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Re: Prairie Warblers.
Toward the end of my BBS route (Rutledge route - ran last wednesday) I was getting nervous that I might miss Prairie Warblers altogether. I ended up with 5, down from 8, 9, 12, and 12 for the last 4 years. I did get more Blue grosbeaks than any other year, with 21 compared to 14, 17, 14, and 9. Yellow-breasted Chat were pretty much steady, averaging about 15. In the studies I have seen Blue Grosbeak tends to be the only of the early succesional suite of birds that is not declining significantly in the eastern US.
I am working on a Bachman's sparrow project on clearcuts in the piedmont, (Jones and Hancock counties). The results are very preliminary, but we are finding Prairie Warblers pretty consistently in stands from 0-3 years old (average about 2.2 prairies per point count), regardless of stand size (range from 50 acres to 200+). They drop off quickly as the stands reach 4 and 5 years old (.76 prairies per point count). At Piedmont NWR in open pine stands I am getting an average of just over 1 prairie per point count.
We have found Bachman's sparrow on 5 stands so far.
Tim Keyes
>>> Malcolm Hodges <malhodges@WEBTV.NET> 6/3/2006 8:36 PM >>>
I did the Rentz Breeding Bird Survey route this morning in southern
Laurens County, as I have done these many years. Things are looking a
bit barren and sad as so many of both natural pine woodlands and
hardwood forests have fallen in recent years to the chainsaw along those
24.5 miles. Good news to the Common Ground-Doves, though; I had them at
more stops today than ever before.
I am beginning to worry about Prairie Warblers. I had not a hint of
them this morning, and with all the early successional habitat
available, you'd think I might have heard at least a few. With all the
concern in recent years for Loggerhead Shrikes, they seem to be hanging
in along my route, still to be found at a couple of stops (never common
here, and never every place that looks suitable).
Admittedly, some of the habitat is very early successional, without the
young pines Prairies enjoy, and some of the stands where I found them
ten years ago have grown out of their range of preference. However,
this is not the only part of the Coastal Plain where I am noticing
declines of Prairie Warblers, and I'm even noting their complete absence
in excellent habitat on Nature Conservancy preserves.
Anyone have any observations or other data that might shed light on
this?
Thanks,
Mal Hodges
RIverdale, Clayton County, Georgia
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