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Parkway Heaven
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Parkway Heaven
- From: mjwestphal <mjwestphal@unca.edu>
- Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 09:23:05 -0400
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
I took a quick ride up the parkway just north of Asheville from the Haw Creek
overlook to the Bull Creek Overlook (about 5 miles) this a.m. before work.
Wow! The birds are coming in fast and furious now. I heard/saw at least
several and in some cases many each of Hooded, Parula, Worm-eating, Black and
White, Blackburnian, Cerulean, and Ovenbird as well as Wood Thrushes, Scarlet
Tanagers, YT, RE, and BH Vireos. Only one Black-throated Blue Warbler,
though. Most of that stretch of the parkway is not great BTB habitat. The
area around the entrance to the Tanbark Ridge tunnel is the best spot for them
in that area. In case you're interested, there's a nice trail there, too,
that goes to a spot where a house used to be many years ago and some orchard
trees are still there.
There were at least 5 Cerulean for you Cerulean fans. FYI, we had about 20 of
them in this area (Craven Gap to just beyond the Bull Creek overlook) on the
migration count last year.
I also met a few local birders up there who had the same idea. They were
luckier, though, as they weren't working today. They're probably still up
there right now. One of them heard a Ruffed Grouse drumming. Alas, I didn't
have time to stop for that.
If you're in the mountains this weekend, this is a good time to get out in
the woods or on the parkway as there are lots of birds and the leaves haven't
unfurled yet, so those treetop birds like Blackburnian and Cerulean are easier
to see.
FYI local birders, Kingbirds, Catbirds, and Green Herons have returned to
Beaver Lake. Where oh where are those Yellow Warblers, though? They're
mighty late!
Enjoy,
Marilyn Westphal
Hendersonville, NC
mjwestphal@unca.edu