Blendon Woods Metro Park -- (40.07241,-82.87751), Franklin
Sep 30, 2012  (7:30 AM - 11:30 AM)

Comments:     Patty and I started out along the goldenrod loop before the
sun had hit the foliage and later joined Bruce Simpson and Butch Rockaway;
other birders were passed as well.
We were very pleased with 18 sp. of warblers and the numbers of Tennessee
(14), Nashville (22), Cape May (10), and Bay-breasted (14).  We arrived on
the first loop about 7:30 am, the first warbler we saw was an adult gray
hooded Connecticut that flushed from from the ground in habitat specific
ragweed/goldenrod thickets just past the wood chip trail.  It readily rose
above the waist high thickets, "freeze" perching in a woody windfall,
perching vertically, its large bill angled upward, its large eye (enhanced
by its bright round white eye ring) seeming to watch us.  It was as close
as 30 feet or less at times.  It was present for only a few moments, and
after briefly 'high steping' along a wooded limb, it attempted taking
insects by hovering acrobatically in flight close to the tree trunks before
flying out and was not seen again.  It looks oddly truncated but unique in
flight due to its large pot bellied, body, large domed head in combination
with its long wings and proportionately broad short tail. (In some ways
recalling a wren like appearance).  It did not call.  The vertical stance
with up tilted bill, walking and distinctive long wing/short tailed shape
in flight are very distinctive.
Also, good was a well seen Least Flycatcher on the return loop
66 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  8
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  5
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  21
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  7
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  2
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern) (Buteo jamaicensis borealis)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  2
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  21
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)  7
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) (Picoides pubescens pubescens/medianus)  8
Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern) (Picoides villosus [villosus Group])  4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [auratus Group])  40
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  3
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)  1     hedgerow/margin, near nature
center.  Small, large head, short p ext., tail, bill.  Bold white complete
eyering.  Fidgety, flicking wings/tail.
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  6
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)  1
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)  2
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  4
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  77
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  12
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  5
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)  9
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  21
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  7
White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern) (Sitta carolinensis carolinensis)  24
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  3
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  1
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)  1 (calling than the little brown ball
appeared among a dead fall on the wood chip trail)
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  4
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  14
Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  80
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  12
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  11
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  4
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)  14
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)  22
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)  1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  6
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  4
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  10
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  3
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  3
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)  14
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)  2
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  5
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  2
Palm Warbler (Western) (Setophaga palmarum palmarum)  2
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (Setophaga coronata coronata)  3
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  2
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  14
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  12
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  1
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  2 ((Patty spotted these two birds about
thirty feet up in a maple)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  8
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2

David Tan
Columbus
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