I visited several areas along this river this morning, focusing on several parks (Antrum Lake, Highbanks, Seymour Woods), but also checking the riparian woods along the river for raptor nests.  Antrum Lake was frozen over, but the entire length of the Olentangy was ice-free.  Unfortunately, all it held were Mallards and a few Hooded Mergansers (at Antrum), although small flocks of Canada Geese were flying north up the river all morning.  Other highlights included:

Great Blue Herons - the rookery along Taggert Rd (just south of Hyatts Rd) is gearing up, with 17 birds attending half of some 20 nests.

Bald Eagle - the reported nest at Highbanks can be easily seen from St. 315.  Just park at the entrance to the Water Treatment plant and scan the tree line along the river for the huge stick nest.

Pileated Woodpeckers- birds were at each of the stops.  At Highbanks, there was a pair along the far west portion of the Dripping Rock Trail

Horned Larks - flyovers were at every stop, all headed north.

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]