The past few days here at our farm have been very wet and muddy. Our part of Flint Ridge is literally gushing with springs and seeps. I would not begin to venture forth in anything but waterproof rubber boots. The birds are loving it, and there have been a few welcome arrivals. My first Louisiana waterthrush was singing in the deepest ravine Wednesday afternoon (4/20) while I was out doing some quiet observation along with pruning back the nasty multiflora rose from our trails. I had been awaiting this first warbler of spring for some time. Reliably we have one or two pairs of these elusive but charming local nesters. During our walk yesterday morning I spotted a pine warbler flitting about the tangles where the cardinals nest, in the northeast corner part of the property. During the walk this morning I heard the first of season ovenbird. It some to be among the ferns in the grove of large tulip poplars. Today I was out pruning the rose from around some raspberry patches, prepping them for berry harvest in early summer. This is sticky business, but an hour today makes the experience in late June less sticky. It is also a good way to take stock of the birds that nest in the forest edge that borders our pastures and successional field. While pruning today I heard the first common yellowthroats of the season, one on either side of the tributary ridge. Almost daily I have seen small groups (3 to 5) of kinglets. All have been ruby-crowned. There have been a few other warbler-sized birds high in the budding canopy whose identification has eluded me. On this morning's walk I saw a flycatcher on the horse pasture fence that turned out to be yet another phoebe. No kingbirds have arrived yet here. Both a brown thrasher and a mockingbird are occupying other parts of the edge habitat. We did not have an overwintering mocker this past winter. We did for several years. It's always entertaining to have one around, so I was happy to see it today. No sign of a catbird yet, but they will come. Friday I was involved in a long (almost four hour) conference call with some business associates in Pasadena. They had gathered at a friend's house, one of the associates, whose place I have visited and slept at many times. He has a resident mockingbird who sings incessantly, day and much of the night. (It's the city, and the lights are on, to discourage bad people and encourage mockingbirds.) I could hear him in the background for most of the meeting. It amuses me when I link the similarities in birdlife in rural Ohio and urban LA. The mockingbird is versatile in song and lifestyle. Reminds me of some people. Meanwhile, back at home: Field sparrows are plentiful. White-throated sparrows were singing in the rain today. I had a single white-crowned sparrow on the morning walk two days ago (4/22.) When water is at full flow as it is right now, the stream in the deepest ravine sweeps a lot of sediment off the limestone forming 'Valhalla Falls," a small cascade over the Upper Mercer Limestone at the eastern boundary of our 57 acres. This makes the crinoid fossils in the rock visible beneath the flowing current, a fascinating way to observe the nature and conditions of 300 million years ago. I can only do this during the spring rains, since when the flow decreases the fossil beds become covered with sediment. This activity also requires rubber boots, or tolerance of very cold water. Life is wet, muddy and good! Bob Evans Geologist, etc. Hopewell Township, Muskingum 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]