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| male Blackburnian Warbler |
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Related Posts:
. S.I. Hills, March 2023:
. S.I. Hills, early May 2022:
. S.I. Hills, Spring 2021:
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On April 28, 2023 I made a trip to Sicily Island Hills (JC "Sonny" Gilbert Wildlife Management Area). I began the morning in the south part of the WMA, accessed via Williams (or Williamson) Road off LA-8 about 4-5 miles NE of Harrisonburg. There, I birded by driving the main road (up to Rock Falls trailhead), making stops, and walking the length of the primitive campground road, a very short piece of the next side road on the left, and approx. a third of a mile portion of Rock Falls Nature Trail and in the woods around there. After that I drove around to the entrance on the northeast side of the WMA, accessed from LA-915 by gravel roads that take you through part of the hills before reaching the WMA. Specifically, in the north side of the WMA, I took the road that goes past the WMA HQ and the big pond (unfortunately I did not have time to also do the main east-west road through the north side of the WMA). Birding was excellent in the south side, but quite poor on the north side.
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| Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) |
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A few habitat shots before continuing:
South side...
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| creek just inside south side entrance to WMA |
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| main road through southern part of WMA |
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| ditto |
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| ditto |
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| primitive campground road (road that turns left at the check-in kiosk) |
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| ditto |
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| walking 'no vehicles' part of primitive campground road |
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| next side road on the left after the check-in kiosk (area was partly logged a few years ago) |
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| main road |
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| habitat along main road |
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| ditto |
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| Rock Falls Nature Trail (a steep hike) |
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| Rock Creek just above the waterfall |
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| Rock Falls |
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| Rock Falls |
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| Rock Falls Trail |
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| Rock Creek upstream from Rock Falls |
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| ditto |
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| ditto |
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North side...
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| road that goes south to ponds - north side of WMA |
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| the big pond |
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| the big pond |
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| ditto |
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April 28 was a great morning for birding in Sicily Island Hills. Spring migration was in full swing, and lots of migrants were present, representing a nice variety of species. I heard or saw multiple Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Gray Catbirds, and got my FOS Baltimore Oriole. A group of Mississippi Kites were spotted moving up from the southwest then circling overhead.
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| male Scarlet Tanager |
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| male Baltimore Oriole |
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Transient migrant warblers were in abundance in some areas, especially the southerly portions of where I birded during the morning. Tennessee Warblers, which appear to be one of the most common migrant species passing through our area in the spring, were common in Sicily Island Hills this day; I tallied 17, almost all males, many of whom were singing.
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(video: Tennessee Warbler song)
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Other transient warbler species included Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, Nashville, and Black-throated Green Warblers, and Northern Waterthrush.
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(video: Northern Waterthrush preening - near check-in kiosk for south side of WMA)
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| male Blackburnian Warbler - primitive campground road (foraging and singing in video below) |
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The most unusual was the Nashville Warbler; I hadn't seen that species in Cenla in more than a decade.
Several migrant warbler species breed in the Sicily Island Hills, some are quite numerous. Louisiana Waterthrushes are common. Worm-eating Warbler populations are denser here than anywhere else that I bird. Hooded Warbler and Northern Parula are also abundant, and you can find Kentucky, Swainson's, and Prothonotary Warblers breeding here, in the right habitats.
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(video: Worm-eating Warbler singing - I don't usually use playback around breeding birds, but this W.-e. Warbler was singing immediately adjacent to the trail without ever popping into an open spot, so tempted, I decided to very briefly play audio of the species' song. The bird popped up onto an exposed perch, and I stopped the recording immediately and got the video and pics. I didn't want to harass the bird more than I already had.)
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| Worm-eating Warbler |
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Swainson's Warblers are not one of the more numerous ones here, but they are found in some places in the hills where the habitat is right. A couple of years ago there was one that I'd hear in the hollow between the primitive campground road and the next side road on the left in the southern part of the WMA. On this trip there was one singing there, as well as a second individual singing at spot about 0.2 miles north of there along the main road.
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(video: Swainson's Warbler song)
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(Kentucky Warbler song)
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A few winter species were still present. I heard Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Year-round residents and other breeders were busy with breeding season: lots of singing, pairs seen, some territorial spats, and even some fledgling young out and about following mom and dad.
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| fresh Wild Turkey track |
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So, birding was great for the most part, but butterfly-watching was somewhat disappointing this time around. Only a few species were seen. However, one species, Question Mark, was very numerous on the roads. All told, I tallied at least 109 Question Marks.
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| Question Mark |
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The butterfly highlight was seeing my first two Creole Pearly-eyes of the year. Both were on the north side--one along the road outside of the WMA, the other right by the WMA entrance. Southern, Northern, and Creole Pearly-eyes are all three found in Sicily Island Hills.
