My wife and I hit many of the reliable spots in the Columbus area for some of January's tougher birds with very good results including the following.

Behind the Drake Student Union at OSU, on the Olentangy River, there were 7 Black-crowned Night-herons and a single Pied-billed Grebe.  There were also several Golden-crowned Kinglets in the pines as you walk the bike path from the Student Union North towards the Lane Avenue bridge.  Along the bike path, we also observed a small hawk scattering a large flock of Starlings which gave the appearance of a Peregrine Falcon but we could not confirm this ID.  We made several other stops along the Olentangy or Scioto Rivers and could not locate a Wood Duck.  There were Black Ducks and Hooded Mergansers South of Greenlawn Avenue.

At Greenlawn Cemetery, around the Pit and feeders, there were two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a single Red-breasted Nuthatch and two Pine Siskins.  A Merlin also passed over the Pit but we could not relocate in any area of the cemetery.  We drove past the area were the White-winged Crossbills had been recently observed but could not find any.

At Pickerington Ponds, on Ellis Pond, there was a single Cackling Goose and 4 Green-wing Teal.  At the Glacier Knoll picnic area, there was a Northern Harrier and several White-crowned Sparrows and on the frozen pond at the observation deck, there was a single Killdeer walking on the ice.

At Hoover Reservoir, below the dam, there were numerous dabblers including Black Ducks, Northern Shovelers, American Wigeons and a few Gadwall.  A Belted Kingfisher was also observed.  Just above the dam, looking North at the Ranger's boathouse, there were 3 American Coots.  North of the Smothers road bridge, there was a Bufflehead, several Common Goldeneyes, several Northern Pintails, two Canvasbacks and several Hooded Mergansers.  There was a decent crowd looking for the Kittiwake but it was not found.  There were a few Herring Gulls mixed in with the Ring-billed Gulls but the Bonaparte's Gulls appear to have moved from this area.

Good January birding,

Ken and Julie Davis

Westerville, OH

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