I birded Antrum Lake this morning (to minimize the freeway noise from nearby State 315) and was surprised to find 2 Common Loons on the water and 2 others flying over.  Thinking that a loon migrant wave might be a-wing, I headed up to Alum Lake, and found a few more, including a RED-THROATED.  The day had other interesting birds as well, highlights being:

Diving Ducks - flocks of Lesser Scaup included 10 off New Galena and 90 off Alum Point.  2 Bufflhead were mixed in with the former, while 2 Redhead were bobbing with the latter.
Mergansers - small flocks of Red-throateds included 24 off the Alum Lake dam and another 14 off Alum Point
Cormorants - small numbers at several spots on Alum Lake, but nothing like the numbers over at nearby Hoover Reservoir.
Grebes - 2 Horned & 1 Pied-billed were at Antrum Lake, while another 8 Horned were at Summer Ridge Access at ALum Lake
Loons - 4 Common at Antrum were matched by another 4 at Summer Ridge Access.  Better still was a Red-throated just offshore at SUmmer Ridge access.
Gulls - only a scattering of Ring-bills & Bonapartes, mostly around the Cheshire causeway at Alum Lake
Turkey Vultures - 14-16 were slowly gliding north over the Cheshire causeway in about 20 minutes of observation time.
Swallows - Tree swallows at many locations, including 10+ at the west end of Alum Lake dam.  These were joined by a male PURPLE MARTIN (first of the Spring here)
Thrushes,Mimids - many Robins, but no other migrant thrushes.  Brown Thrashers singing at several of the access points along Alum Lake
Warblers - first local YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER singing along the Olentangy River at Antrum Lake
Sparrows - a Fox sparrows was still lurking in the shrubbery at Antrum Lake, while Field Sparrows & Chipping Sparrows were ther and at Alum Lake (where both were singing and widespread).


Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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