I spent the morning hiking around Battelle-Darby MetroPark southwest of Columbus, looking for early migrants.  Trees & wildlfowers seem about 1+ week behind normal, and bird migration seems to be following suit.  I stopped at Indian Ridge, Cedar Ridge, the Nature Center area, and Kuhlwein wetlands, but passed on Teal Trail wetlands due to high water levels.  Notables included:

Cooper's Hawks - a pair were calling back & forth, likely on territory, at Cedar Ridge
Kestrels - mostly gone, but a single individual was still at the Kuhlwein wetlands
shorebirds - little other than a few kildeer, despite many shallow field puddles
Sapsuckers - singles were at Indian Ridge and Cedar Ridge
E.Phoebes - single birds at many locations
Swallows - Tree Swallows widespread, but also had Rough-winged at the old RR bridge near Georgesville
Brown Creepers - not so common, with only a few individuals in the riparian woods
Winter Wrens - 4 of them, with 3 along the Terrace Trail at Indian Ridge
Blue-gr.Gnatcatcher - a single bird, my FOS, was in the forest near the Cedar Ridge lodge
Golden-cr.Kinglets - some movement here, with small flocks of 3-5 birds at many locations
Hermit Thrush - 2 were in the riparian woods at Cedar Ridge
Tree Sparrows - still a small flock of 10 birds hanging in the willows around the Kuhlwein Rd parking area
Field Sparrows - pairs and singing birds at many locations; they seem to heve arrived in force
Chipping Sparrows - single birds were at Cedar Ridge picnic area and the farm across from Kuhlwein wetlands
Fox Sparrows - at least 3 were singing along the creek at Indian Ridge
Junco - a flock of 20 was along the Terrace Trail at Indian Ridge
E.Meadowlark - singing birds at fields both at Indian Ridge and around the Nature Center
Blackbirds - Redwings , grackles, and cowbirds all widespread and common.

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