I spent the last 2 mornings doing OBBA2 follow-ups on many sites along and around this rivercourse south of Columbus.  Yesterday I visited sites from Stages Pond north to Rickenbacker Airport, while today I trooped around areas from Groveport to Canal Winchester, as well as nearby Slate Run MetroPark.  It's peak breeding season here, with lots of birds carrying food to nestlings or fledgelings.  Notables included:

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - surprisingly scarce, with only 1 bird singing at Slate Run.

Woodpeckers - Flickers feeding fledgelings at several locations, including Stage's Pond and Bareis Preserve (in Canal Winchester).  The only Pileated were, not surprisingly, in the large mature forest block at Slate Run.

Flycatchers - LOTS of Pewees at all sites, while Acadian Flycatchers were more restricted to larger forest blocks (e.g 14 calling birds in 1 hour at Slate Run 5-Oaks trail).  Willows were only in overgrown fields, principally at Stage's Pond and Richardson Rd. Parkland.

Vireos - uptick in #s of Yellow-throated Vireos, with 2 at Stage's Pond and 3-4 at Slate Run, and even 1 in Canal Winchester.  White-eyed were scarcer, wtih singing birds only at Bareis Preserve in Canal Winchester and at Richardson Rd. Parkland.  Warbling were abundant in cottonwood areas along Walnut Creek.

Wood Thrushes - not as common this year, with only a few in forest patches along the Creek.  Best #s were 7 singing at Slate Run, including several feeding fledgelings.

Mimids - Catbirds abundant, at nearly every site.  The only Brown Thrashers were in the overgrown fields of Stage's Pond, nearby Little Walnut, and Richardson Rd. Parkland.

Warblers - Slate Run is increasingly the big magnet for forest warblers in this vicinity, and had 2 Parula, Yellow-throated, Black&White, 3 Ovenbirds, Hooded, and Kentucky.  The overgrown fields of Stage's Pond and Richardson Rd. parklands had Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, and Yellow-br.Chats.  A Redstart singing at Covered Bridge park in Canal Winchester was out-of-place, but not unprecedented there, while a singing Black&White at Mackey Ford was a first for there.

Tanagers - only found Scarlet Tanagers, but they were widespread, being found at half of all sites.  Most were 3 singing along Slate Run's 5-Oaks Trail.

Grosbeaks - scarce, but did have them feeding young at Stage's Pond, as well as singing at Mackey Ford and Bareis Preserve.

Sparrows - Field Sparrows and Song Sparrows feeding young at many locations.  Two pairs of Grasshopper Sparrows were singing and acting defensive in the weedfields along the edge of Bareis Preserve in Canal Winchester.

Orioles - MANY Baltimores along Walnut Creek at almost every stop, many feeding young.  The only Orchards were a pair at Stage's Pond; the birds couldn't be found at Richardson's Rd which was a very good site for them in the past.

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