I used this last day of June to visit some areas along Darby Creek in Prairie Oaks MetroPark and along it's tributary Clover-Goff Run in Hilliard.  At Prairie Oaks, I stopped at Sycamore Plains (which was partly flooded by the recent rain and high water in the creek), Darby Bend Lakes, and the North Canoe launch area (near Scioto Darby Road).  Clover-Goff Run used to be a ditch, but reclamation efforts have produced a nice meandering stream in parts of Spindler & Franks Parks in Hilliard. Notables for the morning included:

Cormorant - 1 bird was fishing at Darby Bend Lakes in Prairie Oaks
Great Egret - 1 was at Spindler park, while 2 more were at a pond along nearby Roberts Road
Green Heron - 1 was flying around the North Canoe access, where the hidden pond north of the access fairly screams 'nesting Green Heron territory'
Pileated Woodpecker - 1 was calling around the wooded margins of Darby Bend Lakes in Prairie Oaks
Willow Flycatchers - at least 3 were calling in willow scrublands around Darby bend Lakes
Gr.Crested Flycatchers - calling pairs were at all stops along Darby Creek
E.Kingbirds - calling birds were at Spindler Park and Darby Bend Lakes.  They were feeding a fledgling at the latter location
Swallows - no great #s, but did find the expected trio of Tree,Rough-winged, and Barn.  3 Purple Martins were flyovers at Sycamore Plains.

Vireos - lots of Warbling at both Sycamore Plains and Darby bend Lakes; only the former had a few Red-eyed
Thrushes - singing Wood Thrushes were widepsread, being at all Darby spots, and even at Spindler Park
Mimids - Catbirds were abundant along both Darby and Clover-Goff.  A Brown Thrasher was calling at Sycamore Plains
Warblers - Yellows were singing at Darby Bend Lakes, as were yellow-throated.  The only Parulas were at Sycamore Plains.  2 Yellow-br.Chats were singing in different meadows at Sycamore Plains

Sparrows - lots of Field and Chipping in appropriate habitat along both Darby and Clover-Goff.  1-2 Savannahs are still singing in the large grassfields along Amity Rd south of the Sycamore Plains entrance.

E.Meadowlarks - unusual was a flock of 9 around the entrance road to Sycamore Plains in Prairie Oaks
C.Grackles - flocks in many places, especially noteworthy was a flock of 60+ adults and begging Juv.s at Franks Park
Baltimore Orioles - adults were feeding fledglings at both Darby Bend Lakes and the North Canoe access along Darby Creek
Orchard Orioles - an eye-popping 4 singing males and 3 females were at Darby Bend Lakes.  Another pair was feeding a fledgling at North Canoe Aceess

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