I hit these 2 spots near downtown Columbus before the rain started in earnest (though it didn't last very long).  Scioto Audubon had very few people, as the rain clouds had kept away even the rock-climbers and the dog-park users.  Work on the new Long Street Dam bikepath bridge proceeds apace, with much of the bridge superstructure already in place.  When the bikepath opens (it will extend across the river and out to Marble Cliff), it will suddenly open access to a lot of parts of the riverfront west of downtown, and will add a good birding destination locally.  Today, it had good birds, almost as interesting as at Scioto Audubon.  The highlights for both included:

Great Egret - 1 was in the shallows below Long Street Dam
Cormorants - flyovers at both locations
Osprey - the Scioto Audubon nest east of the Grange Center is in full Swing, with 2 adults tending two squat nestlings
Ring-billed Gull - the low point is upon us, as I had only 1 bird, a ragged juvenile at Long St. dam.
Flycatchers - no Acadian, but Wood Pewees were at both sites, and 1 Willow was calling in the field north of the Grange Audubon Center

Swallows - lots of Cliff Swallows (with colonies at the I-70 and I-670 bridges over the river); also had Tree Swallows with fledglings at both spots, and 4-6 Bank Swallows foraging along the river at Scioto Audubon

Vireos - many Warblings in cottonwood stands along the river, with 5+ at Long St. and 8+ at Scioto Audubon
Mimids - all 3 were at Scioto Audubon, with a Brown Thrasher at the boat launch joining the expected Mockingbirds and Catbirds

Warblers - Prothontaries were singing in riparian woods in both spots, along with the more common Yellows.  1 Black&White was singing in a grape tangle along the Scioto Audubon bikepath

Orioles - Baltimores were common in riparian trees at both sites.  Scioto Audubon also had a singing Orchard, in scattered trees east of the climbing rock

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