With only a small bit of free time, I was determined to see if this warm spell produced a push of temperate migrants.  I focused on the stretch of Alum Creek that runs through urban E Columbus, where it squeezes between the South Linden and Eastgate neighborhoods on the west and the AIrport and Bexley on the east.  Here it truly is a green strip running through the city, and makes for a fairly good urban migrant corridor.  The best spots at present here are at Mock Park on the north end and Jeffrey Park on the south, but there is riparian area all along the 2 miles between them, and it is being slowly penetrated by a bikepath being built by Columbus Rec & Parks.  Today, a half hour in each of these parks produced a good list of temperate migrants, hinting at how good this area will be with a complete bikepath link.  Highlights included

Waterfowl - no wetlands here (yet), but Wood Ducks were along Alum Creek at both sites
Woodpeckers - lots of common woodpeckers (Downies, Hairies, & Red-bellies) along with sapsucker at Jeffrey Park
Flycatchers, Swallows - no swallows, but a Phoebe was feeding around the ravine at Mock Park
Corvids - low #s of Blue Jays, so no significant movement here today
Vireos - calling Blue-headed at Mock
Creeper,Nuthatches - 3-4 Brown Creepers at Jeffrey, but no Red-br.Nuthatches yet (and this is a very reliable site for this species in most years. )  Looks like no irruption this year
Wrens, Kinglets - lots of Winter wrens (5) and Both kinglets (9-10 Golden-crowns, 6-7 Ruby crowns)
Thrushes - Bluebirds & Hermit Thrush at Mock; both parks had large, noisy flocks of Robins working the honeysuckle bushes
Waxwings - flocks of them at both parks
Warblers - Yellow-rumps common at both sites, while a Nashville and Bl.thr.Green among the flock birds at Mock
Sparrows - only the expected urban migrants (Chippies, White-throats, Songs), but I didn't check Mock-Sunbury marsh, which is an excellent spot for Swamp & Lincolns Sparrows.
Blackbirds - no major movement, with only a few straggling Redwings and grackles

Many of these birds might stick around as long as the berries hold out and the temperature stays reasonable.  This corridor along Sunbury road is a hidden oasis in Columbus, and holds good birds even into winter.  Hopefully some of the good ones will still be here for the Columbus CBC (Dec 17).

Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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