparrow was in Lancaster, PA 8-27 Apr (CC et 
ah). A Lincoln’s Sparrow was an early arrival 
in Wetzel, WV 31 Mar (WJ). The Oregon Jun- 
co reported in Feb from Harborcreek, Erie, PA 
remained until 14 Mar (M. Franz). Some 4503 
Lapland Longspurs and 331 Snow Buntings 
passed an Ottawa hawkwatch 17 Mar 
(B.S.B.O.). On 11 Apr, longtime suspicions of 
a migration through far w. Ohio were con- 
firmed when 2 Smith’s Longspurs were dis- 
covered in a weedy cornfield in Rockport, 
Mercer (fide BG). This number quickly grew to 
40+ birds 18 Apr, and the last birds were re- 
ported 25 Apr (TSh, JLh, BWh, m.ob.). 
Studious review of the literature, and subsequent scouring of weedy corn- 
fields along the western frontier in Mercer County, led to the discovery of 
Ohio's first migrant flock of Smith's Longspur's in decades; as many as 40 
present 11-25 (here 16) April 2009. Photograph by George SydlswskL 
428 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
