I spent a few hours this morning birding around the Scioto River at the Whittier peninsula and south at Berliner Park.  The surrounding wetlands must have been frozen because a variety of waterbirds were in the open stretches of the river.  Above the Greenlawn dam was a large ice shelf that held a large flock of gulls, and large stretches of the river below the dam were ice-free.  Highlights included:

Great Blue Herons - 8-10 scattered along the open stretches of the river
Cormorants - a surprising flock of 20 was roosting in a tree below the dam
Dabbling ducks - lots of small groups of Mallards & Black Ducks all along the river
Goldeneye - 11+ birds, including courting pairs, in the open water of the river in Berliner Park
Hooded Mergansers - 12+ scattered above & below the dam
Gulls - 260+ Ring bills, mostly around the ice shelf above the Greenlawn dam, along with 5-6 Herring Gulls.  This 'shelf flock' has had a history of incuding unusual gulls in past years, and should probably be checked during this week.
Hawks - Kestrel & Red-tails were along the freeway edge of Berliner Park

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