Big+Walnut+IBA


 * =Birding in Ohio=

Ohio Important Bird Areas
=Big Walnut Important Bird Area= Big Walnut Important Bird Area webpage Big Walnut Important Bird Area map

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Hoover Reservoir (Delaware Co.)
Coordinates: 40.16072, -82.8742 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--North
Coordinates: 40.2103348, -82.8826413 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve
Coordinates: 40.1870541, -82.8716114 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Mud Hen Marsh
Coordinates: 40.1723252, -82.8837463 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Oxbow Rd.
Coordinates: 40.1845455, -82.8858376 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Wiese Rd.
Coordinates: 40.2097387, -82.8906024 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Area L
Coordinates: 40.2162586, -82.8851402 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Boardwalk Area M
Coordinates: 40.2134403, -82.8806448 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Area N
Coordinates: 40.2122441, -82.8783274 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Hoover Meadows
Coordinates: 40.1931513, -82.8712088 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Nature Preserve--Old Sunbury Rd.
Coordinates: 40.1907659, -82.87395 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Maxtown Boat Launch
Coordinates: 40.1457382, -82.8802049 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Sunbury Causeway and Baldridge Boat Ramp
Coordinates: 40.1753561, -82.8752375 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Twin Bridges Boat Ramp
Coordinates: 40.1763813, -82.8616118 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir (Franklin Co.)
Coordinates: 40.1125747, -82.8816517 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Hoover Dam Boat Dock
Coordinates: 40.109424, -82.8850651 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Hoover Dam Park
Coordinates: 40.1072609, -82.8802003 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Spillway
Coordinates: 40.1069869, -82.8833538 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Area S
Coordinates: 40.1184893, -82.8676927 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Hoover Reservoir--Walnut Boat Ramp
Coordinates: 40.1217476, -82.8854513 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Cherry Bottom Park
Coordinates: 40.0670372, -82.8959656 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Blendon Woods Metro Park
Coordinates: 40.0730854, -82.8726196 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Blendon Woods Metro Park--Sugarbush Trail
Coordinates: 40.0709227, -82.8815746 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Blendon Woods Metro Park--Thoreau Pond
Coordinates: 40.0742189, -82.8705275 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Big Walnut Important Bird Area
The Big Walnut IBA includes the Hoover Reservoir, Blendon Woods MetroPark, and the Big Walnut Creek corridor. The Hoover Nature Reserve (owned by Columbus City Parks and Recreation) functions as excellent Central Ohio shorebird habitat in late summer. The reservoir attracts waterfowl in the spring and fall.

The Big Walnut Creek runs along the boundary of till plain and a glaciated plateau to the east. Many streams have cut ravines down to this creek. Most of the ravines are largely wooded, and most of the creek still supports a fairly mature riparian forest. Most of the level uplands on either side have been developed as suburban housing. The Big Walnut floodplain to the south supports a fairly continuous riparian forest, with sizeable sycamores, cottonwoods, silver maples, and Ohio buckeyes.

The Big Walnut IBA connects Blendon Woods MetroPark and the riparian corridor. The "island' of Blendon Woods and the Big Walnut corridor makes this IBA particularly attractive to migrant passerines. Most of Big Walnut, all the way to its junction with the Scioto River, still has an intact riparian strip, resulting from controlled floodplain development efforts by the Columbus Water Department and Gahanna's conversion of nearly the entire riparian corridor into parks and conservation easements.

The unusual topography of the upper reservoir has created a series of marshes, swamps, and mudflats unusual for central Ohio. Consequently, this area acts as a magnet for birds that favor these habitats, both in migration and during the breeding season. Upland areas in public management (Hoover Dam Park and Blendon Woods MetroPark) have an interesting mix of oak-hickory and beech-maple woods bisected by many small ravines, which host species of birds typical of mixed mature woodlands. Both also include small areas of successional fields that produce old-field bird species uncommon in Franklin County: Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Towhee, Brown Thrasher, and Blue-winged Warbler. Priority birds along Big Walnut Creek and in Blendon Woods include American Black Duck, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Blue-winged Warbler. Priority species in Hoover Reservoir include Black-crowned Night-Heron, Osprey, Bald Eagle, American Coot, and Prothonotary Warbler. The shorebird diversity is very high, ranking it among the top five shorebird sites away from Lake Erie. From Big Walnut Important Bird Area webpage

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|| L298677 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1870541 -82.8716114 Hoover Nature Preserve L723063 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.2162586 -82.8851402 Hoover Nature Preserve--Area L L833877 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.2122441 -82.8783274 Hoover Nature Preserve--Area N  L449142 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.2134403 -82.8806448 Hoover Nature Preserve--Boardwalk Area M  L697692 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1931513 -82.8712088 Hoover Nature Preserve--Hoover Meadows L349347 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1723252 -82.8837463 Hoover Nature Preserve--Mud Hen Marsh L1252837 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1907659 -82.87395 Hoover Nature Preserve--Old Sunbury Rd. L801047 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1845455 -82.8858376 Hoover Nature Preserve--Oxbow Rd. L1663153 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.2097387 -82.8906024 Hoover Nature Preserve--Wiese Rd. L276523 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.16072 -82.8742 Hoover Reservoir (Delaware Co.) L2731538 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1457382 -82.8802049 Hoover Reservoir--Maxtown Boat Launch L264475 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.2103348 -82.8826413 Hoover Reservoir--North L1761066 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.1184893 -82.8676927 Hoover Reservoir--Area S L6826767 US  US-OH US-OH-049 40.109424 -82.8850651 Hoover Reservoir--Hoover Dam Boat Dock L349354 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.1072609 -82.8802003 Hoover Reservoir--Hoover Dam Park L4126478 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.1069869 -82.8833538 Hoover Reservoir--Spillway L4911459 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1753561 -82.8752375 Hoover Reservoir--Sunbury Causeway and Baldridge Boat Ramp L3547534 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.1217476 -82.8854513 Hoover Reservoir--Walnut Boat Ramp L1797346 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.1125747 -82.8816517 Hoover Reservoir (Franklin Co.) L2750786 US US-OH US-OH-041 40.1763813 -82.8616118 Hoover Reservoir--Twin Bridges Boat Ramp L851778 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.0670372 -82.8959656 Cherry Bottom Park L164552 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.0730854 -82.8726196 Blendon Woods Metro Park L1500128 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.0709227 -82.8815746 Blendon Woods Metro Park--Sugarbush Trail L2717813 US US-OH US-OH-049 40.0742189 -82.8705275 Blendon Woods Metro Park--Thoreau Pond