I visited a number of quarries in south Columbus and neighboring Obetz/Hamilton Township this morning to see if migrating waterfowl were hitting them.  Like a lot of this migration, it was uneven; some had migrants, while others were largely empty.  Istarted at the Haul Rd quarries in south Columbus, then worked down to the Alum Drive Quarries, Hamilton Township quarries, the St.317 Quarries, and the Lockbourne quarries, squeezing in stops at Canal Rd and Mackey Ford as well.  Notables included:

Dabbling Ducks - not very common.  Haul Rd had Green-winged Teal, while Rowe Rd quarry (in Lockbourne) had N.Shovelers.

Diving Ducks - better luck, with Haul Rd leading the way with 50 nervous Redheads, 12 Lesser Scaup, 5 Ring-necks, 2 Bufflehead.  Lesser Scaup were at several other quarries as well, and Rowe Rd quarry had a Common Goldeneye female.

Other waterbirds - 4 Mute Swans were at haul Rd, and unusual concentration there.  Pied-billed Grebes were at several quarries, and Haul Rd had an additional 20 cormorants

Raptors - a Bald Eagle was next to the new nest at Haul Rd quarry, and an Osprey was at the St.317 quarries (they nested not far from here last year).  Red-tails were in several spots.

Gulls - hardly any, with just a few Ring-bills for the entire morning.

Woodpeckers - lots of Downies at almost every stop.  A drumming Pileated at Lockbourne was unusual, since the riparian woods here would seem too small to support them.

Phoebes - very common, with 1-2 at every stop

Tree Swallows - 6+ were at Haul Rd, while another 5 were at St. 317 quarries

Brown Thrasher - single birds were singing at Alum Dr. Quarries and at Canal Rd near Lockbourne

Pipits - flyovers at several locations: Old Parsons Rd, Lockbourne, and Mackey Ford

Chipping Sparrow - 1 was singing in Gahanna as I left, a FOS for that area

Field Sparrows - widespread, with many singing at different locations

Vesper Sparrow - 1 was singing along Canal Rd for another FOS

E.Meadowlark - singers at Canal Rd and Mackey Ford

Blackbirds - abundant Redwings and Grackles, but no Rusties here.

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