Nature: The many bird species at Highbanks Metro Park

Central Ohioans are beneficiaries of 1 of the top parkland systems successful the country. Founded successful 1945, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks opened its archetypal park, Blacklick Woods, successful 1948.

Nearly 80 years later, the strategy has expanded to see 20 parks, encompassing astir 30,000 acres. Park employees present astir 3,500 interpretative programs annually, and our parks support 2,500 taxon of plants and animals.

The 5th metro parkland to beryllium established was Highbanks successful 1973. The 1,200-acre parkland with its 14 miles of trails sits connected the westbound broadside of U.S. 23, conscionable 3 miles northbound of I-270.

I was 11 erstwhile Highbanks opened and lived conscionable 4 miles southbound of it successful Worthington. My parents took maine determination the twelvemonth it opened, and a travel to Highbanks meant a 3-mile travel done the state to scope it (remember Jerry’s Drive-In, anyone?).

Today, Highbanks is mostly hemmed successful by development, arsenic bluish Franklin County/southern Delaware County has exploded with sprawl and it’s ever tougher to find earthy unfastened spaces.

Our parks are overmuch appreciated by people, and Highbanks hosted 1,333,360 visitors successful 2024. That’s equivalent to ALL the radical who reside successful Franklin County.

People are not the lone beneficiaries of Highbanks (and our different parks). The twelvemonth aft it opened, Highbanks hosted a Bachman’s sparrow. I was lone 12, frankincense I had nary driver’s license, but my ever supportive parents ran maine up the roadworthy to spot the bird. That was the past territorial Bachman’s sparrow successful Ohio. It was erstwhile a wide nester.

There’s inactive plentifulness of birds, arsenic ample municipality parks specified arsenic Highbanks go ever much important players successful the conservation of our earthy resources. To date, 203 vertebrate taxon person been recorded — astir fractional of ALL taxon documented successful Ohio.

Highbanks visitors often spot 1 of the section barred owls, and locally nesting bald eagles signifier predominant flyovers.

All 7 regularly occurring woodpecker taxon tin beryllium found, but the prima of the drummers is the crow-sized pileated woodpecker. Wood ducks, belted kingfishers and hooded mergansers (in season) are regular sights on the Olentangy River.

Nature: Waterfowl flock to Lake Erie

Tying Highbanks to a overmuch larger bioeconomy are the warblers. Twenty-two taxon of these tiny songbirds nest successful Ohio, and a twelve of them breed astatine Highbanks.

Perhaps astir notable are the Louisiana waterthrushes that breed on streams that forged the heavy ravines astatine Highbanks. This taxon is present the 4th rarest of the eastbound warblers.

Also notable to birders are the nonmigratory summertime tanagers. The brick-red males sing their burry songs from the park’s oak trees and often drawback up ample wasps and bees — their dietary banal successful trade.

In all, birds that breed astatine Highbanks radiate to wintering grounds successful Mexico, each of the Central American countries and galore successful South American countries.

Back connected Feb. 16, Shauna and I ventured to Highbanks connected the heels of a tempest that dumped 4 inches of powdery snow. The parkland was transformed into a wintertime wonderland, and our cameras worked overtime to effort and seizure the park’s beauty.

My favourite way — highly recommended — is the Overlook Trail, which bisects fantastic older-growth wood sliced by steep-sided ravines. The way terminates astatine the park’s namesake precocious banks, a 110-foot tall, astir vertical shale bluff overlooking the Olentangy River. Two Adena civilization burial mounds and an earthwork are nearby.

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If you visit, beryllium definite to halt successful the quality halfway (145,749 visitors past year). A robust bird-feeding cognition is easy viewed from representation windows, and the halfway is loaded with acquisition displays. Naturalist Chrissy Hoff is simply a wealthiness of accusation and tin reply each of your questions.

For much accusation astir Highbanks and each of our metro parks, visit: metroparks.net.

Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a file for The Dispatch connected the archetypal and 3rd Sundays of the month. He besides writes astir quality at jim mccormac.blogspot.com.

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected The Columbus Dispatch: Nature: Birds flock to Highbanks Metro Park