Bill,

I probably should have updated this Listserv last night after I visited.
Over a dozen egrets were on the island, along with over 40 Great Blue
Herons, 60 Cormorants,, and five Herring gulls! This location is usually a
good spot to see Black-crowned Night-Herons in the summer too.

It's a fascinating sight, so birders in the area should check it out!

James Muller

On Wed, Mar 29, 2017, 5:15 PM Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Visible from the vantage point atop the ancient Shrum Mound in Columbus
> (https://www.ohioexploration.com/mounds/shrummound/), and from a small
> pull-out on Riverside Drive to the south, a persistent bird colony has
> again formed on a conical island in the Scioto River. Today more than a
> hundred cormorants and nearly as many great blue herons have started
> nesting, and expected soon are a similar numbers of great egrets. These
> species are largely dedicated to nesting spots surrounded by water, and
> this is the largest colony in the county. Soon, great egrets will be
> joining the throng; they have been gathering along the river for the
> past few weeks.
>         Other species that insist on nesting sites surrounded by water will
> inhabit this island. Over the past three years, a pair of herring
> gulls--attracted by big chunks of limestone along the SE corner of the
> island--has laid eggs there; as far as I know, these nests have never
> yielded young birds, but the adults keep trying; the birds are easy to
> see on the southeast side. GB herons in the county are more adaptable,
> but this--as far as I know--is the only spot in the county where many
> great egrets, gb herons, and cormorants nest together, and the only spot
> for the gulls. It's been a great place to avoid humans for many years.
> Bill Whan
> Cols
>
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