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Puzzled by Waterthrush



 THis morning I again went out to Johnston Mill Preserve on New Hope Creek
in hopes of finding my first spring warblers of 2002. After a discouraging
hike I finally chanced upon a Louisiana Waterthrush which I followed for a
good 15 minutes as it foraged and periodically crept up the trunks of
trees. It did not once, however, sing. Twice it crept up to a height of 20
or so feet on a tree which is the heirht from which I have often seen them
sing, and it seemed t be deliberating, but it did not sing out. If I had
not heard its chip call and then seen it foraging I would never have found
it. My puzzlement is about territoriality and spring arrivals. I had
assumed that neotropical migrants begin sinign and establishing
territories as soon as they hit their breeding grounds since to delay
doing so would be to risk losing out prime territory to a rival. However,
in three days of walking at Johnston Mill Preserve now I have heard the
chip notes of the waterthrush but not yet heard any songs.Why this
reluctance to sing?
 On a related note I also finally heard my first Yellow THroated Warbler
of the year; again at Johnston Mill and it too was singing very
desultorily. Did I just happen to hit the woods on a sluggish morning or
do neotropical migrants not begin establishing territories promptly upon
arrival? Any thoughts and speculations are welcome as spring birding fever
overpowers me.

Oh, by the way I also heard (did not see) my first Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
of the year and more Hairy WOodpeckers than you could shake a stick
at. Unfortunately, however, the pair of Kingfishers was nowhere t be seen
o heard, and so they may not in fact be nesting on the creek. Too bad.

Shantanu Phukan

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SHANTANU PHUKAN
Lecturer in Urdu-Hindi & Indian Literature
University of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill
Curriculum in Asian Studies
Alumni Hall 413C
Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599

phukan@email.unc.edu
919-962-6825
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