I headed to Shawnee yesterday and again this morning for a short while before it became too windy to be worthwhile. I can sum it up by saying that the vegetation is far more advanced for the date than I've ever seen it before, probably by over a week, especially on the ridges. The bird arrivals are on the late side for the date and seem even more so because of the advanced foliage.

As expected, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Louisiana Waterthrushes, Yellow-throated Warblers, and Pine Warblers seem all back and are paired up. (My backyard Y-t Warblers in Columbus are back too.) Black&White Warblers seem to be mostly back also, but as far as I could tell they're still mostly just the singing terrirorial males. I didn't see any female B&W's. 

Blue-headed Vireos, NParulas, B-t Green Warblers, and Prairie Warblers, which all have a much more limited nesting distribution at Shawnee seem to be all back also from what I can tell, at least males are. It's hard to know for sure the status of the B-t Greens, but the complete absence of Yellow-rumpeds both days didn't suggest any migration movement coming through. It was nice to see B-t Greens back at their reliable location in the '90's. They seemed to abandon it after the ice strorm damage, but the area looks to have recovered enough for them. On the other hand, some of the areas that Prairies moved into after the ice storm now seems to have become too overgrown for them. Last years fire did open up new habitat for them in the southern part of the forest.

Broad-winged Hawks are also conspicuous.

Species that I would say are just starting to arrive and are around 20% back would include Yellow-troated and White-eyed Vireos, Ovenbirds, American Redstarts, and Blue-winged Warblers. They're all widely distributed but still all scarce.

Only 2 or 3 each of Red-eyed Vireos and Hooded Warblers were also noted.

Making their first arrival today and not seen yesterday was one each of Wood Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Scarlet Tanager.

Species not yet noted, but that I would have expected for this date include Cerulean and Worm-eating Warblers. I recall many instaces in past years of those two species singing and feeding in barely budding trees. When they arrive this year they will find a green lush forest. There of course is yet no sign of the birds normally expected in the last week of April such as KY Warbler, Y-b Chat, Indigo Bunting, Acadian Flycatcher, or E Wood-Pewee, but the vegetaion is certainly advanced enough for them all.

Bob Royse


Robert Royse
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www.roysephotos.com


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