I spent the morning hiking around Battelle-Darby MetroPark southwest of Columbus, looking for early migrants. Trees & wildlfowers seem about 1+ week behind normal, and bird migration seems to be following suit. I stopped at Indian Ridge, Cedar Ridge, the Nature Center area, and Kuhlwein wetlands, but passed on Teal Trail wetlands due to high water levels. Notables included: Cooper's Hawks - a pair were calling back & forth, likely on territory, at Cedar Ridge Kestrels - mostly gone, but a single individual was still at the Kuhlwein wetlands shorebirds - little other than a few kildeer, despite many shallow field puddles Sapsuckers - singles were at Indian Ridge and Cedar Ridge E.Phoebes - single birds at many locations Swallows - Tree Swallows widespread, but also had Rough-winged at the old RR bridge near Georgesville Brown Creepers - not so common, with only a few individuals in the riparian woods Winter Wrens - 4 of them, with 3 along the Terrace Trail at Indian Ridge Blue-gr.Gnatcatcher - a single bird, my FOS, was in the forest near the Cedar Ridge lodge Golden-cr.Kinglets - some movement here, with small flocks of 3-5 birds at many locations Hermit Thrush - 2 were in the riparian woods at Cedar Ridge Tree Sparrows - still a small flock of 10 birds hanging in the willows around the Kuhlwein Rd parking area Field Sparrows - pairs and singing birds at many locations; they seem to heve arrived in force Chipping Sparrows - single birds were at Cedar Ridge picnic area and the farm across from Kuhlwein wetlands Fox Sparrows - at least 3 were singing along the creek at Indian Ridge Junco - a flock of 20 was along the Terrace Trail at Indian Ridge E.Meadowlark - singing birds at fields both at Indian Ridge and around the Nature Center Blackbirds - Redwings , grackles, and cowbirds all widespread and common. ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]