A few rainy hours at these parks along the Scioto River this morning found large numbers of temperate migrants grounded by the weather.  The river level was extremely high & fast, so waterbirds were not abundant, but along the bikepath in both parks were small flocks of kinglets, creepers,and sparrows.  Some perplexing absences (sapsuckers, Chipping sparrows), but otherwise a nice morning for getting my 'migration eyes'.  Highlights included:

Waterfowl - a pair of Ring-necked Ducks and 3 Bufflehead enlivened the expected many Mallard pairs and a few Black Ducks.
Divers - a flock of 22 cormorants was above the dam, along with a single Pied-billed Grebe
Raptors - not much in the rain.  A wet Kestrel was posted on the wires around the new Whittier park ponds.
SHorebirds - 4-5 Kildeer were scurrying around those same pools, but no other shorebirds...yet
Woodpeckers - no sapsuckers was odd, but 8 flickers scattered along the bikepath was a hopeful omen
Flycatchers - 3 Phoebes were at different spots along the bikepath in Berliner, flucatching over the flooded riparian forest understory
Swallows - 4 Tree Swallows were bravely foraging in the rain.  Probably many more were sitting out the drizzle.
Kinglets,Creepers - 30+ Golden-crowned Kinglets were foraging in small flocks along the bikepath, mostly in Berliner.  12 Brown Creepers were in roughly the same areas.
Warblers - an early PIne Warbler was singing along the bikepath in Berliner
Towhees - 5 different individuals, all males, at different sites along the path (3 in Whittier, 2 in Berliner)
Sparrows - lots of individuals, indluding Field (10+), Fox (4), Song (42+, a number that I've never seen here before), White-throated (50+), Junco (36+).  They were in small, loose flocks foraging along grassy edges everywhere.
Blackbirds - small numbers of Redwings (5), Grackles (15), and cowbirds (6), most of which looked and acted like residents

If the pattern of the past years holds, the warming trned should bring a steady parade of more temperate migrants over the next week, including a boost in numbers of sapsuckers and Chipping sparrows, along with the first Rough-winged and Cliff swallows.  And if it gets warm enough, start looking for the first neotropicals - Prothonotaries, Yellow-throated warblers, Crested Flycatchers.  Come on Sping!


Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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