Sicily Island Hills (Catahoula Parish) - 3/26/2020 & 4/16/2020

Worm-eating Warbler - 4/16

Related Posts:
- Sicily Island Hills Feb. & early March, 2020 (with links back to previous visits):
https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2020/05/sicily-island-hills-south-side.html
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   Before I start, I just want to say that though I wasn't following the strict definition of "stay-at-home" by going out to the woods, I follow the spirit of it in daily life: avoiding contact with people outside of immediate family, limiting time spent in public places when I do have to go to them and only going to them when necessary, and other commonsense practices to avoid being part of the problem. I strongly support the practice of staying away from crowded places, or other communal areas if at all possible. Practice social distancing. Please keep others' well being in mind if you decide to go out and about. By posting about my visit to this location not too far from home for me I am NOT encourage people to visit locations outside of their own home region while the pandemic remains an issue.
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   I made a couple of trips to JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA in the Sicily Island Hills in northern Catahoula Parish on March 26th and April 16th. On both trips I went to the southern part of the WMA, accessed by turning off LA-8 onto Williamson Rd about 5 miles northeast of Harrisonburg. On both occasions I birded driving, with numerous stops, the length of the main road that runs through the southern part of the WMA and walked approx. 0.5 miles on the primitive campground road (the road that turns left at the sign-in kiosk) and probably close to a mile on the next side road on the left after the sign-in kiosk. On April 16 I also walked the entirety of the Rock Falls Trail and drove the drive-able section of the side road east of Rock Falls.

Northern Parula - 4/16

   Here are some habitat shots before we continue:

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primitive campground road

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next side road on left after sign-in kiosk

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back on the main road

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edge of Big Creek bottoms beside NW end of main road

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April 16th habitat shots -- primitive campground road

primitive campground road

next side road on left after check-in kiosk

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back on the main road

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Rock Falls Trail

Rock Creek where two branches of the stream come together, each with a little waterfall into the pool.

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a tributary joins Rock Creek

Rock Falls

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side road east of Rock Falls Trail

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   Spring was in full swing. On March 26 many more spring and summer bird species had arrived since my previous visit, on March 11th, including my FOS Prothonotary Warbler and Kentucky Warbler, the Kentucky being an early arrival.

male Kentucky Warbler - 3/26 - heard singing in video below

The Worm-eating, Black-and-white, and Hooded Warblers had arrived here since my last visit, as had Yellow-throated Vireo and Broad-winged Hawk. There was only one Northern Parula singing on March 11, but 17 on this day.
 (video: Worm-eating Warbler singing and foraging, Northern Parula and Yellow-throated Vireo singing in the background.)

 (video: songs of Tufted Titmouse, Yellow-throated Vireo, Worm-eating Warbler, Carolina Wren, Northern Parula, and Pine Warbler)

   Some winter birds still present, such as Blue-headed Vireo and Ruby-crowned King, were singing.
 
   Butterflies and dragonflies were out in good numbers. Among the butterflies were my first Eastern Tailed-Blues of the year, and a Variegated Fritillary, which was the first of that species that I've recorded in Sicily Island Hills.

Eastern Tailed-Blue - next side road after check-in kiosk

Eastern Tailed-Blue nectaring on Oxalis sp.

   April 16 was a nice day to be in the Sicily Island Hills, despite being somewhat more windy than it should be for birding. Bird activity was pretty strong, and a number of additional species had arrived since the previous visit. These include Mississippi Kite (FOS), Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Summer Tanager, and Indigo Bunting. Transient migrants this day included Tennessee Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler.
 (heard in video: Summer Tanager, Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler - primitive campground road)

   Numbers of Ruby-crowned Kinglets were down noticeably.
   Starting at dusk, I tried for Eastern Whip-poor-will and Chuck-will's-widow for about a half hour, making numerous tops and using playback of their calls (mostly the Whips), but heard neither species.
   Butterfly numbers were okay, with several expected species represented.

American Lady

Azures (whether the Spring or Summer species is unclear) were present in a couple of areas. These were my first Azures of the year.

Azure at mud on next side road after check-in kiosk

Azure - Rock Creek

   As for wildflowers...
   Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica), which are common here, were in full bloom, their candy-colored flowers decorating the green and brown forest with splashes of red and yellow.

Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)

Indian Pink

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Milkvine (Matelea sp.) was blooming in a number of locations. I found one cluster of Coralbean (Erythrina herbacea) in bloom; these plants are common in Sicily Island Hills, and more should be spotted later in the spring. The patch of Green Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias viridis) near the NW end of the main road was in bloom.

Green Antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis)

   At the top of Rock Falls, I found a flower I wasn't familiar with, but vaguely recognized the blooms from having seen pictures of them before. After consulting southeasternflora.org and wildflower.org, I believe it is Euonymus americanus -- the Strawberry Bush or Hearts-a-burstin'. Ohhh, I didn't recognize it without its namesake red seed pods. A neat-looking plant for sure.

Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus)

   Taking my time on Rock Falls Trail was nice. When I stopped at the trail head, after birding the rest of the main road, there was another vehicle parked there. I avoided the waterfall area until coming back out, so as to practice social distancing, and instead hit the trail starting where the shortcut comes out on the main road. As much as one can experience of Sicily Island Hills from the roads, getting down in the woods allows for a more immersive experience. The diversity of plantlife in these woods in amazing. There's more animal life to encounter -- insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds. Really just getting up close with the landscape itself and paying attention to the details around you can be a fulfilling experience. There are too few places around where one can freely go into the woods, and fewer where those woods represent a largely-intact, native ecosystem. You've got to love a place like this.

Rock Creek upstream from the waterfall

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Azure at Rock Creek

small waterfalls where two branches of the creek empty into a pool

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The trail passes through some thicker areas, is blocked by deadfall in places, and goes up, down, and along some very steep hillsides. 

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Some of the plants found along the trail have plaques identifying them. There are some large trees in these woods. 

Indian Pink

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first step of Rock Falls

Rock Falls

   Below are lists for birds, mammals, Herps, butterflies, Odonata, and wildflowers, and a few other things, found on these two trips to The Hills.

JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA (Sicily Island Hills)

March 26, 2020
8:50 a.m.; 5hrs, 23 mins; 5.7 miles
69-88F.; sky variable at start, sunny/clear most of the time; light wind.

April 16, 2020
8:45 a.m.; 11 hrs, 13 mins (not including 33 minute nocturnal search for nightjars - none found); 7.4 miles
51 - about 77 F.; clear skies; light wind much of the day, calm at end.

Birds

Mourning Dove - 0, 7
Chimney Swift - 2, 22
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 0, 9
Anhinga - 0, 1 (flyover, soaring over NW end of main road - not too far from Ouachita River)
Black Vulture - 0, 6
Turkey Vulture - 3, 5
Mississippi Kite - 0, 1

Mississippi Kite

Red-shouldered Hawk - 1, 1
Broad-winged Hawk - 2, 1

Broad-winged Hawk - 3/26

Buteo sp. - 0, 1
Barred Owl - 0, 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 12, 6
Downy Woodpecker - 2, 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 4, 5
Northern Flicker - 1, 0
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 0, 1
Acadian Flycatcher - 0, 3
Great Crested Flycatcher - 0, 5
White-eyed Vireo - 17, 15
 (video: White-eyed Vireo singing, 4/16)

Yellow-throated Vireo - 9, 3
Blue-headed Vireo - 2, 0
Red-eyed Vireo - 0, 22
Blue Jay - 7, 1
American Crow - 6, 10
Carolina Chickadee - 13, 10
Tufted Titmouse - 36, 30

Tufted Titmouse - 3/26

Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 0, 2
Purple Martin - 3, 2
Barn Swallow - 0, 3
Cliff Swallow - 0, 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 19, 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 16, 20
Carolina Wren - 9, 17
Brown Thrasher - 0, 1
Hermit Thrush - 1, 0

Hermit Thrush - 3/26

Wood Thrush - 0, 14
American Goldfinch - 3, 0
Chipping Sparrow - 1, 0
White-throated Sparrow - 3, 3
Eastern Towhee - 0, 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 0, 1
Brown-headed Cowbird - 6, 6
Worm-eating Warbler - 12, 14
 (video: singing Worm-eating Warbler - next side road on left after sign-in kiosk. I had dueling WEWAs at this spot - another one was singing just down and across the road, but didn't catch it's song in the brief video)

