I spent the cold & cloudy morning hitting spots in Slate Run MetroPark and along Walnut Creek north of there (Kelley& Bareis Preserves, Buckeye Area of Walnut Woods), and not finding much for the effort.   These areas don't have enough honeysuckle or callery pear to harbor the fruit-eaters found in high numbers closer to Columbus.   And the extended cold has wiped out much of the food for sparrows that would normally be common here.    Still, there were some good birds:

Waterfowl - not much open water here, though Walnut Creek had a few geese and Mallards.  Buzzardroost Lake at Slate Run was partially open, and had a big flock of Canada Geese and 3 Gadwall.   The Slate Run wetlands were nearly completely frozen.

Raptors - Red-tailed Hawks were in multiple places, while 2 Cooper's Hawks graced Bareis Preserve.  Kestrels were both there and at nearby Buckeye area, and the Slate Run wetlands had a gorgeous male harrier gliding around.

Woodpeckers - lots of the common species, but also had Pileateds at both the Kelley Preserve and Slate Run 5-Oaks Trail

E.Bluebirds - only 1, at the Slate Run wetlands
Mockingbirds - singles at Bareis Preserve and the 5-Oaks Trail in Slate Run
Yellow-rumpedWarblers - at least 7 were around the Shady Grove picnic area at Slate Run
Sparrows - startlingly few, but did have a Tree & White-crowned around the feeder at the Slate Run wetlands
______________________________________________________________________

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]