Jack Stenger called me about a possible 3rd-basic/adult winter
California gull seen south of the Sunbury Rd causeway yesterday. It was
twilight, and the bird was seen only in flight, but he is familiar with
the species. I went up and couldn't find it, but I didn't have time to
search north of Sunbury. There were only 50 or so gulls in the area I
looked at, so the search wasn't so tough. Something worth looking for,
anyway.
        Some friends and I birded Darby Creek MP this morning. A lot of people
were walking out to look at the bisons, but we were intrigued to see
that elimination of tiles has made the planned 800-acre wetland on the
other side of Darby Creek Rd begin to bloom. Swales there have filled
with meltwater, and things look great. There were 3-4000 ducks and geese
out there, with many others invisible. There are even some signs of
walkways, etc., already. The Cols skyline is visible on the horizon, and
this already looks super; it will be bigger than many existing Metro
Parks, and it kind of reminds me of a Nat Wildlife Refuge property up
north, but without the impoundments, with water following its own way.
This could be Shorebird Central soon, with maybe sought-after species
restored, like sandhill cranes and even black terns! Very much worth
keeping an eye on, and investing in with future levies. For now, parking
is almost non-existent, and people speed on the road, but even sidelong
glances are exciting. Read the article on wetlands in the latest
Parkscope magazine at all the kiosks.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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