Worm-eating Warbler - Rock Falls trail head

Louisiana Waterthrush - 1, 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 1, 0
Prothonotary Warbler - 1, 0
Tennessee Warbler - 0, 3
Kentucky Warbler - 1, 3
Hooded Warbler - 20, 29
Northern Parula - 17, 9
Pine Warbler - 27, 29
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 2, 0
Black-throated Green Warbler - 0, 1
Summer Tanager - 0, 36
Northern Cardinal - 21, 25
Indigo Bunting - 0, 9

Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Southern Flying Squirrel (calling a little after 8:00pm on 4/16), and tracks of Nine-banded Armadillo, White-tailed Deer, and Northern Raccoon ...and feral hog, of course

Herps
Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Cope's Gray Treefrog, Spring Peeper, American Bullfrog, Green (Bronze) Frog, Green Anole, Little Brown Skink

American Bullfrog - creek just inside entrance to WMA

Butterflies
duskywing sp. - 3, 0
Clouded Skipper - 2, 6
Dun Skipper - 0, 1

Dun Skipper - next side road on left after sign-in kiosk

skipper sp. - 1, 0
Pipevine Swallowtail - 9, 7
Black Swallowtail - 1
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 2, 4
Spicebush Swallowtail - 3, 0
dark swallowtail sp. - 3, 0
Cloudless Sulphur - 10, 1

Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on thistle - 3/26

Southern Dogface - 1, 0

Southern Dogface - 3/26

Sleepy Orange - 0, 1
Red-banded Hairstreak - 3, 0
Eastern Tailed-Blue - 4, 0

Eastern Tailed-Blue

(Spring/Summer?) Azure - 0, 3

(Spring?) Azure - next side road on left after sign-in kiosk

(Spring?) Azure - Rock Creek

American Snout - 0, 15

American Snout - 4/16

Variegated Fritillary - 1, 0
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple - 11, 6
Common Buckeye - 0, 4

Common Buckeye - 4/16

Question Mark - 0, 4
American Lady - 0, 1

American Lady - 4/16

American Lady - 4/16

Am. Lady - 4/16

Goatweed Leafwing - 0, 3
Gemmed Satyr - 2 or 3, 0
Carolina Satyr - 11, 3

Odonata
Ebony Jewelwing

Ebony Jewelwing - Rock Creek

damselfly sp./spp. (TBD)

damselfly sp. (female-type) - 4/16

damselfly sp. (male?) - 4/16

Common Green Darner
Swamp Darner

Swamp Darner - 4/16

darner sp.
clubtail sp. (maybe Oklahoma or Ashy?)

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tentative ID: Arrowhead Spiketail

tentative ID: Arrowhead Spiketail - 3/26

Blue Dasher

Blue Dasher (female) - 4/16

Blue Dasher (male) eating small moth - 4/16

Eastern Pondhawk
either Red Saddlebags or Carolina Saddlebags (or both)

saddlebags sp. (Red or Carolina?) - 4/16

Wildflowers

milkvine sp. () - primitive campground road, found at several other locations as well

milkvine sp. - same as above

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Coralbean () - next side road on left after sign-in kiosk (only ones I saw in bloom this day, but the species is common in these woods)

Coralbean - same as above

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Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)

"beard tongue" sp. (Penstemon), maybe Nodding Penstemon (P. laxiflorus)? - next side road on left after sign-in kiosk

Phlox sp. - 3/26

Phlox sp. - 3/26

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tentative ID: "blackhaw" type Viburnum, such as V. rufidulum or V. prunifolium

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Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus) - Rock Falls

Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus) - same as above

Miscellaneous
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I'm not sure what the tiny plants are, but they caught my eye.

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Snowy Urola Moth (Urola nivalis) - 

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Eastern Tentworm Moth caterpillars - 3/26

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galls on Sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria) - Rock Creek

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Some interesting mushrooms (unfortunately I don't know fungus ID):

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As always, if you spot an incorrect ID, feel free to let me know.

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