I had appointments in Columbus, so I stayed close to home and searched for migrants in the urban portion of the Big Walnut riparian corridor in east Columbus. Unlike areas of the Olentangy & Alum Creek, where the forest was heavily fragmented, Big Walnut Creek has several large contiguous patches of forest. I visited parts of the one stretching from Whitehall south to Livingston Ave, focusing on the Whitehall Community park (at the north end) and Big Walnut Park (on the south end). Migration is starting to simmer now, but most of the migrants are still temperate or Carribean. The big influx of central & south American birds has yet to start in earnest. Notables included:
Flycatchers - only Phoebes
Vireos - singing Warbling & Blue-headed Vireos were at both parks
Gnatcatchers,Kinglets - Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were still a major migrant, with 20 in 1.5 hours; Ruby-cr.Kinglets were much reduced, with only 5 in the same period
Wrens - lots of House Wrens, which have moved into the area in force
Thrushes,Mimids - a single Hermit Thrush was the lone migrant thrush, while a singing Brown Thrasher at Whitehall was the only unusual mimid.
Warblers - Yellow-rumps were abundant (30+), followed distantly by Nashville (8), Bl.Thr Green (4), Yellow-throated (3), Yellow (2), Blackburnian (1), N.Parula (1), & Prothonotary (1)
Sparrows - still some White-throateds lingering, with 7-10 at each park; Chipping & Song Sparrows were singing everywhere
Finches - a late Purple Finch was singing along the Creek at Whitehall. Amer.Goldfinches were singing everywhere.
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