I headed south again today to Vinton County.

Henslow's Sparrows are back in full force on Rt. 93 at the top of the hill N of Rt. 56. Grasshopper Sparrows arrive later and weren't yet present.

Since it was heavily overcast early this morning I headed directly to Vinton Furnace to start the day. The warbler tally in state forest land from the loop starting on Sam Russell Road as well as the short section of Stone Quarry Road in the north is :

Ovenbird - 2
Louisiana - 6
Black-and-white - 23
Common Yellowthroat - 1
Yellow-throated - 12
Prairie - 8
Pine - 2

Only one migrant Yellow-rumped was seen. While Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were abundant and widespread, migrating kinglets of both species which were so common a few days ago weren't noted at all anywhere at Vinton Furnace or later in Zaleski.

It was the vireo tally for the day that gave the best summary of the condition of the forest there right now :

White-eyed - 13
Red-eyed - 0
Blue-headed - 0
Yellow-throated - 0

Most years in most forests find White-eyed, Yellow-throated, and the very first of the Red-eyeds arriving at the same time. The fact that lowland shrubby understory vegetation is developing on a timely schedule and large trees are barely budding if at all make this year very different.

I took a mid-day drive down some roads in the eastern part of Zaleski afterwards. Again White-eyeds were the only vireos noted. Unlike Shawnee, Zaleski doesn't seem to have a dependable population of Blue-headed Vireos that arrive in late March. I've found them in the Waterloo forest in early April on occasion in years past, a logical place for them, but not this year. At that time of day Yellow-throated Warblers were the most vocal warbler in Zaleski and were much more numerous and widespread than a few days ago. Addition warbler species noted at Zaleski only include one each of N Parula (along E Raccoon Creek), and a Black-thr. Green (along Crow Road).

Bob Royse

PS - After typing this I again feel that I must again vent my hatred of the name "Yellow-throated Warbler". Can't we all just call them Sycamore Warblers? It's just too much yellow-throated B.S. with the warblers and vireos and the common yellowthroats. It's just too much! Can't we all start a grass roots movement to rebel against the tyranny imposed upon us by the AOU?



Robert Royse
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www.roysephotos.com

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