I visited these 2 MetroParks SE of Columbus for a few hours this morning, hoping that the rain would hold off enough for some migrant fallout. The rain did its part, but the migrants weren't all that common, given the conditions. Flycatchers, Thrushes, & Buntings were more noticeable than warblers this morning. Water levels at both spots were very high. Blacklick Woods was laced with large vernal pools, while PickPonds' wetlands morphed into deep ponds, driving most shorebirds to other areas. Notables for each spot included: BLACKLICK WOODS (for 1.5 hours) Barred Owl - 1 around nest tree, another hunting right around Nature Center Pileated Woodpecker - drumming along Beech-Maple Trail Flycatchers - E.WoodPewee (6+), Acadian (4 calling), Least, E.Phoebe (4+), Gr.Crested Vireos - LOTS of Red-eyed Vireos in song (16-20) Thrushes - Wood (8 singing,calling), Swainson's (10), Veery (4) Mimids - Catbirds (20+) Cedar Waxwings - pairs at several locations Warblers - Yellow, Parula (2), Tennessee (2), Magnolia (6), Chesnut-sided (4), CapeMay (2), Yellow-throated, Blackpoll (4), Bay-breasted, Am.Redstart (12+), CONNECTICUT (1 singing Buttonbush Trail), Hooded, Wilson's, Com.Yellowthroat (5) Scarlet Tanagers - 5 singing along Beech-Maple loop Buntings,et.al. - Indigo Buntings (8+), Rose-br.Grosbeaks (6) PICKERINGTON PONDS (for 1 hour) Great Blue Herons - nesting in full swing at Ellis Pond (15+ nests), Teal Pond (10 nests), Arrowhead Marsh (2 nests) Mute Swan - 2 at Teal Pond, 5 at Arrowhead Marsh. Could this represent a threat to other waterfowl here? Shorebirds - only Kildeer (5-6), and they were in a plowed field, not the wetlands Flycatchers - Willow (6-8), Gr.Crested, E.Kingbirds (2) Vireos - Warbling (5-6 singing, in almost every tree-line) Mimids - Catbirds (12+), Mockingbirds (2+), BrownThrasher (along Meadowlark Trail) Warblers - Yellow (10+), Parula, Tennessee, Am.Redstart, Com.Yellowthroat (15+) Sparrows - nothing other than the expected Chippings, Fields, and Songs Icterids - E.Meadowlarks (5+), Baltimore Oriole (6+), Orchard Oriole (2 singing along Meadowlark Trail) ______________________________________________________________________ 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]