Sorry for the delayed post, but it bounced back due to address problems.  I spent this glorious morning hiking around the ravines along Big Walnut Creek, starting in Blendon Woods and working my way north to Walnut Ravine (Area S) and Duncan Glen (Area Q) along the east shore of Hoover Reservoir.  The mild sunny weather encouraged calling Chickadees & titmice, along with woodpeckers and bluebirds inspecting cavities.  Some birds, however, were unusually scarce, including fruit-eaters like thrushes and White-throated sparrows.  The one cool exception to this was a Hermit Thrush in Walnut Ravine, one of the few that I've found this winter.  Other highlights included:
Hooded Mergansers - groups in the reservoir inlets at both Walnut ravine and Duncan Glen (since the lower reaches of both ravines are partially flooded by Hoover)
Pileated Woodpeckers - calling in all 3 areas. This parallels high numbers found on area CBCs.
Blue Jays - unusually good numbers in all areas, especially Blendon.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 very reliable bird is sticking around the feeder by Thoreau Lake at Blendon
Brown Creeper - scarce, but still found singles at Blendon Woods (Streamside Trail) and Walnut ravine.
Golden-cr.Kinglet - scarce this winter here, so 1 along the Streamside Trail at Blendon was noteworthy.
Hermit Thrush - 1 bird was calling in Walnut Ravine (Area S), although there were very few berries for it there.
Tree Sparrows - a few birds at each location, the easiest to see were at the Nature Center feeders at Blendon

The open water of the southern portion of Hoover Reservoir were largely bird-less except for geese and Ring-billed Gulls, but I didn't have time to check the area around the dam.

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