Green
Lawn Cemetery
To get
there: Take I-71
south of downtown Columbus to the Greenlawn Avenue exit and drive
west on Greenlawn Avenue for 0.7 mile to the entrance.
On a good day in late April or early May, an observer may
record 60 to 80 species of birds in two or three hours in this
wooded, park-like cemetery. On arriving, park outside the gate and
investigate the nearby bushes, trees, and the wooded ravine behind
the administration building. In March and April, the ravine is an
excellent place to find American Woodcock (they have been known to nest),
Louisiana Waterthrush, Rufous sided Towhee,
Fox
Sparrow, and
Rusty Blackbird.
Go around the south gatepost and shrubbery to the small woods nearby and walk along its eastern edge. Look for flocks of migrant sparrows, Northern Flickers, and large flocks of American Robins during March and April in the adjoining field.
Follow the wooded trail toward the TV tower, paying special attention to the surroundingbrushy slopes and scrub trees. These are good places to find Connecticut and Mourning Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Wllson's and Canada Warblers, and Lincoln's Sparrows in May.
Over the years, nesting birds have included American Kestrel, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,Eastern Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina and House Wrens, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Indigo Bunting, Chipping, Field, and Song Sparrows, Northern Oriole, and American Goldfinch.
The most popular birding spot at Green Lawn is the site of what was once a small quarry and is now called the "pit." Surrounded by trees and bushes, this pleasant pond is near the center of the cemetery. To get there, drive through the entrance, follow the red center stripe to the first road past Section 85, turn right and park near the sculpture of Emil Ambos, the fisherman. The grave of humorist James Thurber is a few steps farther west in the Fisher family plot. The pit is beyond the shrubbery on the north side of the road.
Waterbirds - Pied-billed Grebes, Wood Ducks, Mallards, Blue winged Teals,Hooded Mergansers, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, American Coots, Solitary and Spotted sandpipers, and Belted Kingfishers - are also seen fromtime to time.
The tangles at the east end of the pit are attractive to Hooded Warblers in late April andearly May and, more rarely, Connecticut and Mourning Warblers a bit later. The grove of trees just east of the pit also deserves close scrutiny. Flocks of Pine Siskins and Purple Finches are frequently found in the treetops associating with American Goldfinches. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks - sometimes a dozen or more in a single tree-are quite common by the fifth of May. These are also good warbler trees and sometimes a northward - bound Evening Grosbeak puts in an appearance.
In March and April, look in yew plantings for Northern Saw-whet Owls. Great Horned Owls nest in tree cavities on the ridge, just west of the pit, and usually fledge their young by May 1. Scan the skies for migrating Broad-winged Hawks in late April and early May. Other raptors - most often Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, and Red-tailed hawks, and American Kestrels - also fly over, usually in small numbers. Hawk flights usually occur between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M.
Another good spot at Green Lawn is an old iron bridge spanning a shallow ravine. To get there : from the west end of the pit, drive or walk south to the first roadway to the right and proceed west for about 100 yards. Near the bridge in April, look for Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Winter Wrens, Hermit Thrushes, Hooded Warblers, Rufous-sided Towhees, and Fox Sparrows. Later in the season, along the gentle slopes of the ravine,there are apt to be Veeries, Gray cheeked, Swainson's, and Wood Thrushes, American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, Kentucky, and Canada Warblers. An old Cooper's Hawk nest can be seen in the large larch tree just beyond the Smith monument. The grove of maple and sweetgum trees up over the south slope frequently yields an abundance of thrushes, assorted warblers, Purple Finches, and Pine Siskins.
A long, low wooded ridge extends much of the length of the cemetery from near the bridge all the way to the north boundary of the cemetery. It can be easily reached from the pit by walking a short distance westward. Large oaks are interspersed among many other kinds of trees, all of which attract good numbers of migrants. The oaks have the added advantage of being late leafers, thus offering easy viewing until the middle of May.
The spring migration usually peaks in central Ohio between May 7 and l2, although there is some yearly variation. Additional large numbers of birds continue to migrate through the area as late as May 25, sometimes into June.
Rare birds at Green Lawn have included Mississippi Kite, Chuck-will's-widow, Bell's Vireo, Kirtland's and Swainson's warblers, Blue Grosbeak, and Harris' Sparrow.