Saturday, April 26, 2008

I arrived home Wednesday night, having been in southern California on business since April 7. What a change!

Suffering the jetlag, time change, and general ennui that normally accompany my return home from a long business trip, I haven't been out at dawn on any of the succeeding mornings. Nonetheless I have observed some serious changes from earlier in the month.

Bluebirds appear to have actually taken up residence in Box #4. I think they successfully nested there last year, although my sporadic presence at home has prevented me from observations that confirm such success.

Box #1 was seriously infested with house sparrows, cleaned out Thursday afternoon (5 eggs), male and female both trapped and dispatched (saved for raptor rehab.) On Friday morning a tree swallow male was clinging to the opening, peering inside. Mission accomplished?

Boxes #2, 3, & 7 have tree swallows. Box #6 swung wildly around at a weird attitude, pole bent as if by an errant running deer collision. I reset it.

Box #5 not fully assessed, although I suspect house sparrows (in nearby trees).

Warblers: during Thursday's walk through the deepest ravine I once heard a Louisiana waterthrush, not calling as often as in early April, possibly paired up by now (?).

Yellow and blue-winged warblers are present in several places around the field edges and in the successional field. Looks like we could possibly have a better season for both than last year. (In 2007 we had one territory for each.)

During this morning's walk, as we crested the rise between the ravines, along the north boundary, I heard a "chick-brrr" and remarked about it to Jane. A few moments later I spotted my first-of-season scarlet tanager, and I was actually able to share it with Jane, who is not really much of a birder. (A special moment for me when she remarked, "I don't think I have ever seen one." I think I have shown them to her before, but this one was bright in the morning sun, and perched less than forty feet away.)

Thursday afternoon I was pruning multiflora rose away from the wild raspberry canes, preparing for June. A blue-gray gnatcatcher scolded my efforts from the edge below Box #4. Perhaps a nest nearby?

Other arrivals since early April include brown thrasher, wood thrush, house wren.

The splendid weather has allowed us to dine al fresco on the front porch the past three evenings. At dusk we have observed a parade of great blue herons (granted a short parade of three or four birds) powerfully stroking along toward the northeast. This always makes me smile, since we have nothing in the way of wetlands or fish/frog bearing streams. Still, they pass quite low over the Flint Ridge upland on their way to other places, and we frequently get great looks. There must be a heronry somewhere along the shores of Dillon Reservoir or the Licking River upstream. Jane's horsemanship teacher reports that they used to see nests "along the river" which I take to mean above where the impoundment widens. Anybody know about this colony?

I resolve to get out early tomorrow to see the full cast of characters!

Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County
DeLorme 70 A1 (classic editions)

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