FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Black Mt -- May 10, 2003

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Jon Dunn and I visited the higher portions of Black Mt on Saturday morning
(sure would have been a surprise to run into Ben!).  

As Ben reported, much activity is underway at the mountain's summit, with
most of the summer residents present.  I was unaware of something that Jon
was prepared for . . . the overall lack of actual songbird "migrants" in the
region.  We spent 1.5 days working from Cumberland Gap KY/VA to High Knob,
VA to Black Mt, KY/VA and saw only about 20 individuals of about 8 species
of true migrants.  For example, we saw nary a Swainson's Thrush, Blackpoll
Warbler or Tennessee Warbler, and the most "abundant" migrant was Magnolia
Warbler and we only saw about four of them!!   This is apparently frequently
the situation in the southern Appalachians in spring.

Summer residents were another story, however, and we got great looks at a
female Golden-winged (VA side), Chestnut-sideds, Black-throated Blues,
Black-throated Greens, Blackburnian, Ceruleans, Black-and-whites, American
Redstarts, Ovenbirds, Hoodeds, and Canadas (only about 4 or 5 of the last,
but one female was already nest building!).  Others included Dark-eyed
Juncos, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Veeries, a Common Raven and Least
Flycatchers.  One of the flycatchers provided us both with a truely unique
experience. Jon first saw the bird and, claiming to have lost some of his
hearing, asked if I could hear the bird singing. I spotted the bird he was
talking about and also noted it throwing back its head in vigorous song, but
despite our close proximity to it, neither of us could hear a wisp of sound
coming from it's mouth each time it reared back it's head and "sang"
'che-bek.'  Sure enough, this poor little fellow was apparently mute!!!  We
watched him over and over again, but didn't hear a sound while two others
sang away loudly nearby.  We wondered if he realized that he could not be
heard or if he was deaf as well.  How often must this happen in the bird
world we wondered . . .?

bpb, Louisville
brainard.palmer-ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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