I ran through several OBBA routes this morning around the northern part of Alum Lake.  This part of the State Park is one of the few areas of central Ohio to get a large diversity of nesting migrants, and I wanted to check on how far along migration was running here.  Not far, as it turns out.  Check this list of highlights against some of the lists from unglaciated Ohio (like Zaleski or Clear Creek):

Raptors - a few Turkey Vultures were enlivened by 2 Broad-wings calling & circling over Big Run Rd.  A Barred Owl was out during the day along the Maple Glen trail, possibly an adult hunting ofr nestlings.

Larids - a pair of Forster's Terns were fishing & perching on buoys off Alum Point.  There was 1 here back on the 18th, and it seems to attract a few every Spring

Woodpeckers - many drumming & calling residents in the woods along Maple Glen trail, even a Pileated

Flycatchers - only Phoebes were present, and several of them were nest-building.

Vireos - Yellow-throateds were already back singing on territory along the Maple Glen trail, but White-eyeds and Red-eyeds were both conspicuous by their absence.

Kinglets,Gnatcatchers - a few Ruby-crowns were still singing at all sites visited (they're migrants here), while Gnatcatchers were common, especially in the forests of Maple Glen trail

Thrushes,Mimids - no Wood Thrushes yet (and they're common here along Maple Glen), but 3 Brown Thrashers were singing along the old Big Run Rd and a Catbird was singing in a thicket at Alum Point

Warblers - the only returned residents so far were Yellow Warblers (ALum Point, Big Run Rd), Common Yellowthroat (same spots), Yellow-throated (several locations), and Louisiana Waterthrushes (Maple Glen ravines).  Normally the list is 3 times longer.

Sparrows - resident Chipping, Field, & Song were all back in force, as were E. Towhees.  A few migrant White-throats and Swamps could still be found in the thickets of Alum Point and Big Run Rd.

The areas looked delayed, with lots of trees and bushes just leafing out.  The birds that were present were singing and territorial, it's just that there are often many more by this date.  The succesional fields of Alum Point & Big Run Road have many edge and scrub birds (like Chats, Blue-winged Warblers), while the mature forests of Maple Glen and nearby Hunter's Hollow have a good mix of flycatchers, vireos, warblers, & tanagers.  There just not quite here yet, even if they've already started returning to the forests of unglaciated Ohio.

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