"If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it."
— Lyndon B. Johnson
Our annual trip to Wyalusing State Park was a success, highlighted by great views of Kentucky, Cerulean, Yellow-throated, and Prothonotary Warblers. Other first-of-year birds included Swainson's Thrush, Acadian Flycatcher, and Eastern Wood-pewee. I didn't really keep track of other birds for the day, but there were probably around 15 warbler species—Tennessees and Redstarts were dramatically abundant. We even found a Hooded Warbler just before the railroad tracks.
To be honest, I'm starting to feel a bit of birding fatigue this spring. I might step back for the last part of my May vacation—not because I don't still love birding, but sometimes I just get a little birded-out. It's not always the birds themselves; it's also the birding scene and, frankly, other birders that can wear me down. And it's not really any one person—it's just the general scene, the chatter, the crowding, the competitive or cultish vibe. Sometimes it's nice to step away and recharge. I've crossed the 30-plus warbler species mark, and honestly, I'm perfectly fine if I miss things like Connecticut, Worm-eating, or Prairie. Besides, you never know—those might still turn up while I'm out doing other outdoor stuff anyway.
Back to Wyalusing!
First, checkout these stacked canoes at the Wyalusing boat ramp at the bottom of Long Valley Road:
And a gorgeous Prothonotary Warbler using it as a perch to cast his song:
He sang and sang and sang ...
Not content with singing from atop the canoes, he also did so repeatedly from this line:
This Indigo Bunting was concerned with another male singing on his territory.
Or perhaps that hasn't yet been established!
What will their resolution be?
Here's a nice portrait of a handsome male Baltimore Oriole:
In songbirds, mate guarding can include the male staying close to the female as she forages or gathers nesting material, mainly to deter rival males and reduce the chance of extra-pair copulations. That's what this oriole was doing. It's a pretty common behavior in species where extra-pair mating is a risk.
The astute naturalist will find a variety of wildflowers along Long Valley Road, and these are by no means all of the species one can observe there. That's a Columbine above, and below I'm leaning toward Trillium flexipes (Drooping Trillium) rather than Trillium cernuum (Nodding Trillium), though there's so much overlap between the two that telling them apart is nearly impossible.
There was lots of Woodland Phlox ...
Amethyst Shooting Star ...
And Spring Beauty ...
Before getting on our return trip home, we took a moment to admire the remarkable view from 500 feet above, where the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers meet. It was a fitting reminder of why I do this in the first place—not always for the birds, or the lists, or the social side of birding, but for these quiet moments of connection to the land, the rivers, and the changing seasons.
All images © 2025 Mike McDowell