Hello, I read Gregory's report with great interest having just spent two days at the Dismal Swamp searching for the very same Warbler. I too heard many Swainson's but I could never see one. I did not use a tape recorder either, although I did try pishing and several of my Screech Owl imitations . After a total of 14.5 hours standing in the constant rain listening to the little nymphs, pragmatism overcame obstinacy and I headed for Craney Island in Portsmith so as to actually see some birds. Actually, I did manage to see 9 species of Warblers and hear an additional 5 species in the Dismal . I also heard what I believed to have been an Olive-sided Flycatcher. Warblers seen -listed from most commonly seen to least- were: Prothonotary (very abundant), Common Yellowthroat, Prairie, Myrtle Hooded, Worm, Ovenbird, Yellowthroated, Black and White Those heard were: ( listed from most frequently heard to least Swainson's - I heard many usually in the same five to six areas..... I was told that an ornithologist doing research on Swainson's in the Swamp has been marking their territories with neon pink plastic markers. I almost always would hear a Swainson's in the vicinity of these markers. Although I actually heard more on Jericho Lane (which does not have the neon markers) within a mile of the Gate, than I did on Jericho ditch. Louisiana Waterthrush Northern Waterthrush Blue-winged Northern Parula, William Leigh, Winchester, Va Gregory wrote.... -----Original Message----- From: Gregory B Miller <gregorym@erols.com> To: mdosprey@ARI.Net <mdosprey@ARI.Net> Date: Saturday, May 01, 1999 4:25 PM Subject: SWAINSON'S WARBLER at Great Dismal Swamp 5/1/99 >Howdy All! > >Yes! That's right! A genuine SWAINSON'S WARBLER report by me! OK. >The world can end now. After hunting passively (I always had OTHER >targets until last year) over the last 17 years in Texas, Mississippi, >Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia and actively (warbler as >the only target) in Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia...I now have a >real warbler report...well...almost. Ahem. Clear throat. HEARD ONLY. > >Now for the gory details (just in case there might be one or two >MDOspreyers out there who STILL need this pesky mite): > >3-5 individuals heard at Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia (6:30am-1:30pm) > >2-3 birds Jericho Lane - between 1.2 miles to the parking area; check >the pulloffs on the North (left hand side going in). The first pulloff >has a burnt/black engine sitting in it; the second one has a tree marked >328 in orange paint. Two birds were heard from the pulloff areas. The >possible third bird was on the South (right side) near the parking lot >at the end of Jericho Lane later in the morning (around 10am). These >birds were easily heard from 6:30-8:30am. There was 30 minutes of >silence and then one bird starting singing again (#328) until around >10am. No Swainson's Warblers were heard after that time. > >1 bird was heard along Jericho Ditch near the parking area (close to the >end of the little boardwalk) in the early morning only. > >1 bird was heard about 1/10th of a mile along an unnamed ditch that >would be an extension of the road running into the parking area (early >only also). > >I did not use any tapes, but I saw other birders who did. They met with >the same success as I. Nada. John Fussell (author of Coastal North >Carolina Birding Guide) strongly discourages use of tapes in this area. >>From the research I've done, most birders, it seems, have gotten to SEE >their life Swainson's Warblers along the Gulf Coast during migration >with High Island, Texas being the single most popular spot (is it >because there's more birds or because there's more birders? <grin>) > >Consequently, I plan to let these nesting birds be. I can think of >worse fates than having to go back to High Island, Texas during Spring >migration! It was certainly a real treat to actually HEAR my nemesis >bird sing! Oh, yes. It was very windy and cold today--not optimal >conditions for viewing any passerines. > >Some other birds seen (most heard only--Great Dismal has a way of hiding >its birds) today included: > >Wild Turkey >Yellow-billed Cuckoo >BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO!!! (I was surprised--is this a common migrant?) >Red-eyed Vireo >White-eyed Vireo >Prairie Warbler >Common Yellowthroat >Prothonotary Warbler >Black-and-white Warbler >Kentucky Warbler >Hooded Warbler >Northern Waterthrush >Louisiana Waterthrush (singing same time as Swainson's #328 on the other >side of the road--great comparison!) > >I whiffed on the "Wayne's" Black-throated Green that nests in Great >Dismal--maybe next time... >-- >Greg Miller >Baltimore, Maryland, USA >Home- gregorym@erols.com >Work- gregory.b.miller@bge.com >WWW- http://www.erols.com/gregorym/