Lots of birds at Blacklick Metro Park today. Highlights were many, but I'll try and pick a few. Everywhere I looked I saw Swainson's Thrushes; huge movement of those lately. At the feeders and the pond beyond were several Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Eastern Towhees, Wood Ducks with ducklings, and Green Heron. On my way in to the park, near the nature Center Parking lot I had a good look at a Black-billed Cuckoo! Black-throated Blue Warblers were around the Buttonbush Trail and the Maple Trail. Many Chestnut-sided Warblers were about singing their confusing secondary songs, as were a number of Blackburnian Warblers. Also more than usual Northern Parulas, Bay-breasted, and a single Cape May Warbler were there. Got to see one of our Barred Owls catch and eat a large mole salamander. Oh and I got a good luck at a tail-bobbing Northern Waterthrush near the golf course on Maple trail. Later, when I looked up at a bird near the nature center, at first I thought it was a Baltimore Oriole because its belly was such a rich orange, but on further inspection I saw that it had black wings and tail and was in fact an amazing Orange morph Scarlet Tanager! I've seen pictures of them but had never seen one such a beautiful tangerine orange. Below is an edited list of the highlights:

Location:     Blacklick Woods Metro Park--Southeast (Fairfield Co.)
Observation date:     5/12/10
Number of species:     88

Wood Duck     17
Great Blue Heron     1
Green Heron     1
Cooper's Hawk     2
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)     1
Killdeer     1
American Woodcock     1
Black-billed Cuckoo     1
Barred Owl     3
Common Nighthawk     2
Chimney Swift     8
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     2
Belted Kingfisher     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     4
Downy Woodpecker     2
Hairy Woodpecker     2
Northern Flicker     1
Pileated Woodpecker     1
Eastern Wood-Pewee     2
Willow Flycatcher     1
Great Crested Flycatcher     2
Eastern Kingbird     1
White-eyed Vireo     1
Yellow-throated Vireo     2
Warbling Vireo     2
Red-eyed Vireo     2
Blue Jay     4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     4
Eastern Bluebird     2
Veery     2
Swainson's Thrush     50
Wood Thrush     5
Brown Thrasher     1
Tennessee Warbler     2
Nashville Warbler     4
Northern Parula     4
Yellow Warbler     3
Chestnut-sided Warbler     6
Magnolia Warbler     3
Cape May Warbler     1
Black-throated Blue Warbler     6
Yellow-rumped Warbler     2
Black-throated Green Warbler     4
Blackburnian Warbler     4
Yellow-throated Warbler     1
Palm Warbler     1
Bay-breasted Warbler     4
Black-and-white Warbler     2
American Redstart     4
Ovenbird     4
Northern Waterthrush     1
Common Yellowthroat     2
Hooded Warbler     2
Scarlet Tanager     3     One male a stunning Orange morph. Very cool!
Lincoln's Sparrow     1
White-throated Sparrow     2
White-crowned Sparrow     1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak     5
Indigo Bunting     3
Brown-headed Cowbird     10
Baltimore Oriole     2
Good Birding!
Ben Warner : Naturalist at Blacklick Woods Metro Park
BLACKLICK WOODS 
6975 E. Livingston Ave.
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
(eastern Franklin & northwestern Fairfield counties)




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