Date: 6/14/26 12:06 am From: Robert Thorn <robthorn6...> Subject: [Ohio-birds] ClearCreekMetroPark,6-13: warblers,vireos,cuckoos
The Columbus Audubon field trip to the forested valley of Clear Creek on Saturday had a great day of birding. The 12 participants were treated to a steady stream of singing and/or nesting residents as we hiked around the Creekside Meadows Trail, the lower tavines of the Hemlock & Fern Trails, and the hillside trails at the Barneby Center. Highlights included:
Raptors -- heard Red-shouldered, and actually saw Broad-winged twice (Starner Road and Barneby Center), along with a steady trickle of Turkey Vultures.
Cuckoos -- abundant Yellow-billed, calling everywhere once it warmed up. A running gag of the trip was 'it's just another cuckoo'.
Woodpeckers -- surprisingly scarce, but did have Red-bellied, Downies, and heard Pileated
Flycatchers -- Pewees, Phoebes, Acadians, with the latter calling in most forest areas
Vireos -- Red-eyed abundant, but also had singing Yellow-throated and White-eyed in several areas and had beautiful looks at nesting Blue-headed along the Fern Trail
Wrens,Gnatcatcher -- House Wrens & Carolina Wrens at scattered sites; our only Gnatcatcher was at Barneby Center
Thrushes -- Wood Thrushes were abundant, but heard Veeries along the Creekside Trail and singing Hermit Thrushes on the Hemlock & Fern Trails
Mimids -- Catbirds were abundant, and the active family of Brown Thrashers continues to put on a show at the Fern Trail picnic area.
Waxwings -- a pair of Cedar Waxwings was foraging near the Fern Trail picnic area
Warblers -- less singing than hoped for, but still found 12 species, including Worm-eating (Hemlock & Fern Trails), Cerulean (several on Creekside Meadows Trail), N.Parula (scarce), N.Yellow, Black&White, Redstarts (common on Creekside Meadows Tr.), CommonYellowthroat, Yellow-throated (scarce), Hooded, Kentucky (only heard 1 on the Tulip tree Trail), Ovenbirds, Louisiana Waterthrush (several places, but had 3 foraging on a gravel bar at the junction of Hemlock & Clear Creeks)
Sparrows -- Chipping, Song, and E.Towhee, with Towhees singing at many locations
Icterids -- Baltimore Orioles along Creekside Meadows, with 1 coming down to bathe in the Creek); few Grackles, lots of Cowbirds
Cardinalids -- heard Scarlet Tanagers & Indigo Buntings at several spots, but rarely saw them. Cardinals were common.
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