The Columbus Audubon trip to Scioto MetroPark dodged the rain this morning, and found a few interesting birds.  We walked around Scioto MetroPark, then Berliner Park.  Afterwards, I visited several parks along the Olentangy River - Tuttle Park, the Olentangy wetlands, and Whetstone.  I also stopped at Haul Rd quarries early in the morning.  Rivers were very high from all the rain, and I had the disturbing experience of watching a boat full of hunters motor up and down the Scioto off Berliner Park. Normally it wouldn't be deep enough to permit this.  Bird highlights included:

Wood Ducks - at least 5 were along the Scioto River above the Greenlawn dam
Diving Ducks - 4 Bufflehead and 2 Ruddy Ducks were at Haul Rd quarries
Hooded Mergansers - a nice flock of 50 were cavorting and feeding in the bay above the Greenlawn dam
Pied-billed Grebes - at least 2 were above the Greenlawn dam
Cormorants - a group of 15 were sitting in a tree along the river in Berliner before being rousted by the hunting boat
Bald Eagle - 1 adult was flying over the Haul Rd quarries
Accipiters - a Sharpie was along the bikepath at Berliner, while a Coopers was along the river trail at Whetstone
Kestrel - 1 was on the wires along Greenlawn Ave, an unusual spot for them
Red-bellied Woodpecker - unusual were 2 along the bikepath at Scioto MetroPark, a very unusual spot for them
Brown Creeper - small #s were at every stop; 4 along the bikepath at Berliner was the high
Winter Wren - 1 was calling from the riparian woods understory in Berliner Park
Ruby-cr. Kinglet - 1 was along the back hedgerow at the boat launch at Scioto MetroPark
Tree Sparrows - a few were at Scioto and Berliner, as well as at the Olentangy wetland
Swamp Sparrow - at least 1 was calling in the marsh at the Olentangy wetland
White-throated Sparrow - possibly the most common bird of the morning, with flocks of 20-30 at many places.

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