Date: 4/14/25 7:33 am From: JERRY WILLIAMS <jmwilliams01982...> Subject: Roaring River Warblers
Hi All,
Jerry and I were itching to get out and see some warblers, so we headed to
Roaring River State Park and the surrounding areas. We didn’t get a very
early start but even with the heavy winds today we were able to pick up
several new for the year birds.
A total of 64 species were seen
.
Black and White
Yellow Rumped
Hooded
Cerulean
Nashville
Pine
Yellow Throated
Oven
Northern Parula
We were greeted with open arms with a lovely day of wildflowers on Sugar
Camp Road, Roaring River Campgrounds, and Butler Holler. Violet Sorrel
plants, bird-foot violet, Bellwort, Spiderwort in white, pink and light
purple, buttercup, hoary plant, buckeyes plants, star of Bethlehem, wild
hyacinth, wake robin, blue -eyed Mary, blue phlox, Jacob’s ladder,
bluebells, and mayapples. Many more plants were blooming but didn’t have
time to check them all out. It’s a great time for viewing plants right now
if you want to take a trip.
Sugar Camp Road and Butler Holler were very busy with four wheelers and
motorcycles. Though we heard a worm eating warbler on Butler Holler Road,
about that time five motorcycles started up the road. Never hear them
again. We were driving down Sugar Camp Road and were approached by a man
and women walking down the road. The man requested that we stopped but we
didn’t because we didn’t have any phone service in the area. The locals
have warned us of lots of drug deals happening on Sugar Camp Road. It’s a
nice short cut from Arkansas to Missouri for running drugs. We have also
noticed more homeless camps being set up along the Sugar Camp Road. The
first red tent was located near a dumped old beige couch and lots of trash
was near Highway 112 and Sugar Camp Road. Another site is a camper located
off the road close to Butler Holler Road and Sugar Camp Road. Birders
beware on weekends of the extra traffic and four-wheel drive/motorcycles.
We didn’t complete our trip down Butler Holler due to lots of traffic. Also
turkey season starts soon. Sugar Camp also gets several hunters in that
area.
We also noticed a bunch of old trees along Sugar Camp Road that were cut
down. They were rotten but would make a great woodpecker habit. The man
that owns the red gate house has less brush under the power lines near his
house. That was a great habit for lots of warblers including Hooded and
Blue winged warblers. More changes are being made in the warbler woods on
Sugar Camp Road.
A little side trip was taken to Jack Henry Company in Monett to check for
the Black belly Whistling Duck. 12 ducks were located on the pond near the
northeast corner of the campus. According to a local birder, these ducks
have been here for several years now. Today was no exception. Nine were
lined up on the bank and three were wading in the water.
It was such a beautiful day to be out birding. Please take some time out
of your busy week and check out the world of birding and wildflowers.
Happy birding everyone
Jerry and Margie Williams
Republic MO
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