I spent the blustery morning visiting the chain of parks along Alum Creek in north Columbus, starting with Sharon Woods and working south to Innis Park. The unsettled weather seems to have pushed many temperate migrants into the area, and there were lots of birds all the way down the corridor. Notables included: Waterfowl - Shrock Lake still had 6 Pied-billed grebes (down from 18), as well as Mallards and Wood Ducks Cooper's hawk - 1 at Sharon Woods and another calling at Innis Pileated Woodpeckers - a pair at tanager Woods was in an unusual location Brown Creepers - small #s at all parks, the first big push of them this season around Columbus Winter Wrens - singles were along the Thomas Trail in Sharon Woods and at Tanager Woods Ruby-cr.Kinglets - 2 were at Sharon Woods, while another was at Innis Park Golden-cr.kinglets - sizeable movement, with double figures at many places E.Bluebirds - 12+ were in the meadow north of Shrock Lake at Sharon Woods Heromit Thrush - the only one was at Innis Park AmRobins - numbers increased as I moved south into more urban areas (with lots of ornamental fruit trees) Mockingbirds - singles were at Innis Pakr and Alum Creek Park (south of Innis) Gray Catbird - a late bird was feeding in a grapevine tangle at Innis Park Cedar Waxwings - similar pattern to Robins, with only a few at Sharon Woods, but 30+ at Innis Park American Pipit - 1 was a flyover at Shrock Lake in Sharon Woods Yellow-rmped Warblers - good #s at every stop, topped by 20+ along the Thomas Trail at Sharon Woods E.Towhees - singles at everystop except Sharon Woods, which had 4. Field Sparrows - 5-6 were in the field north of Shrock Lake Chipping Sparrows - 2 were in the field north of Shrock Lake Swamp Sparrows - 5+ were in the fields north of Shrock Lake Fox Sparrows - 2 were in the scrubby edges around Shrock Lake in Sharon Woods White-crowned Sparrows - at least 3 were in the open fields north of Shrock Lake at Sharon Woods White-throated Sparrows - many smalll flocks at every stop, perhaps 120 in 3 hours Juncos - small groups in many places Redwings - small numbers at many locations along the corridor, but no big flocks Goldfinches - the flock in the fields around Shrock Lake has grown to 75-80 birds, but no siskins with them yet. ______________________________________________________________________ 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]