[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

MOURNING WARBLER STILL AT ROAN MT.



I saw the MOURNING WARBLER on Roan Mountain, NC today from about 9:30am 
until 10:30am when I left.  For a detailed account, read on....

After reading two Summer's full of email reports about the individual  
Mourning Warbler on Roan Mountain, I finally made my way up there today.  I 
stayed in the town Spruce Pine last night and was at the trailhead around 
6:30am this morning.

I must say that the posts have been confusing regarding which way to hike to 
the bird.  Let me clarify, from the Carver's Gap parking lot, you head East 
(on the Northbound section of the Appalachian Trail).  I fairly strenous 
hike, but can be achieved in about 45 minutes at a good clip (1-1 1/2 hours 
if you hike slowly).  I met Allan Trently from Tennessee as I reached the 
third grassy bald.  Apparantly Allan was the individual that originally 
found the bird last year and the one who refound it this year.  Thanks 
Allan!  It so happens that he was looking for the bird at day break for 
today's bird count, but he missed it since it was cold, foggy, extremely 
windy and the Mourning Warbler was not calling.  I spent close to two hours 
at, and around, the intersection of the AT and Grassy Ridge Trail.  I hiked 
up to the top of the bald with no luck.  I called Rich and Susan Boyd from 
my cell phone and they told me exactly where to sit (about 50 yards up the 
Grassy Ridge trail from the intersection).  I had already spent some time 
around there, but I became determined to sit it out in that exact spot (and 
hope that the sun came out and the wind died down).

About ten minutes later I heard a chip note "different" than all of the 
Juncos around me.  I pished and a bird flew in and landed in dense thicket 
within 5-6 feet of me.  I pished again and the beautiful male MOURNING 
WARBLER popped up on top of a bush within 10 feet of me.  AWESOME!!!  NC 
LIFER!!!

A few minutes later the bird started calling with it's full song, but at a 
distance.  I was joined by a fellow NC birder, Robert Williams from Hickory, 
(I apologize if I got your name wrong), who was also able to hear the bird.  
Shortly after that, we started having very nice looks as the warbler perched 
up singing on the tops of bushes and the few trees in the area.  
Unfortunately the warbler never came back close again after I had my camera 
set up!  Around 10:30am I gave up on the photo op., said goodbye and headed 
back for the car.  Oh well, still a great day.

-Brad Carlson
Winterville, NC
BradCarlson1@hotmail.com

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com