I birded parks along the Scioto River south & west of downtown Columbus, starting at Haul Rd, then going up through Berliner, Scioto Audubon, Confluence, Watermark Lake, and the Marble Cliff bikepath. Other than some small groups of dabblers and coots, waterfowl migration is not very advanced here. A fair crop of honeysuckle berries made fo4r some big flocks of Robins & starling from Scioto Audubon north & west, but few other birds were very common other than White-throated Sparrows. Notables included: Dabbling ducks - the Haul Rd ponds had Shovelers, Wigeon, and Gadwalls, but no more than 6 of each. Diving Ducks - the only divers were a flock of 15 Bufflehead on the Haul Rd ponds north (which I was shooed out of after 5 minutes, so be aware that something has predisposed them against non-employees recently). Cormorants - at least 10 were in the pond on south Haul Rd, on the way to the impound lot Grebes - 1 Horned was at Haul Rd, while Pied-billed had 2 there and 6 at Watermark Lake Coots - Watermark Lake has regained its big winter flock, with 95 there BaldEagle - 1 adult was making dives at the Coot flock, trying unsuccessfully to separate out a sick one Cooper's Hawks - singles were at south Haul Rd and at Marble Cliff bikepath Red-tailed Hawks - an adult was at Haul Rd, while a juvenile was stalking the feeders at Scioto Audubon center Ring-billed Gulls - sizeable flocks early at Haul Rd (100) and Scioto Audubon (180), but most had left for the dump by 10 Bonaparte's Gulls - small #s at Haul Rd, Scioto Audubon, and Watermark Lake Sapsucker - at least 1 was along the bikepath at Scioto Audubon BrownCreepers - not very common, with the high of 3 along the Berliner bikepath Robins - flocks feeding on honeysuckle all along the river; Scioto Audubon had the most with 300+ Cedar Waxwings - surprisingly scarce, with only 2 at Scioto Audubon and 3 along the Marble Cliff bikepath Starlings - some big flocks along the river, but even bigger flocks seemed to be feasting on pear fruits in German Village White-throated Sparrows - also quite common in the riverside honeysuckles, with Scioto Audubon having the most with 60+ blackbirds - largely absent, except for a flock of 60 grackles flying south over Berliner finches - nothing but Goldfinches, but they were everywhere in small flocks. ______________________________________________________________________ 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.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]