After cleaning out the bluebird boxes on my uncle's farm, I stopped a minute at T J Evans Park in Newark, which was hopping with waterfowl last week, and is just about abandoned this week. I spotted 5 rednecks, a couple of canvasbacks, a few coots and the resident Canadas and mallards. That was about it. However, a quick trip south to the new Dawes Arboretum wetlands was more profitable. It's hard to see the wetlands from the road, since the visitor amenities have yet to be completed. However, using a scope, I was able to see: Canada geese - XX Green winged teal - XX Mallards - XX American widgeon - 2 males, 2 females Northern shovelers - XX American black ducks - 7 Northern pintail - 1 Hooded mergansers - XX Redhead - 2 There was a female kestrel harassing a passing red-tailed hawk. This was the second time I've seen the kestrel in that area, and nearby I spotted the male hunting. I wonder if there is a natural cavity in one of the large trees that line White Chapel Road that the kestrels have their eyes on for nesting. In all, I saw three kestrels and six red-tailed hawks this afternoon, either along Rt. 13 south of Newark on the way to Dawes or while birding there. All the raptors were actively hunting. I made a quick survey of the ponds/lakes in the main part of Dawes Arboretum. These are deeper, so one would expect to see more diving ducks, and there were a few. Largest numbers were hooded mergansers, with a couple of rednecks and a handful of ring-necked ducks. The best birds for me were the four actively diving lesser scaup on the "big" lake - #65 for Licking Co. this March. Tim Mason had called and left a message for me that there was a Greater white-fronted goose X Canada hybrid there on Monday, but it had left by the time I got in on Tuesday. I forgot to post this earlier. Someone had reported seeing the same or a similar goose during fall migration, and it only stayed a few hours then, as well. I check the bluebird boxes at Dawes regularly, and haven't seen any bluebirds yet this month. There were plenty around in January during all that warm weather. Hope they just went a little further south and will return momentarily. Margaret Bowman Licking Co., OH ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]