The Columbus Audubon trip to Scioto MetroPark dodged the rain this morning, and found a few interesting birds. We walked around Scioto MetroPark, then Berliner Park. Afterwards, I visited several parks along the Olentangy River - Tuttle Park, the Olentangy wetlands, and Whetstone. I also stopped at Haul Rd quarries early in the morning. Rivers were very high from all the rain, and I had the disturbing experience of watching a boat full of hunters motor up and down the Scioto off Berliner Park. Normally it wouldn't be deep enough to permit this. Bird highlights included: Wood Ducks - at least 5 were along the Scioto River above the Greenlawn dam Diving Ducks - 4 Bufflehead and 2 Ruddy Ducks were at Haul Rd quarries Hooded Mergansers - a nice flock of 50 were cavorting and feeding in the bay above the Greenlawn dam Pied-billed Grebes - at least 2 were above the Greenlawn dam Cormorants - a group of 15 were sitting in a tree along the river in Berliner before being rousted by the hunting boat Bald Eagle - 1 adult was flying over the Haul Rd quarries Accipiters - a Sharpie was along the bikepath at Berliner, while a Coopers was along the river trail at Whetstone Kestrel - 1 was on the wires along Greenlawn Ave, an unusual spot for them Red-bellied Woodpecker - unusual were 2 along the bikepath at Scioto MetroPark, a very unusual spot for them Brown Creeper - small #s were at every stop; 4 along the bikepath at Berliner was the high Winter Wren - 1 was calling from the riparian woods understory in Berliner Park Ruby-cr. Kinglet - 1 was along the back hedgerow at the boat launch at Scioto MetroPark Tree Sparrows - a few were at Scioto and Berliner, as well as at the Olentangy wetland Swamp Sparrow - at least 1 was calling in the marsh at the Olentangy wetland White-throated Sparrow - possibly the most common bird of the morning, with flocks of 20-30 at many places. ______________________________________________________________________ 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]