I had portions of the last 2 mornings free and checked out areas around this State Park Lake north of Columbus, focusing on the southern end yesterday: the beach area and New Galena. Today I visited the middle regions along State 37: the bridge fishing area and ravine, Alum Point, and the Big Run Road area, along with the Cheshire inlet and boat launch. Oddly, this reservoir has much higher water levels than Hoover (even though the 2 are connected by Water Department pipes), so there's little in the way of shorebird habitat here. NO Little Blue Herons or cormorants of any stripe. Notables included:
Broad-winged Hawk - 1-2 always seem to show up here in the summer; had an adult carrying a snake south past the Cheshire inlet.
Turkey Vultures - as at Hoover, there's a small population of summer birds here, about 20 scattered from the dam to St.37
Ring-billed Gulls - almost 200 around the southern end, mostly adults resting on the beach
Caspian Terns - only had 2: 1 fishing off the beach, the other off Alum Point
Black-billed Cuckoo - another local will-o'-the-wisp, calling in the ravine southwest of the St. 37 bridge
Willow Flycatchers - birds at both the Visitors Center scrublands (2) and Alum Point (1)
Eastern Kingbird - some movement, with 3-4 birds each day along the shoreline trees
Cliff Swallows - 20+ still around the dam, while another 1-2 were near the St. 37 bridge
Barn Swallows - small #s, usually less than 10, at most shore sites
White-eyed Vireo - a singer at New Galena could be a local or an early migrant
Brown Thrashers - individuals at New Galena, the Visitor's Center, and Alum Point
Yellow Warblers - 1-2 at almost every shoreline stop, many giving the 'zzip' call of migrants
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