There wasn't much open water on Alum Creek Lake (north of Columbus) this morning, but the few open patches there were jammed with waterfowl.  I even had flocks flying over the Columbus Outerbelt, so waterfowl migration seems underway.  The best leads at ACL were off the New Galena launch and off the Cheshire causeway.  Among the hordes were

Mute Swans _ 4 off Cheshire
Canada Geese - 200+, mostly off Cheshire
Wood Duck - 1 male out with the swarm off New Galena
Mallards - 160+, mostly off Cheshire
BlackDucks - 25+ off Cheshire
Green-winged Teal - 5 off New Galena
AmWigeon - 3 off Cheshire
Gadwall - a pair off New Galena
N.Pintail - 10+ off each spot
Lesser Scaup - 20+ off New Galena, 10+ off Cheshire
Redhead - 40+ off New Galena, 20+ off Cheshire
Ring-necked Duck - 4 off Cheshire
Common Goldeneye - an eye-popping 65+ were off New Galena
Bufflehead - 12 off New Galena
Red-br.Merganser - 8 off New Galena
Hooded Mergansers - 2 off New Galena, 40+ off Cheshire
Pied-billed Grebes - singles at New Galena & Cheshire
Horned Grebe - 1 off New Galena

There was a huge flock of Gulls far out on the ice off New Galena when I arrive at 8.  It held about 1500 birds at that time, but was steadily losing birds as they flew south over the dam, presumably heading for the Columbus landfill.  They were too far to search effectively for rarities, but there were a few laerge gulls among them; none with dark backs, alas.

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