The Columbus Audubon trip to Alum & Hoover Lakes this morning was treated to 1 remaining Franklin's Gull on the beach at Alum Lake.  The gull flock has decreased in size, with only about 200 Ring-bills and 6 Herring.  We visited New Galena and the beach/Visitor's Center area at Alum Lake, then Mudhen Marsh, Area N(boardwalk), and Oxbow Island at Hoover.  Waterfowl were almost absent from Alum Lake, due to heavy boat traffic (a Bass tournament was there today), and were not much in evidence at Hoover either. There were some good birds, though:

Shorebirds:  The area N boardwalk had a small edge of mudflat, but that was enough to attract 4 Gr.Yellowlegs, 8-9 Lesser Yellowlegs, 12 Pectoral, 4-5 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 6+ Least Sandpipers, 10+ Dunlin, 10+ Kildeer, and 1 Semipalmated Plover

Herons & Egrets - Great Blue Herons were still abundant, with birds at nearly every stop.  The only Great Egrets were 1 fly-by at Mudhen Marsh, and 1 in the bay next to Dustin Rd.

Red-headed Woodpeckers - 1 adult was a migrant fly-by at the Alum Lake Visitor's Center, while a juvenile was spotted by sharp-eyed Shaune Skinner at Mudhen Marsh.

Blue Jays - small quiet migrant flocks were flying over at most spots.  New Galena led with a flock of 25, but similar numbers were at the Visitors Center and Mudhen.

Flycatchers,Swallows - the only flycatchers were Phoebes at the Visitor's center and Mudhen, while the only swallows were some early Tree Swallow flyovers at New Galena.

Thrushes - incredibly no Swainson's.  E.Bluebird flocks were at the beach (7) and Mudhen (10).  The latter group entertained us as they foraged in-and-out of cavities in a large old snag.

Warblers - hardly any, with 1 Magnolia at New Galena and a Com.Yellowthroat at the Visitor's Center.  The recent wave has definitely ebbed.

Sparrows - starting to flow, with numbers of Chipping, Field, and Song, as well as a few White-crowned and White-throated, all in the scrub east of the Visitor's Center at Alum.  Mudhen had Song and White-throated.

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