Sorry for the late report, but I was away from my computer for a day.  I spent parts of yesterday morning visiting several parts of Pickerington Ponds (a large wetland metropark SE of Columbus) and a nearby riparian greenbelt (Chatterton greenbelt, along the Blacklick Creek Bikeway) looking for landbird and shorebird migrants.  Water levels were dropping at both at the northern wetlands in Pick Ponds and at Chatterton Greenbelt ponds, exposing small mudflats, but shorebirding was only middling (6 species),  Landbird migrants were more noticeable, especially at the Chatterton greenbelt, which makes a fiarly good migrant trap.  Highlights for the morning included

Herons - plenty of Great Blues commuting from the Ellis pond rookery, but no Great Egrets and only 1 Green Heron were unusually low #s

Vultures - aside from the expected TVs, a lone Black Vulture was soaring over the Wood Duck area at Pick Ponds, an unusual sight for here.

Waterfowl - late lingerers at Pick Ponds included a single male Lesser Scaup and  single male Bufflehead

Shorebirds - Chatterton flood basins had Kildeer, Semipalmated Plover (1), Spotted Sandpiper, and Semipalm. Sandpipers (13), while Pickerington ponds added more Pectorals, a Solitary, and more Kildeer.  The best mudflats were at Chatterton and Wood Duck ponds

Cuckoos - calling Yellow-billed were at both Chatterton and Pick Ponds Meadowlark trail

Flycatchers - plenty of Pewees, Willow Flycatchers, and Crested Flycatchers at Chatterton, along with 2 Acadian (unusual in this open riparian habitat) and a pair of E.Kingbirds.  Pick POnds had many more Willows and E.Kingbirds

Vireos - many singing Warbling Vireos at both sites, with only 1 singing Red-eyed (at Pick Ponds)

Thrushes - Swainsons common at Chatterton (5-6), but less so at Pick POnds (2-3).  Wood Thrushes singing at Chatterton.

Warblers - 8 species at Chatterton, with Redstarts and Blackpolls the most common (4-5 each).  Fewer species at Pick Ponds, but the same two were most common.  Best species were a late Yellow-rumped at Chatterton and an obliging Chat at Pick Ponds.

Grosbeaks, Buntings - 2 singing Rose-br.Grosbeaks were at Chatterton, but were overshadowed by 8-10 singing Indigo Buntings.  Fewr of both were at Pick Ponds (where the edge habitat is not as abundant or accessable).

Sparrows - plenty of expected Field & Song sparrows at both sites, but a White-crowned Sparrow at Pick Ponds (Bowen Rd access) was quite late.

Icterids - Baltimore Orioles were common at Chatterton (where there are lots of tall old cottonwoods), but less so at Pick POnds.  Instead, singing territorial Orchard Orioles were found there at both the Bowen Rd and Wood Duck parking areas.  Terrotorial E.Meadowlarks were also at both sites.


Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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