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Blue Ridge Birding: Alder,Willow, Golden-winged
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Blue Ridge Birding: Alder,Willow, Golden-winged
- From: frank rheindt <frank.rheindt@duke.edu>
- Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 12:31:13 -0400
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hey Carolinabirders, hi Appalachian Naturalist,
last night I returned from one and a half incredible days of mountain
birding along the Blue Ridge (northwestern NC) and Roan Mountain
(NC-Tennesse border). Below's a listing of the nicest birds I recorded:
Turkey: 1 Roan Mtn. mid-altitude
Eastern Wood-Pewee: many near Stony Fork Valley Overlook
ALDER FLYCATCHER: 2 singing in Julian Price State Park; very easy to see,
just follow directions in the Blue Ridge birding guide and go to the
ancient lake bed 200 yards off the Parkway
WILLOW FLYCATCHER: several singing and easy to see in moist willow meadows
in Roan Mtn. State Park on Tennessee side of border
Acadian Flycatcher: several singing individuals in Snow Mtn. State Park
near Elkin, NC; I tried for Swainson's Warbler here, but got Acadians
instead
Winter Wren: several singing individuals in coniferous forest near Roan
Mtn. bald
Golden-crowned Kinglet: common in coniferous zone on Roan Mtn.
Veery: singing individuals at several locations; also saw one just
this morning on my way to the department here in the Duke
Gardens, Durham, NC
Cedar Waxwing: big flocks flying around near Roan Mtn. bald
Yellow Warbler: singing in willow meadows in Roan Mtn. State Park
Chestnut-sided Warbler: didn't know they're that common in the mountains
Magnolia Warbler: 1 around ancient lake bed in J. Price State Park (off
Parkway)
Black-thr. Blue Warbler: many sites; at Stony Fork Valley Overlook I had
several female- plumaged individuals with a vocalization I was not
familiar with (3 or four clear, non-buzzy, level high-pitched notes
followed by a lower-pitched note of similar quality); didn't find
anything about "female vocalizations" in this species in any of the
field guides...
Black-thr. Green Warbler: 1 male along creek in Roan Mtn. State Park
Louisiana Waterthrush: 1 feeding young in Snow Mtn. STate Park (the single
young chick was already able to fly, albeit clumsily)
CERULEAN WARBLER: 1 seen singing and several more heard at Stony Fork
Valley Overlook along the Parkway; seems to be a highly reliable site,
so just follow directions in Blue Ridge birding guide
Black/white Warbler: several
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER:many seen on Tennessee side of border (sorry, NC
listers) near Roan Mtn. State Park. There is an area with at least 10 pairs
at the end of one of the backcountry roads that turn off from the main road
near the end of Roan Mtn. Village (Tennessee); I met a few local birders
that were carrying out a Golden-winged census for Cornell, and they assured
me there is even a Brewster's territory there (which we failed to find that
day, though). The Golden-winged sites along the main road through Roan Mtn.
State Park from a few years ago (see Blue Ridge birding guide) are
abandoned presumably because of habitat succession. However, if anyone's
interested in precise directions to this area, just drop me a line
(off-list, as there seem to be a few mountain backcountry folks on
Carolinabirds that don't feel at ease with sharing exact directions to
"target species" in public)
Scarlet Tanager: several near Doughton Park and Stony Fork Valley Overlook
Baltimore Oriole: 2 at Stony Fork Valley Overlook
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 1 female at Stony Fork Valley Overlook
Junco: common at most sites
Thanks to the people that offered help in locating a few of my "target
species" (nice expression, maybe you people should try and keep it alive
after I'm gone from NC).
Happy Birding
Frank
Frank Rheindt
Durham, NC