What a perfect day for atlasing!  The air was dead still early, and not too
hot.  I was out at dawn, and got in just before noon.  I had 49 species in
priority block 59C5NW, and a couple good additions in the next block south.
Nothing really spectacular - like those blue grosbeaks - but some nice
"confirmed" species:



Cedar waxwings collecting down from last year's cattails and carrying it to
a probable nesting site - apparently both male and female build nest!

Yellow-throated vireo parents scurrying to feed young in a nest - nestlings
were heard but not seen - too high in the tree

Fledged brown thrashers - who should be about on their own, but still
begging and being fed by parent

Chipping sparrow nestlings in a low blue spruce, easily seen from the path
without disturbing parents too much - fun stuff!



The yellow-breasted chats are finally making an appearance.  My old habitat
stand-by - woods edge along a power line right-of-way - seems to be working.
I located two males on territory today in two different blocks in that type
of habitat.  These guys are pretty scarce in my blocks.  I just spotted my
FIRST chat last week, and it took a lot of work to verify that it was not a
thrasher or catbird imitating this quirky call.



I'm not sure it's scientific, but it seems to me that warblers, in order of
density, for my blocks would be:



Yellow warblers - almost everywhere - even downtown Newark (along the river
and bike trails, and in parks)

Common yellowthroats - ditto

Hooded warbler would come in third, seen and heard in all suitable habitat,
these appear plentiful in my blocks

Then the numbers drop off drastically.  One has to work hard to find:

      Cerulean warblers (single singing males in 3 different blocks)

      Ovenbirds - hit and miss, I think I have recorded at least one in 4
different blocks

      Yellow-breasted chats - total of 3 as of today

      Louisiana waterthrush - only 1 since "safe date", but three or four in
May before the safe date.



I haven't seen or heard blue-winged warbler, American redstart or Kentucky
warbler, all of which were reported in one of my priority blocks in the
1982-1987 Atlas.  I did have a northern parula earlier this week, along the
Licking River at the eastern edge of my Newark 5 block (59D6CE).  This isn't
too surprising, as they nest along that same river at Black Hand Gorge,
which is just a few miles downstream and very similar in habitat.  I didn't
get a good look, and have no idea if there was a pair or not, but I heard
the male singing his territorial call very well and very insistently.  Also
nesting at Black Hand Gorge in the past I've found a black and white
warbler, a prairie warbler (Marie Hickey Trail), and blue-winged.  I'm a
little surprised that I have not found any blue-winged or prairie warblers
in any of my blocks, because I've had some pretty good habitat.  I did find
a prairie in 59C6NE before the safe date, but I haven't heard or seen it
since.



I'm still getting some nice looks at red-headed woodpeckers.  I've had them
in every one of my seven blocks except the one that includes downtown
Newark.   Most of my blocks have multiple nesting sites for RHWO.  Likewise,
the pileated woodpecker - in all but one block.  I've noticed that the hairy
woodpeckers are out in force this week.  Never very common, I've seen two
pairs this past week, in places I have birded heavily without seeing them in
the past months.  I feel that their young have fledged and they are out
hustling up food and using their strong PEEK call to keep in touch, but I
haven't been able to spot the young.  (I nearly always saw at least one at
Black Hand Gorge.)



I always enjoy reading about other block observations.  Keep up the reports!



Margaret Bowman

Licking Co., OH






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