I stopped by parts of northern & southern Hoover Reservoir (northeast of Columbus) yesterday and today, looking to see how the ice was melting and where the duck concentrations were developing.  The northern portion of the reservoir (north of Sunbury causeway) was still largely ice, with only a few shallow water areas around Mudhen Marsh open. The southern area, below County Line Bridge, is largely open except for 2 loose ice floes. The active ice edge seems be mostly between County Line Bridge & Sunbury causeway, which is where most of the waterfowl have accumulated. Stops at Area EF (just north of County Line Bridge), Maxtown boat launch, Sunbury Causeway, and Area O, found the biggest concentration of ducks far south of Sunbury Causeway, but not quite down to area O.  Among the highlights were

Green-winged Teal - small numbers in shallows around Oxbow Island and at Area EF
N.Shoveler - 2 males were at Mudhen Marsh estuary
Lesser Scaup - small numbers at most stops, the biggest flock being 60-80 far south of Sunbury causeway
CommonGoldeneye - small numbers at many areas, but 40+ far south of the Sunbury Causeway
Red-br.Mergansers - small flocks in south Reservoir (15), Area O (15), and far south of Sunbury causeway (50+)
Common Mergansers - 3 at Area EF, another 10 at Area O, and 30+ far south of the Sunbury causeway
Hooded Mergansers - small flocks at many different areas.
Pied-billed Grebe - 1 at Area EF, another south of Sunbury
Coots - small groups at many different areas
Gulls - Ring-bills at many areas, but largest # (200+) far south of Sunbury Causeway.  Same for Herring Gulls (50+)
Bald Eagles - a single adult was soaring at Maxtown boat ramp, while an adult & immature were near the ice edge far south of Sunbury Causeway.

Most of the ducks were in the open water south of the ice edge far south of Sunbury Bridge, perhaps 400+, most of which were a bit too far to easily ID.  This group should move north with the receding ice edge over the next few days, and should be right around the Sunbury Causeway over the weekend.

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