I made a morning tour through Pickerington Ponds and the nearby Blacklick greenway this morning.  There was still a bit of water in the Chatterton wetlands along the Greenway, as well as at most of the ponds in Pick Ponds.  Perfect shorebird conditions,.... if they were still migrating. At Pick Ponds, I visited Ellis Pond, the Meadowlark Trail, and the Wood Duck marshes, while at the Blacklick Greenway, I biked around Chatterton, Portman, Tussing, and the east loop at Blacklick Woods.  Kudos to the Parks Dept. for finishing a new footbridge at Portman; now you can cross the creek there, just like when the Long St. Bridge was intact.  Highlights included:

Great Egrets - at least 3 were hanging around Teal Pond at Pick Ponds
Great Blue Herons - 10+ nests at Teal Pond, plus another 10+ nests around Ellis Pond
Shorebirds - great habitat, but nothing seen except Kildeer
Gulls - bizarre was a small group of 6 adult Herring Gulls at Chatterton wetland.  Where were they going?

Flycatchers - had 6 Acadians in the thin riparian woods all along the Blacklick Creek greenway between Potman and Chatterton.  E.Kingbird pairs were at PickPOnds and E. Blacklick Woods

Vireos - plenty of Red-eyed, but more unusual was 1 Yellow-throated at Chatterton and 2 White-eyed at Portman

Thrushes - Wood Thrushes were also surprisingly common in the narrow riparian woods along the Greenway, with 12-14 all along Blacklick Creek here

canopy warblers -  Yellow-throated were widespread along the Greenway; more unusual was a singing Black&White at Chatterton

field warblers - Common Yellowthroats were common at every stop, while Yellow-br.Chats were singing along the Meadowlark Trail and the lower fields of Blacklick Woods

Orioles - Baltimores with young were fairly regular along the Greenway, while Orchards were singing at Chatterton, Pick Ponds Wood Duck picnic area, and east loop of the Blacklick Woods multi-use trail.

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