I spent the blustery morning visiting the chain of parks along Alum Creek in north Columbus, starting with Sharon Woods and working south to Innis Park.  The unsettled weather seems to have pushed many temperate migrants into the area, and there were lots of birds all the way down the corridor.  Notables included:

Waterfowl - Shrock Lake still had 6 Pied-billed grebes (down from 18), as well as Mallards and Wood Ducks
Cooper's hawk - 1 at Sharon Woods and another calling at Innis
Pileated Woodpeckers - a pair at tanager Woods was in an unusual location
Brown Creepers - small #s at all parks, the first big push of them this season around Columbus
Winter Wrens - singles were along the Thomas Trail in Sharon Woods and at Tanager Woods
Ruby-cr.Kinglets - 2 were at Sharon Woods, while another was at Innis Park
Golden-cr.kinglets - sizeable movement, with double figures at many places
E.Bluebirds - 12+ were in the meadow north of Shrock Lake at Sharon Woods
Heromit Thrush - the only one was at Innis Park
AmRobins - numbers increased as I moved south into more urban areas (with lots of ornamental fruit trees)
Mockingbirds - singles were at Innis Pakr and Alum Creek Park (south of Innis)
Gray Catbird - a late bird was feeding in a grapevine tangle at Innis Park
Cedar Waxwings - similar pattern to Robins, with only a few at Sharon Woods, but 30+ at Innis Park
American Pipit - 1 was a flyover at Shrock Lake in Sharon Woods
Yellow-rmped Warblers - good #s at every stop, topped by 20+ along the Thomas Trail at Sharon Woods
E.Towhees - singles at everystop except Sharon Woods, which had 4.
Field Sparrows - 5-6 were in the field north of Shrock Lake
Chipping Sparrows - 2 were in the field north of Shrock Lake
Swamp Sparrows - 5+ were in the fields north of Shrock Lake
Fox Sparrows - 2 were in the scrubby edges around Shrock Lake in Sharon Woods
White-crowned Sparrows - at least 3 were in the open fields north of Shrock Lake at Sharon Woods
White-throated Sparrows - many smalll flocks at every stop, perhaps 120 in 3 hours
Juncos - small groups in many places
Redwings - small numbers at many locations along the corridor, but no big flocks
Goldfinches - the flock in the fields around Shrock Lake has grown to 75-80 birds, but no siskins with them yet.

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