I visited several areas around Slate Run MetroPark (far south of Columbus) and in parks along nearby Walnut Creek (Kelley Preserve, Bareis Preserve, Walnut Woods-Buckeye section). The ponds and wetlands of Slate Run are all frozen, so waterfowl there was zilch. There were plenty of landbirds hiding in the ravines of the MetroPark and along Walnut Creek. Notables included raptors - very little, but Slate Run had a Red-tailed and a Red-shouldered Hawk woodpeckers - lots of typical species in both areas; Slate Run also had a Pileated Robins - still small flocks in many areas, especially around planted fruit trees HermitThrush - 1 was along the 5-Oaks Trail at Slate Run Yellow-rumped Warblers - 14 along the 5-Oaks Trail seemed an unusually high number here TreeSparrows - small numbers at most spots, but Bareis Preserve had a flock of 16-20 Fox Sparrow - 1 was along a woodlot edge at Bareis Preserve Swamp Sparrows - singles were in wet fields at Slate Run wetlands and Walnut Woods. White-crowned Sparrows - a flock of 30+ was foraging at the western end of the Buckeye area of Walnut Woods, one of the bigger flocks seen here in recent winters. Most were adults. ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]