I spent several hours roaming SlateRun, Walnut Woods, and 3-Creeks MetroParks this morning, looking for late winter stragglers & early migrants.  Despite having most ponds & wetlands frozen, there were many flocks of geese and mallards flying around, antsy to start moving north.  The only other noticeable migrants on the morning were blackbirds & grackles, which were also in big flocks.  Bird details included:

Canada Geese - large flocks hanging around Slate Run & Winchester Lake (near 3-Creeks), but nothing with them
Ducks - mostly Mallards, but there were also 2 Gadwall at Winchester Lake
Bald Eagle - an adult was cruising up Blacklick Creek north of Cruiser Pond, possibly one of the 3-Creeks pair
Kildeer - 1-2 were at Bareis Preserve and at Cruiser Pond
Pileated Woodpeckers - at least 2 were calling along the 5-Oaks trail at Slate Run
Brown Creepers - not very common, with singles at Slate Run and along the Blacklick bikepath north of CruiserPond
E.Bluebirds - singing birds were at several spots around Slate Run
AmericanRobins - small flocks in many places, often scuffling for food in leaf litter
Yellow-rumped Warblers - at least 4 were still in poison ivy-rich areas of Slate Run
Tree Sparrows - only a few stragglers remaining, at Bareis Preserve and Slate Run wetlands
Redwinged Blackbirds - 20-50 bird flocks flying overhead most of morning around Slate Run; smaller #s elsewhere
CommonGrackles - one huge flock of 1000+ along Winchester Pike north of Slate Run; only a few elsewhere
Cowbirds - singles at several locations in Slate Run and 3-Creeks

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