Jane and I took an Earth Day full-circuit hike around out property this morning, ending in a light April rain. This is on our farm on Flint Ridge in western Muskingum County, comprising 57 acres of hilltop pasture and successional field, bordered by three forested ravines. It is not a migrant trap of any sort, but it is a destination for numerous annual nesters. In just the past three days there have been many arrivals. Some highlights: Warblers - Louisiana waterthrush - I usually hear these by the second week of April, but they seem a bit late this year, with the first heard Tuesday 4/19. Now at least two territories in two separate ravines. Ovenbird - first heard Wednesday, this morning at least one was withing hearing almost all the time. I would guess four territories. Yellow-rumped - a small flock passing through this morning. Redstart - first of season, singing high in the trees in the deepest, most easterly ravine, near "Valhalla Falls." Thrushes - of course bluebirds and robins have been around all winter, but wood thrushes first heard Wednesday evening, and now their voices fill the forest... always delightful. Scarlet tanager - I heard my season's first this morning, singing its raspy recitative in the treetops at the northeast corner, a usual nesting area. House wren - I heard my first of season this morning, although I noticed some broken sparrow eggs in the pasture yesterday, so they may have been here for a day or two. Migrant sparrows - Our field and chipping sparrows have been here for a while now. But both Tuesday and Wednesday a minor flock of both white-throated and white-crowned moved through, their voices announcing their passage. Bob Evans Geologist, etc. Hopewell Township, Muskingum County ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]