I visited several areas along both Big and Little Darby Creeks this morning, looking both for migrants and for wildflowers.  Conditions were overcast but dry most of the morning, but visits to several skyponds as well as the Darby Creek Drive wetlands failed to produce much in the way of shorebirds.  Landbird migrants were still mostly temperate species, with a few early Neotropicals.  Notables included

dabbling ducks - Blue-winged Teal at several spots, while a lone American Wigeon was at the Prairie View wetlands at Prairie Oaks MetroPark

Cormorants - none along the Darby, but a perched flock of 25+ along the Scioto at Long St. dam

Wild Turkey - a hen was walking through the meadow opposite the Cedar Ridge overlook in Battelle-Darby MetroPark

shorebirds - Yellowlegs were the only reward of the day, and their #s were meager, with only a Greater and 3 Lesser at the Darby Drive wetlands, and another 4 Lesser at Bolton Field

Vultures - Turkey Vultures were widespread, while a single Black Vulture was seen with a flock of TVs over Georgesville.

Sapsuckers - widepsread, even hearing some birds call and drum

Wrens - a single House Wren (my first of the season) was in a brush pile near where US 40 crosses Big Darby Creek, while Winter Wrens were seen at several locations.

Kinglets & Gnatcatchers - more heavy movement of these temperate migrants, with double-digit numbers of Ruby-crowns & gnatcatchers at most stops.  A few Golden-crowns were still lurking along Dyer's Mill trail in Battelle-Darby MetroPark

Hermit Thrushes - 2 birds were along the trails at Cedar Ridge, while another 3 were along Dyer's Mill trail (all in Battelle-Darby MetroPark).

Warblers - singing Parulas were along the Cobshell trail and Dyer's Mill Trail (in Battelle-Darby MP), while singing Yellow-throated were widepsread, being seen at 5 different locations along both streams.

Sparrows - the expected large numbers of Fields and Chippings, but also had 2 singing Savannah Sparrows and a singing Vesper Sparrow in the grasslands surrounding the Darby Creek Drive Wetlands.

Purple Finches - 2-3 birds were hanging around the feeders in the picnic area at Cedar Ridge in Battelle-Darby MetroPark

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