I dodged the few ice patches and visited these neighboring sites in NE Columbus, and found an exodus of many winter birds.  Water was nearly ice-free in both sites, but the large squads of ducks that had graced both in December were mostly gone.  I hiked both the Lake Trail and the Streamside-Overlook Loop at Blendon, as well as the Nature Trail at Hoover and the main trail at Cherrybottom Park.  Notables included:

Hooded Mergansers - still plenty of them around, with 5-6 at Thoreau Pond and another 15 at Hoover Dam
Red-shouldered Hawks - heard one at Blendon (Cherry Ridge picnic area) and saw another at Cherrybottom Park
Red-tailed Hawks - several at Blendon, as well as another flying the shore at Hoover
Red-headedWoodpeckers - singles along both the Lake Trail and near the Cherry Ridge Picnic Area
PileatedWoodpecker - the only one was at Cherrybottom Park
E.Bluebirds - small groups were at Thoreau Lake, CherryRidge Picnic area,HooverNatureTrail, & Cherrybottom
TreeSparrows - only a few were still around the Nature Center at Blendon
SwampSparrows - 2 were in the spillway shrubbery below HooverDam
E.Towhee - the only one was calling along the edge of the Goldenrod Trail at Blendon

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