Over the past week, there has been a recent increase in bird activity at Pickerington Ponds Metro Park. The Red-winged Blackbird males are back, and they are singing their hearts out. Lots of waterfowl are on pond North of Wright Road (I think it is called Blue Wing Pond) and near the viewing shade. Birds identified were: Ring-necked Duck (dozens of them on the ponds) Mallard Canada Goose American Coot (maybe two dozen or more) Red-winged Blackbird Song Sparrow Brown-headed Cowbird Northern Harrier European Starling American Tree Sparrow I think there are some Lesser Scaup out there on the ponds too, but I do not have a scope, so it is hard for me to tell. The Northern Harrier is one of three that I know have been there for a several months. It is an immature, and I think that it might be starting to show some adult plumage. The Brown-headed Cowbird has been there once before, actually a couple months ago. I have not seen any other Brown- headed Cowbirds for months. The House Finches that had been at Pickerington Ponds, as well as a couple White-crowed Sparrows, have apparently left. Also, the large group of American Tree Sparrows that I saw there a couple times is absent as well, though I did see one far away in a tree. I also heard some drumming at one point, but was unable to locate any woodpeckers, though I have seen Northern Flickers there before. Adam Cirone B.A. in Biology from Muskingum College Senior Reseach on Grassland Birds Columbus, Ohio [log in to unmask] (330) 257-9533 ______________________________________________________________________ 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]