Things were hopping along the stretch of the Scioto River that runs near downtown Columbus late this morning.  I started at the Haul Rd quarries, then moved north through Berliner Park, Scioto Audubon, Confluence Park, Long St. Dam, and Watermark Lake.  Much of the still water is frozen over, including the Haul Rd ponds, forcing a lot of waterfowl into the river and the remaining open water on Watermark Lake.  These concentrations have also brought in a few Bald Eagles.  As the temperature drops, the open areas below Greenlawn, Long St., and Griggs dams should really become waterbird magnets.  Notables today included:

Dabbling Ducks - all Mallards except for a few Black Ducks at Long St..  I didn't check the Watewater Treatment Plant, though, which often has more diverse dabblers.
Diving Ducks - still a mixed flock of Ring-necks and Redheads at Watermark, with 30+ of the former and 20+ of the latter.  It also had 1 Ruddy Duck.  A female Common Goldeneye was below Long St. dam

Mergansers - all Hooded, and lots, with 40+ below Greenlawn, and 20+ at both Confluence and Long St.
Geese - all Canadas, with no big concentrations; Watermark had the most with 80.
Mute Swans - freezes always concentrate them.  2 were at Haul Rd, another 2 were at Hart Rd quarry, and 5 were at Watermark

Other Waterfowl - a few cormorants were flying over the river at Haul Rd and Scioto Audubon.  Pied-billed Grebes included 3 at Long St. and 6 at Watermark.  Watermark Lake still has an impressive flock of 140+ Coots.

Herons - no big accumulations of Great Blues yet, but there were 8 below the Greenlawn dam.  The Black-cr.Night Herons at Scioto Audubon have gone AWOL as the bay froze, but a single adult persists at the Confluence Park roost.

Gulls - many flocks of Ring-bills, perhaps 300 total, but nothing with them other than a few Herring Gulls
Bald Eagles - an adult was eyeing waterfowl below the Greenlawn dam, while a juvenile was doing the same at Long St. dam.
Other Raptors - 2 Coopers were stalking songbirds at Scioto Audubon, while a Red-tail was at Haul Rd.

Woodpeckers - lots of Downies, at most stops.  A Pileated along the Berliner Park bikepath was very unusual there.
Brown Creepers - 8 along the Berliner bikepath was a nice winter total there, though not up to the 12 found on the CBC
Golden-cr.Kinglets - small #s at many stops, topped by 3 along the Berliner bikepath, the biggest forest patch here
Hermit Thrush - 1 was eating honeysuckle berries along the Berliner bikepath
Tree Sparrows - small #s in many places; top # was 10 in the phragmites marsh at Haul Rd
Swamp Sparrow - 1 was in the phragmites marsh at Haul Rd
White-throated Sparrows - many small flocks at every stop, perhaps 70+ total in 3 hours

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