May 6, 2008

Yesterday 5/5/08 as Jane and I were taking our morning walk around the property I heard two Acadian flycatchers seemingly calling to each other. (Who knows what they were really doing?) Anyway this was as we decended into our deepest ravine at the south boundary. This is a traditional nesting area for these charming birds, and it's nice that I got to see them arrive. I had been in those woods just about every day for the previous 12, and I am confident that these birds were our first Acadians of the year. None others so far in other traditional sections of our three ravines.

I just spent 12 wonderful days at home (before returning to work in southern California yesterday), and I witnessed the arrival of many of our favorite nesters, sometimes in increasing numbers to previous years, sometimes in lesser numbers. Yellow warblers are up, hooded warblers are down, etc., etc. I'm not making any final judgements until I'm back home again on the 20th.

61 species on the property while I was home.

Nothing of overly significant relevance to the overall Ohio birds picture has been revealed. No earliest members of a species, and nothing incredibly rare. Although our place is not a migrant trap, it continues to support several nesting species of warblers, plus scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and other delightful and not-so-delightful birds. It's all part of the wonderful and beautiful splendor of spring in Ohio. Who could ask for more?

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

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]