I spent the morning hiking several areas along Darby Creek southwest of Columbus looking for early arrivals. Stops at Indian Ridge, Cedar Ridge, and the Nature Center produced a healthy list with a few new arrivals, including: Rough-winged Swallows - 6 were jousting for nest crevices at the Darby railroad bridge House Wren - 1 singing at Indian Ridge Gnatcatchers - loads, with 25-30 in the 3 hours I was out Ruby-cr.Kinglets - 6-7, mostly at Indian Ridge & Cedar Ridge Wood Thrush - 1 singing at Indian Ridge early Hermit Thrush - 6 for the morning, in different areas Brown Thrasher - 3 singing in different fields (2 at Indian Ridge, 1 at Cedar Ridge) Parula Warblers - 2 singing at Indian Ridge, another 1 at Cedar Ridge Yellow-thr.Warblers - 6 total over all 3 sites, all singing in sycamores E.Towhees - many back, with 14 over all 3 sites Field Sparrows - many back, with singing around most fields; the Nature Center fields had 8-10 Swamp Sparrow - 1 at a small creek along Terrace Trail at Indian Ridge White-throated Sparrows - small flocks in many locations E.Meadowlarks - 2 were singing in the cropped grass of the bison enclosure, recreating an ancient connection. ______________________________________________________________________ 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]