Yesterday I birded at Highbanks Metro Park for the first time in nearly two months. At the wetland blind I observed three species of ducks with ducklings. They were Mallard, Wood Duck, and Hooded Merganser. I never knew Hooded Mergansers bred in Central Ohio. How exciting it was to see one with ducklings. Also at the wetland blind I saw a green heron, which evidently was the first reported sighting of one in May. How exciting to see a bird that is rarely seen in the park. Along the dripping rock trail north of the main road, I heard a some noise coming from inside a dead branch. There was only a smal hole so I deduced it must be a downy woodpecker hole. I stood there and watched and before long a male downy woodpecker carrying food came to the nest. He stood outside the cavity and stuck his head in to feed his nestlings. It was worth getting caught in the rain to see this. Al La Sala Columbus, OH ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]