On a day only fit for waterfowl, I visited spots in and around this wetland
complex southeast of Columbus.  I stopped at Ellis Pond and Wood Duck
picnic area, as well as nearby Portman Park and Winchester lake.  Many of
the deeper ponds - Ellis Pond, GreenwingTeal Pond, Winchester lake - are
still frozen, but shallower areas are starting to open up.  The vast
majority of waterfowl this morning were geese and mallards, leading me to
think that many of our other waterfowl headed south during the deep freeze
of the past month.  But there were some interesting holdovers, including:

N.Pintail - 2 males were with a big Mallard flock at Mallard Marsh, north
of Wood Duck picnic area
Black Ducks - small numbers with the mallard flocks in many places
Lesser Scaup - 2 were at Mallard Marsh in Pick Ponds
Bald Eagle - an adult was sitting around GreenwingTeal Pond at Pick Ponds
N.Harrier - 1 male was soaring over the fields north of the Wood Duck
picnic area
Red-shouldered hawk - 1 was flying and calling near Ellis Pond

Landbirds were about what you might expect, with good #s of woodpeckers,
parids, and jays, plus the added spice of a Mockingbird at Ellis Pond.
Sparrows continue to be unusually scarce.  Pick Ponds did have a few Tree
Sparrows, 3-4 White-crowns, and some Song Sparrows, but little else.

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