I dashed out during the lulls in the rain this morning to hit a few migrant
traps in Columbus, spending the morning at 3-Creeks park and the afternoon
along the section of the Alum Creek Trail north of Morse Rd.  There was
some limited fallout, but the drizzle and overcast conditions made ID a
challenge, especially for warblers.  Confusing Fall warblers are tough
enough, but add in "fast-moving with a poor background" and you begin to
understand the challenge.  But the day did produce good birds, including

Black-billedCuckoo - 1 was along the Alum Creek Trail near Parkridge Park
Hummingbirds - a few Ruby-throats at both locations
Flycatchers - E.WoodPewees abundant, but also had Phoebe and Gr. Crested
Flycatchers
Vireos - Red-eyed were common at both sites, but 3-Creeks also had
White-eyed, Warbling, and Yellow-throated
Gnatcatchers - small #s were at both locations
Swallows - small flocks of Rough-wings were foraging over the streams and
wetlands at 3 Creeks
Thrushes - Swainson's were in small #s at both sites, while 3-Creeks also
had Wood Thrush
Mimids - Catbirds were abundant, but 3-Creeks also had Brown Thrasher
Waxwings - the Alum Creek Trail had a flock of 20-25 working over feral
Callery Pears
Warblers - list was rather similar at both spots, with Redstarts,
Magnolias, and Chestnut-sideds the most common, but also had Blackpolls,
Bay-breasted, N.Parula, ComYellowthroat, Cape May (3-Cr), Blackburnian
(ACT), Black-thr.Green
Buntings,Grosbeaks - only had a few Indigo Buntings, no grosbeaks
Tanagers, Orioles - none of either group

The swollen creeks were almost as impressive as the fallout.  At 3-Creeks,
I watched as the riparian forest gradually flooded, thankful that the main
bike path was on higher ground.  The relentless rain created huge puddles
everywhere, and it was easy to think that flooding downstream was going to
harm some houses.  And all this in late Summer, not late Winter.  Clearly,
we're going to need more wetlands to offset the new monsoons we're
receiving.

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