The Franklin County list for 2011 stands at 231 species. This county
lies in the middle of Ohio. We have decent habitat variety despite
having too many locations uninviting to birds. We also have a large
contingent of active and skilled observers, and taking these factors
into account we can offer some comprehensive coverage of Ohio's birdlife
beyond the county level. We lack some habitats (hemlock glens and the
Erie lakeshore are certainly among them) and, because being in the
middle we are too far from--name your compass-point--normal ranges for
some species. Still, our list shows what can be found in and around a
large urban area in Ohio.
        While migration continues, we have pretty much exhausted new species we
expected to add to the list by now or not at all. There is a big list of
migrants we hope to see in the fall migration...we missed a few, and a
lot of migrants are far likelier to occur later southbound. A few
missing spring migrants have time to arrive---sedge wren is an
example--and will probably be found during the nesting season. As far as
I can see, there is only one migrant species unreported that we are
unlikely to record in the fall: alder flycatcher. I urge folks to look
and listen for this one this month. Visual ID is very tough for this
one--photos are often inconclusive--but in spring the males have a
distinctive vocalization that distinguishes them from our local nester
the willow flycatcher. Birds mostly of the north, they are statewide
migrants now, and a few nest or at least summer even south of this county.
        Willows are very vocal now on territory. Alders will be peaking as
migrants now; they look much like willows but sound different--one
description is a buzzier "weeb-ew," to me they sound like "rreee-beep',"
unlike the familiar "rrritz'-bew" of the willow. A lot of the latter are
nesting now at places like Pickerington Ponds, and it's welcoming
habitat for migrant alders as well. Listen to local recordings at
http://blb.biosci.ohio-state.edu/database.html  . Nesting Henslow's
sparrows are also still missing from the list, and silent ones will be
tougher to find in fall.
        There are plenty of other species to look for now, of course, and you
can find them un-highlighted on the list, which is at
http://www.columbusaudubon.org/production/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=675&Itemid=216
Bill Whan
Columbus

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