The Columbus Audubon trip to Hoover Reservoir this morning was treated to a good showing of waterfowl & gulls, with less of other bird groups.  Despite a cold wind & leaden sky, ducks & geese put on good shows at most stops, even if most of them were only of a few species.  Highlights included:

Swans & Geese - Canada Geese everywhere, with flocks of 40-80 at most stops.  Big flocks were flying in & out of the reservoir all morning, and a group of hunters were sitting at the Baldridge boat launch trying to decide which nearby outlfight fields in which to set up (since hunting isn't allowed on Hoover).  2 young Mute Swans were in the cove by the dam, and seemed unfazed by nearby humans.

Dabbling Ducks - Mallards everywhere, though nowhere in great numbers.  A few Black Ducks were at Oxbow Island and the Sunbury causeway, and a lone N.Shoveler was with Mallards in the spillway below the dam

Diving Ducks - good mix, with a few Lesser Scaup off the Galena boardwalk, 11 Redhead off the Sunbury causeway, small flocks of Goldeneye at several stops, and Ruddy Ducks near the dam parking area.  Best, though, was a young male SURF SCOTER spotted by Rick Asamoto west of the boardwalk.  It could be easily seen from the WIese Rd. access, and may hang around a few days for those looking to add it to their year list.

Mergansers - small groups of Hoodeds were at several locations, including off the dam, Oxbow Island and Wiese Rd..  More interesting were 3 Red-breasteds fishing off the Sunbury causeway and 4 flyby Commons at Oxbow Island

Raptors - Bald Eagles were strangely absent (perhaps scouting nearby nest sites?), but Red-tails stepped in to fill the void, with pairs off Maxtown boat launch and the Sunbury causeway, and a single soaring bird east of the Galena boardwalk

Gulls - flocks of Ring-bills at most stops, but 5 foraging Bonaparte's gulls off Wiese Rd were noteworthy

Landbirds - generally, they were laying low in the cold wind, but good finds included a PHOEBE hawking insects along the old creek channel below the dam, 2 E.Bluebirds foraging along the rocky shore of the cove above the dam, and a Mockingbird at the east end of Oxbow Island


Rob Thorn
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