I stopped by these two southeast Columbus MetroParks hoping for shorebirds
and early migrants, and mostly being disappointed.  As you can tell from
the subject line, Great Egrets were a highlight of Pick Ponds, suggesting
that water levels there were not low enough for shorebirds, at least on the
main wetlands along Bowen Rd.  Pick Ponds' landbirds were still in summer
mode, with lots of singing yellowthroats and field sparrows.  Blacklick
Woods, by contrast, was very quiet, with most of its forest species silent
or departing.  Best finds were:

Great Egrets - the Wood Duck ponds area had 12, while Glacier knoll had
another 3-4.
Green Herons - 3-4 were at Greenwing Pond at Pick Ponds
Raptors - decent diversity at Pick Ponds, with Coopers, Red-shoulder,
Red-tail, and Osprey
Shorebirds - nothing but Killdeer and a few Solitary Sandpipers at Pick
Ponds, where the water levels are a bit lower, but the plants are masking
the mudflats
Flycatchers - still some WIllows calling at Pick Ponds, but had only 1
Acadian at Blacklick.  Wood Pewees and phoebes were the only widespread
flycatchers at Blacklick Woods.
Swallows - still small flocks of Rough-wings, Trees, Barns, and Purple
martins around most ponds at Pick Ponds
Warblers - still some singing Yellows and many ComYellowthroats at Pick
Ponds, but Blacklick Woods had nothing but a lone ComYellowthroat
Blackbirds - only a few Redwings and no grackles remain at Pick Ponds,
while Blacklick Woods is getting small flocks of grackles through the woods.

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