With the sun and warmer weather this afternoon, I made a visit to some Licking county spots that often hold good January birds and was not disappointed.

I was able to find 6 Turkey vultures from route 310 between route 161 and 37 (delorme 59 D4).  With the expected warmer weather in the next week, the valley from this location East to Granville along 161 will likely have Turkey Vultures each day and probably a Black Vulture as they venture on the warm air from their roost in Granville.

Next, I traveled to Tagg Road between Wesley Chapel and Roberts Road ( delorme 58 C4) where I was able to observe 6 Snow Buntings and 3 Lapland Longspurs among the numerous Horned Larks. They were gathering along the road where some grass was exposed by the plowing and snow melt, past the house with the veal calves.  There was also a female Northern Harrier that was making a continous loop directly up and down Tagg road and would fly within inches over the top of my car as I set with the engine off.  The harrier would scatter the birds and then they would return to the same location.

At the SW corner of Roberts Road and Downing Road (delorme 58 C4), there is a cattle feed station consisting of an old wagon with hay.  On the ground beneath this wagon, there were 4 American Pipits - they have been at this location since my first visit to the area on January 3.

Overall, a very good trip for adding to a January century list.

Good January Birding,

Ken Davis
Westerville, OH

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