Summer in the Ozarks

Starting in mid-May, the Ozark Mountains of north Arkansas are alive with life; fawns snuggled against mom in a dew-laden field, snakes stretching to life to sun on rocks, and birds arriving to begin their yearly rituals. On an unnaturally cool morning, 35 degrees to be exact, life takes a little longer to get going. The first warm rays of sun hit the ridge tops at about 7:30, spreading the intoxicating aroma of wild azaleas and getting the birds revved up. Slowly, every ridge began to sing in the warmth of the day.

 Wild Azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum)

By mid-May, many of these birds are still searching for a mate, but even more have already begun nesting. The dynamic of these old woods is impressive. From deep in the valley a Louisiana Waterthrush can be heard; denizen of the pristine Ozark streams. As the wind blows, the fleeting buzzes of a Black-throated Green Warbler travels up from that same, foggy valley. This tiny bird deserves a place next to the British crown jewels.

Black-throated Green Warbler

From some high-up hollow, a Worm-eating Warbler, all tans and yellows, sings in competition with the fluting of a Wood Thrush. The Worm-eating Warbler doesn't always JUST eat worms, but they sure can get a bill full of caterpillars when they are feeding young! It was one of my targets for this particular upland Ozark trip and, in turn, a reason why I got up at 5:30am to head for this wonderland. When I heard the first one nearby, I snapped out of my dream state and went after it with the camera. I waited, perched on a log on a steep slope, as it worked its way towards me. It kept checking the leaves for insects, always with one eye on me, and never got too close. I managed a couple shots when it sat still for a few seconds and then left it be.

Worm-eating Warbler

The woods were surprisingly open here, but with a dense carpet…luckily most of it wasn't poison ivy this early in the season. As I picked my way back down to the trail I was stopped by a loud PEETsa!. I had walked right into one of several Acadian Flycatcher territories in the area. Almost as soon as I heard it, I saw the nest at eye level above a small creek. As per Acadians, it was equipped with oak tassels hanging from the bottom. After quietly taking pictures, the male escorted me from the premises.

Acadian Flycatcher on nest, complete with decor.

Another Acadian watching my every move.

The summer Ozark specialties continued as the morning progressed; Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, more Wood Thrushes, a surprise Blackpoll Warbler lagging behind its other migrant buddies, and the oh-so-loud Kentucky Warbler with an Ovenbird, its big warbler cousin. At this point, I met back up with another birder. We split early in the morning, with two different photography agendas. We carried on to the top of one of the nearby ridges, picking our way up a steep trail. Finally, towards the top we heard the Holy Grail of the day…Cerulean Warblers. Their short, high-pitched buzzing came from the treetops, as usual. Normally a birder is disadvantaged looking for this bird due to its desire for height, but today we had the advantage. At the top of this ridge, you can be even with the treetops below. Up top, listening and looking for these tiny blue beauties, we were taken back in time to the days of logging up here in the early 1900s. To fully scour the area we had to pass through a landmark dubbed as the Rock House: a bluff overhang walled in with local limestone, equipped with its own spring-fed cistern, used as shelter by loggers.

The Rock House is sturdy and has withstood the test of time, so far.

The first Cerulean found us and landed on a low limb just above the old stone structure. Score! The first one I've ever been able to REALLY get in my camera's viewfinder. After taking photos of it, I stepped back to enjoy it through my binoculars. The view couldn't have been better. Cerulean Warbler in the foreground, its back turned as if looking at the dramatic ridge-scape in the background like we were. The day was complete!

Adult male Cerulean Warbler, singing his heart out for us.

Not only can Cerulean Warblers be hard to find, they are simply hard to come by. The tiny, short-tailed warbler once dominated this high, woodland habitat. It was hit hard by logging in the 19th and 20th century and the problems continue. In Arkansas today, there are very few places where the species can be found breeding reliably. They are specialists in old-growth forests, which are even harder to come by than the bird itself. Cerulean Warblers are strictly an eastern species and are fairly widespread during migration, becoming harder to find once breeding season starts. It was truly a blessing and a pleasure to see and hear several this day, along with all their neighbors.

Red-eyed Vireo. Another tree-top lover that can be hard to lay eyes on.