Date: 10/13/25 12:00 am From: Robert Thorn <robthorn6...> Subject: [Ohio-birds] Delaware Lake,Hogback Road,10-12: migrants, shorebirds
Things were hopping at these 2 sites near Delaware this morning. I stopped at several areas around the reservoir, with the best spots in the State Park (the Beach and the Southwest boat ramp area) where migrants seemed to cluster. The beach itself had a nice array of gulls and shorebirds, but the lake was empty of waterfowl. Notables included:
Shorebirds: 18 Killdeer, 2 Dunlin at the Beach Gulls: 40+ Ring-billed, 8 Bonaparte's, 1 Herring Raptors: many Turkey Vultures, 1 Osprey near the boat ramp Flycatchers: only 1 Phoebe, below the dam Vireos: singing Blue-headed at both the edge of the Beach parking area and the boat ramp Kinglets -- Ruby-crowned in many places, but no Golden-crowned Thrushes: flock of bluebirds at the Boat ramp, scattered Robins elsewhere Waxwings: a few at the Boat ramp area Warblers: nothing but Yellow-rumps, but they were abundant at the boat ramp area (25+) Sparrows: small flocks of Fields and Chippings at the boat ramp area, along with 1 Junco; Songs & White-throats widespread but not common Blackbirds: nothing at either site Finches: hardly any, with a small flock of goldfinches at the Dam, a few at the Boat ramp area
Stops at a few of the marshes in the Delaware Wildlife Area along Horseshoe Road were futile as most of the marshes were bone-dry. Hogback Road had lots of mudflats and loads of Killdeer and cormorants, among quite a few shorebirds & gulls. Included among the haul were 4 Great Egrets, 6 Great Blue Herons, 30 Killdeer, 12 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Spotted Sandpipers, 1 Wilson's Snipe, 3 Bonaparte's Gulls, and 28 Ring-billed gulls. Notable for their absence were Ospreys, which are usually common here (with 3-4 active nests in season).
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