I took a few hours this morning to check up on several isolated woodlots in the Columbus suburb of Dublin, where careful development has preserved a number of woodlots both in city parks and Glacier Ridge MetroPark.  I also made a stop at the Glacier Ridge wetlands, where the recent rains have produced very high water levels.  Highlights included:

raptors - Coopers nesting at Glacier Ridge, which also had a Red-shouldered hunting along the Multi-use bikepath near where they have nested the past 2 summers.  No migrant raptors to speak of, not counting a few Turkey Vultures.

waterfowl - Glacier Ridge Wetland still held a good assortment, including pairs of Blue-winged and Green-winged Teals, Shovelers, Ring-necked Ducks, and Ruddy Ducks.  A hen Mallard with 6 chicks was around a typical early date, and many Canada Geese were on nests here.

shorebirds - despite the high water, the wetlands also had a few Solitary & Spotted sandpipers, as well as 2 Greater Yellowlegs

marsh birds - Glacier Ridge wetlands are becoming a great place for rails.  I saw 2 Sora and heard 4 more, and heard a Virginia Rail, and all of this on a blustery, cold day.  I can't imagine what it would be like on a nice morning.  I couldn't relocate the Common Moorhen seen there recently, but there were a lot of Coots (30-40) still around the marshes here.  Surprisingly, not a single heron or egret here.

Flycatchers - another Acadian was flycatching along the edge of the Mutli-use trail at Glacier Ridge

Swallows - a handful of Tree, Barn, and Rough-winged were flying around the wetlands.

Vireos - surprisingly, none at any of the woodlots

Kinglets - Ruby-crowns still very common, with 2-6 at every stop.  No Golden-crowns, but I was not near any sizeable conifer groves all morning.

Thrushes - Hermit Thrushes still common, as I found 1-2 at most of the woodlots

Mimids - singing thrashers were at 3 of the 5 woodlots I surveyed, but catbirds were absent,  Several Mockingbirds were at expected sites along the Multi-use Trail at Glacier Ridge.

Warblers - disappointing, with Yellow-rumps at most stops, but little else.  A N.Waterthrush was singing at Kiwanis Preserve along the Scioto River, and a Palm warbler was along the Mutli-use trail at Glacier Ridge.

Sparrows - White-throats still abundant, with 10-20 at most stops.  Many pairs of Fields were setting up territories along the Glacier Ridge Multi-use trail, where they are one of the most common birds.  3 Swamp sparrows were singing in small spring fens at Kiwanis Preserve.

Icterids - cowbirds were distressingly abundant at most stops; the delayed nesting of most migrants is only going to be a benefit to these parasites.  A male Baltimore Oriole was stranded at Avery Park woodlot, the latest first of the season in several years.

Migration still appears to be stuck in low gear here in central Ohio.  Many species are appearing on-schedule, but in pitiful numbers, while others are just late.   We'll have to see if the predicted warming trend this weekend looses the floodgates.  If good weather materializes, try to get out to one of the riparian corridors this weekend, as it should be a good wave of neotropical migrants.


Rob Thorn




Rob Thorn
[log in to unmask]
EarthLink Revolves Around You.

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]