Sorry ofr the belated post, but I've had listserv issues.  The information is still useful.  Taking Jim McCormac's great sparrow day as a cue, I visited Pickerington Ponds for a few hours on Sunday hoping for a sparrow windfall. The sparrows were there (just not the rare ones), and the waterfowl were even more 'there'. Thanks to naturalist Scott Felker for the sharp eyes and good company for part of the morning. Even though rarities were few, the morning was brilliantly clear and it was great to be out. Cumulative highlights included:

Raptors - small #s of the expected Red-tails and Kestrels were enlivened by a roosting MERLIN at nearby Portmann Park
Herons - 4 Great Egrets were among the throng of Great Blues at Ellis Pond. Scott hadn't found Black-crowns recently.
Dabbling Ducks - bonanza. Loads of Mallards, Green-winged Teal (150+), shovelers (40+), and Gadwall (30+), with lesser numbers of Pintail, WIgeon, Blue-winged Teal, and Wood Ducks. Mallard & Pintail marshes were the best.
Diving DUcks - still waiting, although we had a few Ring-necked Ducks, Redhead, and Ruddies.
Other Waterfowl - Coots out the wazoo (500+), as well as 12-15 Pied-billed Grebes
Shorebirds - only a few Kildeer & 1 Greater Yellowlegs, all at Ellis Pond, which was the only spot with a rim of mud. Scot mentioned that the water had been high since the tornado storms, and that was also about the time that the avocets were last seen.
Flycatchers, Swallows - only 1 Phoebe, but quite a few Tree Swallows along with 3 Rough-winged mixed in.
Wrens, Kinglets - no marsh or sedge wrens, but a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets in several spots
Warblers - Yellow-rumps everwhere, tho not in great #s. Single Nashville on the Yellowlegs trail and Common Yellowthroat at Portmann
Sparrows - lots of common species, including 60+ WHite-crowns, 10+ White-throats, 15+ Swamps, 25+ Songs, 6+ Lincolns, 7+ Chippings, 20+ Fields. Not even the hint of an Ammodramus sparrow, but we were never near the right type of habitat.
Icterids - flocks of Redwings (perhaps Merlin food?) along with a few Grackles.

While Pick Ponds does have lots of wetlands, most are distinct ponds or marshes, and none of the accessable ones show large shallow areas that aren't taken over by cattails. The 'flooded field' habitat for Sharp-tails & LeContes appears to be much more specific and rare. Central Ohio birders that don't know an Amish farmer with flooded fields might do better to visit more shallow marshy areas such as the Hebron Fish hatchery or Big Island Wildlife Area. Slate Run Wetland might also be a good bet, as would be Delaware WIldlife Area if you know where hunting is not occurring. The sparrows are undoubtedly stopping somewhere nearby, just not here.


Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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