T J Evans Park is open again, and I took a quick walk around.  All three "lakes" are ice-free.  Not much at first:

about a dozen American coots
resident Canada geese
a few mallards
a single pied-billed grebe

Then, at the most distant point of the northern-most lake, I spotted a diver with black on the top of the head, and white neck and cheeks, the white going almost - but not quite - around the head.  It was too distant to see well, so I walked as far as allowed.  (Parts of the park are still closed.)


The bird was actively diving all the time, but eventually I got in a position where I could see it fairly well.  As luck would have it, a pair of mallards swam near it, and I could judge relative size.  I could not determine eye or bill color or bill shape.

Based on what I was able to see, I believe this was an adult nonbreeding horned grebe.  Nothing like a royal tern, but a pretty good bird for here.

Also seen:  hermit thrush; downy WP, red-bellied WP and northern flicker.  Heard only:  brown creeper.  Many robins, cardinals, blue jays, crows.  Calling tufted titmouse and Carolina chickadee.  Ring-billed gulls.  Overhead, two turkey vultures, and three red-tailed hawks.  It sure looked like two males vying for the attention of a single female - lots of diving and circling, and some very hawkish shrieking.

Margaret Bowman
Licking Co., OH

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