I spent some time this afternoon checking out the Cheshire hole at Alum Creek Lake, then going over to Hoover to check the one large hole there, off Area O (Knoll Dr.).  The comparison between the 2 was very informative about how local early migration can be.  The Cheshire hole has many of the same species that were noted there 2 weeks ago:
120 Tundra Swans
1200 Canada Geese
a few Greater (3) & Lesser (2) Scaup
50 Redhead
50 Canvasback
65+ Common Goldeneye
20 Red-br.Mergansers
60 Common Mergansers
3 Horned Grebes

The Hoover hole is harder to get a good look at, sitting about halfway between Area O & Maxtown boat launch.  I parked on Knoll Dr off Redbank Rd and walked over to the edge of the small yacht club there, but the view was still much further than the point-black views at Cheshire.  Still, the numbers were interesting:
900 Canada Geese
2 Black Ducks
10 Mallards
2 Greater Scaup
12 Common Goldeneye
20 Red-br. Mergansers
20 Common Mergansers

I didn't check the dam spillway due to lack of time, but doubt it would've held much different than the dabblers it has held of late.  Still, Goldeneye and Mergansers seem to be on the move, along with the usual early divers.  Neither hole had much for gulls, with just a pair of Herring at each.  It seems likely that most of the gulls have been sucked south to the 'regular meals' of the Columbus landfill.

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