The few hardy souls who braved the cold morning for the Columbus Audubon trip to Alum & Hoover lakes were given a strong dose of winter, with some interesting birds.  Alum Lake was entirely frozen, so most of the activity was over at Hoover where a few spots remained ice-free.  The major 'holes' in the ice were off Deer Island (north of the Sunbury causeway), south of the Sunbury causeway, and off Area F.  The dam spillway was also open and was the best spot for waterfowl variety.  Highlights included:
Canada Geese - hundreds at every hole and below the dam.  Not a Cackling or Snow among them, despite careful perusal.

Swans - several at the holes south of the Sunbury causeway.  The hole just south of the causeway had 2 Mutes, 4-5 Tundras, and 2-3 Trumpeters, with another 6 tucked in (so no ID).  The Area F hole had another 5 Trumpeters.

Dabbling Ducks - tons of Mallards, especially in the dam spillway where there were between 900-1000.  Black Ducks were a distant second, with 70+ in the spillway and smaller numbers at the holes.  A pair of Wigeon and 6-7 N.Shovelers were in the mix at the spillway.

Diving Ducks - 2 Goldeneye at the holes, but that was overshadowed by 26 in the spillway.  The spillway also had 3 Bufflehead and 2 Lesser Scaup, and another birder had seen Hooded Mergansers there earlier in the morning.

Raptors - 2 immature Bald Eagles: 1 at the Sunbury causeway hole, where he was swooping around the hole trying to startle the mass of waterfowl (which were decidedly unmoved), and another flying south over Maxtown launch.   Other raptors were much scarcer, with a Cooper's below the Alum dam and a Red-tail over the Sunbury causeway.

Vultures - 4 Turkey vultures were roosting east of the Sunbury causeway, a traditional site for migrants.

Gulls - small flocks of Ring-bills in the southern portions of Hoover were the only gull noted this morning.

Landbirds - nothing unusual around Alum or Hoover, but I did find a PURPLE FINCH feeding on a fruit tree in Minerva Park on my way home.  Late February - early March seems a favored time for these birds to stray to central Ohio, so be alert for them in crabapples or hawthorns that still have some fruit.

Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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