I got off to a slow start to the new year and didn't make it outside until the afternoon, but came up with a modest 45 species without a whole lot of effort. I poked around the neighborhood in Columbus for an hour or so before heading over to Deer Creek where it was too brutally windy to be very worthwhile. I did see a few things that may be of interest to some people.

In my backyard floodplain of the Scioto there was a Winter Wren and a Y-b Sapsucker. All the Ring-necked Ducks and Hooded Mergansers from the quarries are all now in the Scioto south of 5th Ave. and a few Common Goldeneyes were present too. I didn't see any Wood Ducks today, but I didn't look very long or hard for them. The neighborhood Merlin was seen again today along the bike path S of 5th Ave..

I took a quick look into Griggs Reservoir and at least 4 Bonaparte's Gulls are still present, not a common January bird in Columbus. The reservoir is freezing up fast. I know that some people seem to have trouble finding a Brown Creeper on demand in Jan., but the woodland thicket just below Griggs is a can't miss place for them.

At the N end of the Deer Creek Reservoir in Fayette County there were a half dozen or so scattered American Pipits. Otherwise the reservoir didn't hold too much of interest. Ruddy Duck was the only waterfowl species that I hadn't already seen in Columbus.

I will post my first January 100 on my website where I hope to also post a photo any day I've done some birding here :

http://www.roysephotos.com/2010listJAN.html

Bob Royse

Robert Royse
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www.roysephotos.com


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