SGL 57. Interesting site with points that were unburned (full of Veery, Black-throated Blue Warbler), very recently burned (with Veery!), and cut and burned (with American Robin - yes, they can live without yards). The bird highlight was two points with Cerulean Warbler in the burned sections. Mammal highlight was a porcupine.
Tuesday 6/16/2020 - off
Wednesday 6/17/2020 and Thursday 6/18/2020 - SGL 38
SGL38 is located in the Poconos and, apparently has many rattlesnakes. In fact, if you go back in this blog you'll find pictures of one I came across. Also the site that had a bear I estimate was over 600 pounds. The two days I was out had no bears and no rattlesnakes. Sites were burned in 2012 - 2014 but I suspect that this placed burned many times before that. It was covered in bear oak and pitch pine with all the hallmarks of having been burned (e.g., epicormic needs coming directly out of the bark). The density of towhees, Prairie Warblers, and Chestnut-sided Warblers is through the roof. No Golden-winged Warblers.
One dimension I need to add to the research picture is the effect of cutting on bird communities. Thinning as a large effect on understory plant density and cut + burn makes for some interesting habitat. If they were to repeatedly burn, I think some grasses would move in and then they'd get Golden-winged. Just a guess. I remember my one and only GWWA on a territory and it was on a powerline in NJ (seen during my one and only World Series of Birding in 1990). Powerlines in the NE US have scattered shrubs, grasses and forest edges.
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| Allegheny Mound Ant mount and ant (below) |
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| Epicormic needles in pitch pine |
Friday - Sunday - off
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