May 5, 2007

The Barred Owls were talking it up last night. Quite far away though. This morning I heard my first Wood Thrush of the year. It was doing the dripdripdripdrip call in the back yard. I had my first walk of the year in Stebbin’s Gulch today. It started later in the hope of finding more dragonflies and perhaps attracting more people. The dragonfly strategy worked but not the people one. Only 4 people were signed up for the walk.

I was warned the gulch was slippery. Boy was it ever. I have been doing walks in the gulch since 1973 and cannot recall it ever being that slick. The usual rule is it is slippery in the areas that look dry and good footing can be found where it is wet. This is because the running water keeps the plants from getting slimy as they do when they start to dry. Today was a paradigm shift. The dry offered better footing. Still I slipped and fell inadvertently while stalking a dragon with a net. Going up the Berea sandstone falls I lost my footing and it was like a waterslide. Fun actually. But I had to get a group up the falls. We ended up using gravel and dirt. Putting little bits of it down where we were going to step. What an adventure.

Many changes in the gulch since last year. It is one of the few places where you can see the forces of erosion working from year to year. This winter and spring has made a lot of changes. Fewer trees to scramble over. They have been washed out. Rocks moved. It is very interesting to think how much this place has changed in my lifetime..

The birds were pretty good. Winter Wren singing in several places. We also had a good look in one location. The Winter Wren has the prettiest song of any of its tribe. A drawn out musical trill. We also had Blackburnian, Canada, Hooded, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Nashville Warblers. Great looks at Louisiana Waterthrush, Blue-Headed Vireo, Dark-eyed Junco, and a Phoebe! Yippie! of course the Gulch is lower so the Phoebes may be OK at that elevation.

Nice wildflowers including Red Trillium, and Broad-Leaved toothwort(?)

The only two dragons were Common Green Darner , and Gray Petaltail. I failed miserably at catching either. Larry would laugh. I am out of practice.

As I write Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Goldfinches on the feeder. A male Black and White Warbler works the maple outside my window. A beautiful afternoon.