Date: 6/6/26 4:41 pm From: Carole Winslow <cjwinslow94...> Subject: Warren Co- mourning and cerulean warblers, hooded mergansers, whips, no Swainson's...
Some notes from the Warren Co area over the past couple of weeks, with some good sightings for me and also a sad absence.
A mourning warbler has returned to the power cut area below camp this year, on Economite Rd near Tidioute. Also on areas on Red House Rd not far away, they have logged off a lot of the old red pine stands and in that cut area it's grown just since last year into a nice bramble patch, and two mourning warblers have been singing there for the past couple of weeks.
I found cerulean warblers on SGL 29 off 337 on the game lands road off of Radio Tower Rd singing last week , and also one singing on Kelly Hill Rd outside of Tidioute, in an area that had some thinning done along the road. I got recordings of both these birds, which were singing a slightly off kilter song, but I visualized them both for ID. Also at a large pond back the game lands road on 29, two female hooded mergansers, in what looked like prime habitat. Without my scope I couldn't see the far shore as well, but it seemed quite likely there were young around back in there.
Whip-poor-wills were back and singing at the old clear cut area on 337 heading from camp towards Hearts Content, the same area I have reported them in the past. There were a nice number of veeries also singing and calling, and two whip-poor-wills calling back and forth, one beside the road which flew right in front of Don. It was so good to hear them back.
On Wednesday I hiked on my usual Tanbark trail walk from Dunham Siding up to the Hearts Content Recreation Area to survey for Swainson's thrush. I didn't get to do the Old Growth Loop. On that trail I've had up to 8 birds over the past 10 years, but in 2024 I only found 4, last year I only had 3, and sadly this year I heard not a single bird. I am hoping to return and find at least a couple but I was quite saddened to not hear anything this trip. The only habitat change I can notice is that many of the hemlocks in this section do not look well and have thinning needles, with more light getting through. I could not visualize any adelgids on them but maybe last winter knocked them back. However the trees seem to not be doing well and I wonder if this is too much change for the Swainson's. It really was almost shocking to walk the trail and not hear that gorgeous ethereal song, and I hope that they are not gone for good here.
Good luck to all atlasers for a productive third year,
