Cruiser Park

Tips for birding Cruiser Park
Sometimes the least impressive places have a way of continually surprising me. One such area is the low-lying area along Blacklick Creek just north of Groveport. This is an area peripheral to 3-Creeks Park, east of the main part of the park. It’s just east of where Bixby Road crosses Hamilton Road. It includes a portion of the Blacklick Bikepath (managed by the Metroparks) and Cruiser Park (a Groveport park). It would be easily overlooked, except that it continues to produce interesting and unusual birds.

Cruiser Park is a series of playfields unremarkable except for a gorgeous 5-acre wetland in the middle of it. This wetland is the remnant of an old pothole, and it’s filled with old dead snags and young willow heads. Because of all the cover, the pond host lots of waterfowl, even though it sits in the middle of a well-used park. Look for Mallards, Black Ducks, Teal, Wood Ducks, Gadwall, and Bufflehead as long as the water stays unfrozen. A large number of dead snags also make for an unusual habitat. Raptors have often taken to roosting here, and Tree Swallows and a rare pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers have been observed nesting in snag cavities in Summer. The swampy edge also has lots of Song, White-throated, and Swamp Sparrows.
From Columbus Audubon

Restrooms on site, portable toilets.