These are the boundaries of the forest
At the edge of the forest you hear them – Chestnut-sided Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, and Blackburnian Warblers. Unless you stand for a long time and study the leaves, you won't see the musicians of this forest's edge. Even if you do, they will seem to pop in and out of this dimension in various orientations - difficult to follow. What is distinct is their calls.
As you move into the forest the calls change and you enter into a new space. It might smell different, the plants may change, but the calls let you know. This walk takes you from the outer edge into the forest. First you notice that the edge calls vanish and give way to Ovenbirds and Nashville Warblers. The beginning of the warbler's call is similar to the "it's hot, it's hot, it's hot" of the Ovenbird, but it ends with a chuckle – a laugh that you thought it might have been the other bird.
Next, the trees change just a little bit and you hear a chorus of high pitched voices warbling the words "I'm singing so high!" Some are a little raspy, but most are clear and announce that you are now with the black-throated green warblers. They are indeed high. Red-eyed vireos seem to be heard in regular intervals at regular times throughout your walk - they must have agreed on their stations.
The forest opens a little, and that's when you hear a zee and quick sounds of northern parulas that seem to come and then go as fast as you realize they are there. They are like a wind blowing through. A vireo is heard, but this time a little raspy and with an emphasis on a different syllable - it's a blue-headed vireo. It fades quickly as you move on.
You move through pockets of forest claimed by Canada warblers, then more black-throated green warblers, and there are intermittent pockets of black-and-white warblers calling out with "it's me, it's me, it's me!" And then you make your way back to Nashvilles. Ovenbirds seem spaced throughout without a particular order - but a dominant sound when you enter their sphere.
Then you hear an occasional black-throated blue warbler, downy woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, a chickadee scolding, and a jar of red-breasted nuthatches. American Redstarts boldly show up in lush trees and bushes chasing each other and claiming their favorite spot.
You think you hear the first pulse of a Ruffed Grouse, but it is the low notes of water moving and beating the walls of sea caves along this path.
When it is time to turn around, you know exactly what the pattern will be - the sounds reversed. you know that once you get to the black-throated green warblers, the black-and-white ones come next. These are the boundaries of the forest - auditory markers that guide your way.
Before you exit, you hear the deep rhythm of an Earthly ball being dropped and dampening out - a Ruffed Grouse is indeed in these woods. Did you miss it when you passed before?
When you emerge – vireos and chestnut-sided warblers greet you, but the blackburnians must have moved on.
How one may think of some of these sounds:
- Chestnut-sided Warbler: "hey-hey-hey I'd like to talk to you"
- Red-eyed Vireo: "veery, veery, veery-O"
- Yellow-throated Vireo: a slurry red-eyed vireo
- Blue-headed Vireo: a raspy red-eyed vireo with different syllabic emphasis
- Common Yellowthroat: "I'm pretty, I'm pretty, I'm pretty"
- Warbling Vireo: a warbley version of a Common Yellowthroat
- Blackburnian Warbler: you wonder if there is a warbling dog whistle close by.
- Canada Warbler: "Look at me - I'm from Canada!" - A little finchy.
- Ovenbird: "it's hot! it's hot! it's hot!"
- Nashville Warbler: "it's hot! it's hot! it's hahahahahahaha" - a laugh because you thought it was an ovenbird.
- Magnolia Warbler: "Hey you, hey you, over here!"
- Yellow Warbler: "Look at me, I'm so so pretty"
- Song Sparrow : "good, good, good morning"
- American Redstart: if it's not these other birds, it might be a redstart for this particular walk.
This walk was taken at the Apostle Islands Sea caves in Wisconsin.