Robert Royse <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
    I headed to the Zaleski State Forest today (Apr. 3).

  >>>2 Hermit Thrushes - SINGING birds were apparently on territory along Baptist Church Rd. and in the Waterloo SF.

  This species continues to increase. The first breeding bird atlas effort
  produced an estimate of 15 pairs for Hocking County. By 1993, there
  were 13 territories in but one ravine (Little Rocky Hollow). In 1999, a
  county wide census (exclusive of LRH) tallied 25 pairs, suggesting
  35+ in the Hocking Hills. The work of Frank Renfrow, Larry Gara, and
  Joni Mitchell is summarized in Ohio Birds & Natural History 1(1).
  It stands to reason that the species is now exploring habitat in
  neighboring Vinton County.

>>>19 Yellow-throated/Sycamore Warblers - This species was still completely absent from the river bottoms. A morning drive along the E Raccoon creek failed to turn up even a single bird in the sycamores. They were absent along all the other creeks too. They were present exclusively in the pines. 2 were present in Lake Hope SP along Rt. 278, but they were in pines. All the others were on the ridges.

  Perhaps I should mention that the 15 birds in Lawrence and single bird in
  Gallia County last Friday were all singing from tall pine stands. Contrast this
  with Jim McCormac's report of birds in Shawnee over the weekend
  found along riparian corridors. Questions come to mind such as whether this
  is a landscape effect (greater availability of upland pine habitat in the eastern
  counties). Or is there a delay in taking territories along the acidic drainages
  of Lawrence, Gallia, Vinton ... perhaps owing to a different macro-invertebrate
  benthic fauna ... one either depauperate in species or selected for a narrow
  spectrum of late emerging species ...  This may also have implications for
  Louisiana Waterthrush and similar species ... ultimately perhaps having
  something to say with regard to predicting where we may find Swainson's
Warblers breeding in OH ... for there have been summering birds in Lawrence
  County, as well as a lone bird in Cooper Hollow in 1987.

  There's a Master's thesis in there somewhere for an enterprising student.

>>>25 + Pine Warblers - Zaleski has what I belive to be Ohio's densest concentration of this species in its extensive pine tracts, and that is especially noticeable at this time of year. All the roads in the SE part of the forest invariably host several singing males.

  I agree with Bob. The driving loop (about 2 miles) at Waterloo (in Athens County
  off Rt 356) routinely held 11 territories from 1991-1994. Atlas workers in the area are encouraged to visit Tedroe Run in the south of Zaleski. The pine forest there
  held a summering Canada Warbler in 2000.


  Follow-up on insect sightings from last week. See ...

  http://www.avesnet.org/07-insects/

  Here are photos of the
  Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Ischnura. Roughly 2 dozen of this
  butterfly were in evidence throughout Scioto and Adams County 29 March.
  As to the Ischnura, which appears most likely to be a Fragile Forktail,
  there are no records (according to the Ohio Odonata survey website)
  of the genus in Ohio before 11 April.

  cheers

  Vic Fazio
  Shaker Hts, OH


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