This afternoon I was gathering wood that the county engineer's department cut along the right of way of Flint Ridge Rd where is winds past our farm. They consulted with me this past week before they started cutting, so I was able to suggest sparing important large branches in our huge poplar and the picturesque old mulberry that frames our sunsets. There were some concessions. I have found that it is pointless to belabor the point with the men with chainsaws. Anything with the remotest chance of falling on the road is fair game. Anyway, at 5 PM as I finished the afternoon's labor, between the wind gusts I heard a strange Carolina wren answering a strange cardinal, followed by a strange assortment of squeaks and unintelligible whistles. Then I realized the calls were all paired. Brown thrasher! The bird was somewhere across the road to the west, probably in the treeline next to the lane back to the Wengerd's cabin in the woods. Migration is heating up, as are the temperature at last. It finally feels like the end of March. Bob Evans Geologist, etc. Valhalla Acres Fiber Farm 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]