I journeyed down to the quarries around 3-Creeks and Hamilton Township, then came up the Scioto River to the Haul Rd and Hart Rd quarries, before finishing at Berliner Park & Scioto Audubon MetroPark. Most of the waterfowl were in the quarries, while the more interesting landbirds were around Berliner & Scioto Audubon. Notables included: Mute Swans - 3 of these brutish beauties are still hanging around Hart Rd quarry Wood Ducks - pairs were at many locations, so they appear to be starting nest prospecting Gadwall - 9 were at the Shadeville quarry (at the S end of Parsons Ave Lesser Scaup - present in most quarries, with the high a flock of 90 at the Alum Cr. Drive Quarry S of Groveport Rd Ring-necked Ducks - present in small numbers in many quarries; high was 8 at Heron Pond in 3-Creeks Redhead - small #s at several quarries as well as at Heron Pond Bufflehead - small #s at several quarries; high was 8 at Haul Rd Quarries Goldeneye - 3 were at the Shadeville Quarry; another 4 were at Hart Rd Quarry Hooded Mergansers - scarce, with a few pairs at several locations Ruddy Duck - 1 was still at Haul Rd Quarry Horned Grebe - small numbers at many locations, topped by 3 in a quarry west of Lockbourne Pied-billed Grebes - scarce, except for 5 in the bay of the river at Scioto Audubon Cormorants - none on the quarries, but the Scioto River had them: 12 at Berliner, 8 at Scioto Audubon Bald Eagle - 1 adult over the Shadeville Quarry; another around the Haul Rd nest Great Horned Owl - 1 is apparently on the old Eagle nest at Haul Rd, but it was hunkered down today Turkey Vultures - the small Spring roost at Heron Pond is back, with 12 birds there this morning. Ring-billed Gulls - surprisingly scarce, with the largest flock only 20 at Haul Rd Quarry Bonaparte's Gull - 2 were at the Haul Rd Quarry Herring Gull - 2 adults were calling and possibly courting around Scioto Audubon E.Phoebe - singles were calling at both Berliner and Scioto Audubon Tree Swallow - a small flock of 12 birds were foraging over the surface of the Shadeville Quarry Brown Creepers - small #s at many locations, with top number 4 in 30 minutes along the bikepath at Berliner Park Golden-cr.Kinglets - small #s at many locations, topped by 3 along the bikepath at Berliner Tree Sparrows - small flocks were at Lockbourne and at Scioto Audubon Field Sparrow - 1 was singing north of Heron Pond at 3-Creeks Chipping Sparrows - 1-2 were singing around the Grange Nature Center at Scioto Audubon Fox Sparrows - 5 were scattered in the brush along the bikepath at Berliner Park Juncos - small #s at nearly every location Blackbirds - Redwings, grackles & cowbirds were all common at most sites ______________________________________________________________________ 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]