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| Creole Pearly-eye |
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As for other wildlife, it's worth noting that I saw a large Timber Rattlesnake crossing the short stretch of Williams Road between LA-8 and the WMA south entrance. A good reminder to watch you step out there (Timber Rattlers seem to be relatively common in Sicily Island Hills).
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| Timber Rattlesnake |
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Below is the bird list for this trip. Notice the disparity between south side (first number; lots of birds) and north side (relatively few birds detected, even considering the time of day and much shorter time spend there--bird activity was much better than that when I was leaving the south side a short time earlier). Following that are lists for some of the other wildlife detected.
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JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA (south side)
April 28, 2023
6:50am; 6 hr, 5 min; 3 miles
54-75F.; sunny; wind 1-5mph
60 species
JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA (north side)
April 28, 2023
1:20pm; 45 min; 0.9 miles
upper 70sF.; sunny; some light breeze
23 species
Birds:
Mourning Dove - 16, 0
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 6, 0
Chimney Swift - 5, 0
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3, 0
Turkey Vulture - 3, 6
Mississippi Kite - 10, 0
Red-headed Woodpecker - 2, 0
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5, 1
Downy Woodpecker - 3, 0
Hairy Woodpecker - 1, 0
Pileated Woodpecker - 4, 0
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 3, 0
Acadian Flycatcher - 8, 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - 9, 2
White-eyed Vireo - 12, 2
Yellow-throated Vireo - 1, 0
Red-eyed Vireo - 18, 1
Blue Jay - 2, 1
American Crow - 3, 2
Fish Crow - 1, 0
Carolina Chickadee - 11, 4
Tufted Titmouse - 15, 6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 4, 0
Purple Martin - 1, 0
Tree Swallow - 1, 0
Barn Swallow - 4, 0
Cliff Swallow - 2, 0
swallow sp. - 5, 0
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2, 0
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1, 0
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 6, 0
Carolina Wren - 18, 3
Gray Catbird - 2, 0
Wood Thrush - 10, 1
Cedar Waxwing - 4, 0
American Goldfinch - 4, 0
Yellow-breasted Chat - 4, 1
Baltimore Oriole - 1, 0
Red-winged Blackbird - 4, 1
Brown-headed Cowbird - 8, 1
Common Grackle - 0, 1
Worm-eating Warbler - 8, 0
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| singing Worm-eating Warbler - primitive campground road |
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Louisiana Waterthrush - 3, 0
Northern Waterthrush - 1, 0
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| Northern Waterthrush |
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Black-and-white Warbler - 1, 0
Prothonotary Warbler - 0, 1
Swainson's Warbler - 2, 0
Tennessee Warbler - 17, 0
Nashville Warbler - 1, 0
Kentucky Warbler - 3, 0 (edited on 5/20/23; omitted this sp. when originally published post)
Hooded Warbler - 14, 1
Northern Parula - 10, 0
Bay-breasted Warbler - 2, 0
Blackburnian Warbler - 2, 0
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| male Blackburnian Warbler - primitive campground road |
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Chestnut-sided Warbler - 3, 0
Pine Warbler - 5, 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 3, 0
Black-throated Green Warbler - 3, 0
warbler sp. - 17, 1
Summer Tanager - 9, 5
Scarlet Tanager - 3, 0
Northern Cardinal - 20, 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 2, 0
Blue Grosbeak - 0, 1
Indigo Bunting - 12, 1
passerine sp. - 9, 1
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Mammals (all areas):
Eastern Gray Squirrel; tracks of White-tailed Deer, Common Raccoon, and either Coyote or domestic dog
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Herps (all areas):
Cope's Gray Treefrog, Green Treefrog...
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| Green Treefrog - primitive campground |
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Blanchard's Cricket Frog, American Bullfrog, Green (Bronze) Frog; skink sp. (Common Five-lined or female Broad-headed?)...
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| skink - near Rock Falls Trail |
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North American Racer...
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| North American Racer |
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Timber Rattlesnake...
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| Timber Rattlesnake |
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Pond Slider
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Buttlerflies (all areas):
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Horace's Duskywing - 1
Pipevine Swallowtail - 1
dark swallowtail sp. - 2 (one was probably Black Swallowtail)
(Spring or Summer?) Azure - 6
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| Azure sp. (Summer Azure?), Rock Falls Trail |
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American Snout - 5
Pearl Crescent - 6
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| Pearl Crescent - primitive campground road |
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Question Mark - 109
Creole Pearly-eye - 2
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| Creole Pearly-eye |
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butterfly sp. - 13 (mostly stuff flying from road, likely including some additional Question Marks)
As always, if you spot any incorrect IDs or have suggestions for those that I'm unsure about, feel free to comment and let me know.
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