EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY 
In 2008, two Red Phalaropes appeared 19-26 (here 19) September on the opposite 
bank along the Huntington, West Virginia riverfront. There are few records of the 
species for the Mountain State. Photograph by Simon Collier. 
of 3 Anhingas passed over H.M.S. 20 Sep (K. 
Bildstein, C. Funes). Another Anhinga was 
reported over Doylestown, Bucks, PA 7 Sep Q- 
Tramontano). An Anhinga in flight over 
Hocking, OH 16 Sep (J. Fry, Stephen 
Williams) and a Magnificent Frigatebird over 
Stark the same day (G. Hochstetler) were co- 
incident with the passage of Hurricane Ike 
through the Region. A Magnificent Frigate- 
bird was seen at Blue Marsh L., Berks, PA 20 
Sep (L. Frederick, R. & K. Wagner, JS), and 
possibly the same bird was seen later that 
same day at Militia Hill hawkwatch, Mont- 
gomery, PA (ph. G. Layne). 
HERONS THROUGH RAPTORS 
Single Green Herons remained in Cuyahoga, 
OH 17 Nov (ph. M. Ward Piros), in Wood, 
WV 14 Nov 0. Esker, m.ob.), and Chester, PA 
10 Nov (D. Kendall). A cooperative Tricol- 
ored Heron at Medusa Marsh, Erie, OH 24 
Aug-5 Sep (LR, JBr, DS, m.ob.) may have 
been the same bird seen a few miles e. at Shel- 
don Marsh State Nature Preserve 9 Sep (LRk). 
A Snowy Egret was a rare visitor to s.-cen. 
Ohio at Deer Creek W.A., Pickaway 1 Aug 
(RA); another tarried in Chester, PA 25-28 
Oct (NP, LL). The 20 at Medusa Marsh, Erie, 
OH 30 Aug (BSs) was representative of the lo- 
cal Sandusky Bay population. An excellent 
count of 141 Great Egrets came from S.R.C.E 
2 Aug (DB, BS). Nice counts of Little Blue 
Herons included 5 at Octoraro Res., Lancast- 
er, PA 12 Aug (T. Raub) and 5 at S.R.C.E 2 
Aug (DB, BS). Apart from the 4 Little Blue 
Herons in the Western Basin through early 
Sep (S. Young, J. McIntyre, m.ob.), one was 
present in Hamilton 11 Aug (RF). Singles vis- 
ited Presque Isle 7 Aug (MV) and 20 Sep (Ron 
Leberman). Late Cattle Egrets in Ohio includ- 
ed singles in Holmes 13 Nov (ph. BG) and in 
Geauga 10 Nov (ph. 1. 
Schmidt). Singles in Penn- 
sylvania were in Delaware 2 
Aug (F. Windfelder), at 
S.R.C.E 2 Aug (BS, DB), and 
in Franklin 21 Oct (C. Gar- 
ner, D. Gearhart). Rare away 
from known breeding sites, 
a juv. Yellow-crowned 
Night-Heron was at Blue 
Marsh L., Berks, PA 25 
Aug-6 Sep (JS). Imm. White 
Ibis explored Pennsylvania: 
one (an individual different 
from a summer bird) ap- 
peared at S.R.C.E 2 Aug (BS, 
DB), while another was at 
Middle Creek W.M.A., Lan- 
caster/Lebanon from Jul 
through 24 Aug Qb), and 
another was along the Schuykill R., at Valley 
Forge, Montgomery 14 Aug (M. Bertram, K. 
King, fide K. Crilley). A Glossy Ibis visited 
the Williamstown wetlands, Wood, WV 22 
Sep-14 Oct (R. Esker, Pat Collins, ph. MO, 
RTm, m.ob.), and another was at Byrd Dam 3 
& 9 Oct (D. Beutler, DP). These represent the 
4th and 5th records for West Virginia, four 
coming in the past 18 months. Two Glossy 
Ibis were in Mahoning, OH 2-9 Oct (ph. BJo et 
al.). The 19 Glossy Ibis at L. Nockamixon, 
Bucks, PA 18 Sep made an excellent count (B. 
Friedermann). Three young Wood Storks in 
Coshocton, OH 26 Aug-8 Sep (R. Schlabach, 
T. Hochstetler, BS, ph. RTr, m.ob.) were seen 
by many. It was only four years ago that we 
considered a record flight of 800 Turkey Vul- 
tures over Toledo, OH to be outstanding. That 
record was shattered by 2935 over Toledo 16 
Oct (BG). Later that day, due s. over Hancock, 
J. Loughman tallied 583, within which a sin- 
gle Black Vulture was found. Remarkably, this 
flight was followed the 18th with 1621 over 
Whitehouse, Lucas, OH (MA). Clearly, greater 
numbers must summer n. of the Region. 
