The Columbus Audubon trip to Alum & Hoover Reservoirs found very high water at both spots.  Alum was so high that we cut short our stay there and spent most of the morning at Hoover, visiting Wiese Rd, the Boardwalk, Hoover Meadows, and (after disbanding) Oxbow Island and Sunbury causeway.  Duck flocks were scattered and often on the move, so big concentrations were rare.  It was a big morning for Scaup & Red-br.Mergansers, but waterfowl diversity was fairly good.  Highlights in 2-3 hours included:

Diving Ducks - several large flocks of Lesser Scaup, perhaps 320+ birds total, with the biggest flock of 140+ south of the Sunbury causeway.  Smaller #s of Redheads and Ring-necked Ducks, plus 6 Bufflehead and 10+ Ruddies rounded out the divers

Dabbling Ducks - no great numbers anywhere, but Mallards & Black Ducks at several locations, plus Green-winged Teal (Hoover Meadows) and Wigeon (Boardwalk).

Mergansers - many modest-sized flocks of Red-br.Mergansers, near 200 birds total, mostly in the northern reaches of the reservoir.  4 Common Mergs were off Oxbow Island, but, strangely here, there were NO Hooded Mergs anywhere.

Geese, Swans - pairs of Canada Geese everywhere; these things need a predator.  3 Mute Swans were in the golf course pond along Sunbury Rd south of the causeway.

Other waterfowl - 15+ Horned Grebes, 2 Pied-billed, and 1 Cormorant, all in the northern reservoir.

Gulls - surprisingly few, with small #s of Ring-bills and Bonapartes at several stops. 1 Herring was off the Boardwalk.

Landbirds - not much movement today.  Golden-cr. Kinglets were along Wiese Rd, and Field Sparrows were at Hoover Meadows.  No Tree Swallows could be found anywhere in the upper reservoir.

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