I visited several parks along this suburban stream along the eastern edge of Columbus, including Blacklick Ridge, Reynoldsburg Civic, Blacklick Woods, and Portmann Park.  The milder day made for good birding, but ground feeders were still scarce due to the extensive snow cover.  Even the Blacklick Woods Nature Center feeders lacked their usual complement of sparrows & juncos.  Notables included:

Waterfowl - a large bolus of ducks & geese were at Blacklick Ridge pond, but nothing was very unusual. Smaller #s of Mallards & geese were at several open areas along the creek in each of the parks.

Raptors - Red-tails and Cooper's at several locations, but best was a Sharp-shinned jousting with a Crow at Reynoldsburg Civic Park

Woodpeckers - still LOTS of Red-bellies and Downies, but also had Flickers at several locations, and Pileated and Sapsucker at Blacklick Woods.

Brown Creepers - a few at most locations, continuing the trend of the last few days

Cedar Waxwing - 1 flyover at Blacklick Woods, one of the few records from the past week here

Horned Lark - flyovers at several locations, all moving north

Sparrows - still low #s, with Song & White-throated the most widespread.  Best was a Swamp Sparrow at Blacklick Ridge Park.  Conspicuous by their absence were Towhees; not a one was at Blacklick Woods, where 7 were found on the CBC last month.

Finches - plenty of House Finches and Goldfinches, but no Purple Finches or Siskins

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