I stopped at several areas around this MetroPark southwest of Columbus this morning, and found conditions cold & windy, but not bird-less.  In the more protected areas along Darby Creek (Trail of Ancients, Indian Ridge), there were flocks of Robins and White-throated Sparrows, along with other temperate migrants.  The wetlands around the Teal Trail were too windy to easily hunt up sparrows, but flocks of waterfowl were wheeling between different hidden ponds, affording lots of good in-flight looks at a variety of species.  Highlights included:

Wood Ducks - actually scared a flock of 25 up out of one of the reedy pools along the Teal Trail

Dabbling Ducks - estiamtes of the numbers in the flocks along the Teal Trail included 300+ Mallards, 150+ Green-winged Teal, 100+ N.Shovelers, 75+ Black Ducks, and smaller numbers of N.Pintails and Gadwall.

Raptors - a Sharp-shinned flew south past the Confluence area (which also had 6-7 Turkey Vultures).  The Teal Trail had 2 N.Harriers and a Red-tailed hawk

Red-headed Woodpecker - a juvenile was in snaggs along the north edge of the Indian Ridge Prairie (Turkeyfoot Trail).

Kinglets - 4-6 Golden-cronws were along both the Trail of Ancients and the west part of the Terrace Trail, both along the creek.   Ruby-crowns were rarer, with singles at both these spots.

Hermit Thrushes - 3 were along the Trail of Ancients, while another 1 was on the Terrace Trail

Robins - small flocks everywhere along the Trail of Ancients and Terrace Trail, in low-wind pockets

Cedar Waxwings, small #s everywhere, the largest flock being 35 that zipped south over the Confluence area.

Yellow-rumped Warblers - small flocks in many places, but I could find nothing else with them.

Sparrows - flocks of White-throated Sparrows were everywhere along the creek, while more open fields had Field and White-crowned Sparrows.  The Teal Trail, as windy as it was, sitll held a few Swamp and Savannah Sparrows, along with the expected Song Sparrows.  3 Fox Sparrows along the Trail of Ancients represent my First of Season birds.

Blackbirds - surprisingly scarce, with only a few redwings as flyovers at Trail of Ancients, and nothing as fly-overs at the Confluence area.

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