Four Louisiana Waterthrush were singing through raindrops this morning from annually-used territories along the hanging ravines of Paint Creek Gorge along Alum Cliffs Road just a few miles SW of Chillicothe. No sign of yellow-throated warblers yet. This is my reliable area for early arrivals. Many years I've found my first "sycamore warbler" in or near the large sycamore shading the bridge at the junction of Paint Creek and the North Fork of Paint Creek. Strokes of spring have painted flower-spangled green through this fascinating riparian corridor in just the last few days. Some roadside bloomers seen from the car window; bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, cutleaf toothwort, golden ragwort, Virginia bluebells, isopyrum, rue anemone, spring beauty, limestone bittercress, Greek valerian (just now showing color), purple deadnettle, hairy bittercress. The Ohio buckeye is opening large leaves over scouring rush in streambank sand, and white blooming serviceberry highlights the sandstone rim of the gorge high above. The extraordinary geology of this place (extreme stream piracy) is best seen before the trees leaf-out. During a heavy rain, the hanging ravines pour low waterfalls over shale into Paint Creek. Over 650 species of plants are found in the immediate drainage of this spectacular gorge. GEOLOGY IS WOMB TO BIODIVERSITY! Find this beautiful quiet rural valley along Paint Creek by turning south onto Plyle's Lane from Route 50 at the Bob Evens restaurant near the west side of Chillicothe. Follow Plyle's Lane staying right and crossing North Fork Creek then turn left onto Alum Cliffs Road and follow it to the cul-de-sac where the road ends at the steep shale walls of Paint Creek Gorge. Tom Bain The Glaciated Allegheny Plateau Ross County ______________________________________________________________________ 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]