Warblers at CRP

[MJWESTPHAL@unca.edu]

Chimney Rock Park is still alive with warblers.  The walk led by Simon Thompson
last Saturday produced lots of Redstarts, BT Green, B and W, Worm-eating, and
Hooded Warblers as well as a couple of Ceruleans, and a Black-throated Blue.  I
stopped by the the Woodland Walk Trail before the walk started to check to see
if the Swainson's Warbler was back, and it was.  It was about 50 yards or so up
the trail where there is a thick stand of Carolina Rhododendron and the trail
crosses over a little wooden bridge.  The bird was only about 4 feet off the
trail on the ground and was very easy to see if you got down on your knees (the
rhodo was too thick to see it standing up).  It was singing when I got there,
but stopped after a few minutes.
	Other notable returnees were a couple of Grasshopper Sparrows in a
field off Warlick Road in Henderson County.  Grasshopper Sparrows are pretty
uncommon around here, but they were in this same field last  year, too.   
A big wave of Palm Warblers showed up over the weekend in Henderson County as 
well.
Marilyn Westphal
Hendersonville, NC (southern NC mountains)