I hiked through several forest bloack at the north end of Alum Creek Lake, north of Columbus, looking for unusual breeding birds.  This large forest block along the upper reservoir has traditionally been one of the last bastions of forest birds close to Columbus, and some of those were in evidence Sunday.  I stopped at Maple Canyon Trail, Hunter's Hollow Trail, Hogback road, and Big Run Road.  The list highlights included

Osprey - at least 4 birds around the platforms along Hogback Rd
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 was calling at Hunter's Hollow, a spot they have nested in past years
Barred Owl - a juvenile was beg-calling along the Maple Canyon Trail
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 1 was singing in the riparian forest along upper Hogback Rd
Flycatchers - loads of Pewees & Acadian Flycatchers, along with smaller numbers of Great Crested and E.Kingbirds
Vireos- LOTS of Red-eyed, with much fewer #s of White-eyed, Yellow-throated, and Warbling
Thrushes - only Wood Thrushes, and not very many of them (along with the expected American Robins)
Mimids - Catbirds common in shrubby areas; 1 Mockingbird along Hogback Rd; Thrasher on Big Run Rd
Warblers - Yellows and Com.Yellowthroats were the only widespread warblers, but also had Yellow-throated (Hogback), Cerulean (Hogback), Prothonotary (Hogback), Redstart (Hunter's Hollow & Big Run Rd), and Hooded (Hunter's Hollow)

Tanagers - both Scarlet & Summer were singing and calling along Hogback Rd
Orioles - Baltimores were in many places along the lakeshore, while an Orchard was calling along Hogback Rd

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