Black Vultures continue to explore sw. West 
Virginia, where 2 were seen in Putnam 24 Aug 
(GR) and 5 in Cabell 18 Nov (TI). One hun- 
dred in Harper’s Ferry, Jefferson, WV 10 Nov 
(D. Sylvester) was a significant concentration 
for the Eastern Panhandle. 
A Swallow-tailed Kite was reported at Tyler 
Arboretum, Delaware, PA 24 Sep (S. Tuttle), 
and another was near Chambersburg, 
Franklin, PA 20 Sep (B. Gerke, fide S. Saffier). 
Single Mississippi Kites were reported at 
H.M.S. 7 Sep (M. Wlasniewski) and in Bern 
Twp., Berks 6 Oct QS)- Another early cen. 
Ohio Golden Eagle appeared over Dublin, 
Franklin 16 Sep (P. McSweeny). The 7483 
Broad-winged Hawks over the Buckingham 
hawkwatch, Bucks, PA 17 Sep (G. Rowe) rep- 
resented a good count for the e. highlands. A 
count of 7296 Broad-winged Hawks over Tole- 
do 19 Sep is among the highest for Ohio (BG 
et al.). Two days earlier, farther s. on the same 
flight line over Xenia, Greene, OH, 700 were 
tallied (D. Malas). A Swainson’s Hawk was re- 
ported at Rose Tree Park hawkwatch, 
Delaware, PA 13 Oct 0- Lockyer). Continuing 
a trend of the past 12 years. Merlins appeared 
s. to Mason, WV 1 Aug (WA), Montgomery, OH 
2 Aug (RA), and Pickeringion Ponds 8 Aug 
(RTh). The capture and banding of an imm. 
gray-morph Gyrfalcon at Little Gap Raptor 
Banding Station, Northampton, PA 26 Nov (G. 
Yoder) ranks among the more exciting finds 
for the Region. A King Rail in Hardin, OH 29 
Aug (RC) and 3 at Winous Pt., Sandusky, OH 
5-7 Aug (TB, TKr) were all that were noted. 
Staging Sandhill Cranes at Funk Bottoms, 
Wayne numbered a record 112 birds 28 Nov 
(SS). Migration through w. Ohio picked up 18 
Nov, with 1000+ detected through the end of 
the period; these reports were led by 400+ over 
Bryan, Williams 28 Nov (L. Ohman). A flock of 
16 over Kingwood, Preston, WV 23 Nov (fide 
GF) was unexpected. A Sandhill Crane at 
S.R.C.E reported in Jul remained through the 
fall QB, BS), and 12 were at Pymatuning L., 
Crawford, PA 23 Nov (J. Christman). 
SHOREBIRDS THROUGH DOVES 
A late Piping Plover was found at Ottawa 7-10 
Oct (M. Bolton, j. Szanto, SD). Staging 
Killdeer at Englewood Metropark, Mont- 
gomery, OH 24 Aug peaked at 662 (RA). Late 
concentrations included 300 in Randolph, WV 
16 Nov (RTm) and 140 at Hoover 14 Nov 
(RTh). The 50 American Golden-Plovers in 
Lebanon, PA 27 Sep Q- Heller) led all Region- 
al reports. One at Greenlick Run L., West- 
moreland/Fayette, PA 18 Nov was late (W. &. 
D. Shaffer). Four Black-necked Stilts at Ot- 
tawa 12 Aug (fide BWh) led to speculation 
that they were the same 4 last seen at the 
A Despite volunteer efforts to increase their populations with nesting box projects in many areas (e.g., 200+ boxes in 
JitiNonhampm, PA, fide RW), American Kestrels continue to decline in numbers at hawkwatches in Pennsylvania. Only 
273 were recorded at Waggoner's Gap, Cumkrlmd {fide D. Grove), and the 294 at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary was 44% below 
the 10-year average (LG, fide RK). Only 143 were recorded at Rose Tree Park hawkwatch, Deimore, where the 10-year aver- 
age is 305 {fide DE). In addition, only 45 were recorded at Stone Ml hawkwatch, Huntingdon, where the average from 
1995-2007 was 118 — making the 2008 total just 38% of the average {fide GG). 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
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