April 17, 2012

Migration continues apace here at Valhalla Acres, our farm on the Flint
Ridge upland in western Muskingum County. Several dozen yellow-rumped
warblers filled the trees of the forested ravines this morning, having
arrived overnight. I didn't see them here at all yesterday. It is
interesting to see this change. During this morning's walk I told Jane that
the trees were crawling with birds, so she told me she would go on without
me and I could linger.

After she left I poked my way around leisurely around six-acre successional
filed I call the Back Forty. I wanted to check on the "bluebird" boxes
there, to see how the bluebirds were doing in #6, to see who what species
was really nesting in #5, and to see if there was any action in or around
the other boxes I cleaned out of sparrow nests and dead swallows a few days
ago.

#7 had tree swallows very interested, with a male perched atop and calling
to a circling female, now that their dead kin was absent. This is a
promising sign. The bluebirds are defending their spot in #6. #5 held a
house sparrow nest, confirmed by the presence of the male on the sprigs
nearby and the two eggs I cleaned out with the nest. At least four tree
swallows are now cruising over this field, so there could be hope for the
trail yet this year.

As I was was out there I could hear and see multitudes of yellow-rumped
warblers in the trees around the edge, with lots of soft, warbly chatter on
the air. Then I heard something different, the quality of a blue-winged
warbler's song but with several short intermediate notes between the "fee"
and the "bzzzzz." I pished once and it popped up out of the brush. The bird
looked like a standard blue-winged warbler, the brilliant yellow shining
wonderfully in the morning sun. It sang again as I watched, and I don't
think it was any kind of a hybrid, just a bird with slightly unusual song.
I get blue-winged out there every year, so It's nice to mark the advancing
season with the arrival of this welcome nester.

I didn't hear yesterday's prominent blue-gray gnatcatchers this morning, so
perhaps they have moved through. I did have two brown creepers.

As I approached the house, ascending from the Spring Hollow, I was
serenaded my the season's first house wren.

I leave tomorrow morning for five days of business travel. Incidental with
that I will get in some pelagic observations off southern California. But I
look forward to seeing the changes when I return. I expect there will be
some.

Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County

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