FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Birding Shady Valley at the mid-elevations

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I spent most of the day birding at mid-elevations (2,800 to 3,600 feet) in 
Shady Valley, Johnson Co., TN in the Southern Blue Ridge today (4/17).
Overnight, into the early morning hours of Sunday, the low temperature had 
dropped to 26.2 degrees.  Got a nice little frost right there.  Sunday's high 
reached just 69.3 degrees while I was in the field.  It was a sunny day with 
some breeze --  at times about 10 to 15 mph.

Here, in Tennessee's highest mountain valley,  in the northeast corner of the 
state, spring lags well behind with just the hint of red in the trees from buds 
starting to pop out.  Few trees have leaves.  

I was surprised that, at this particular location, I could only find one 
Black-throated Green Warbler and it was singing in a cove at 3,200 feet on 
Holston Mountain.  Blue-headed Vireos were much with song and many heard along 
the higher ridges.  Saw and heard about a dozen.

Had at least three House Wrens in the valley floor between 2,800 and 2,900 
feet.  This species first nested here 24 May 1947.  It was beginning to invade 
the state as a breeder from the north nearly 60 years ago.  

A Common Yellowthroat was singing at Orchard Bog (2,800 ft.) 

A Wild Turkey hen crossed the road on U.S. 421 at Holston Mountain.  Slightly 
further down a Broad-winged Hawk was soaring.

Tree Swallows were abundant in the valley and birds were distributed throughout 
the valley floor.  Lots of nest boxes were being entered and defended.  This 
species first came to the valley as a nester in early spring 1990 so it's been 
a breeder here for 15 years.

A single male House Finch sang along Orchard Road, reminding that the species 
has been a part of the valley breeding bird population since 1980, just four 
years after showing up in Northeast Tennessee.  Eight years ago the population 
began a significant decline from what was believed to have been a 
"conjunctivitis" epidemic.  It does not appear to be recovering very well.

Much water is standing in Quarry Bog where the Virginia Rail has fledged young 
in recent years.  Rick Knight reported recently that the rails were located 
there this spring.  It has been a wet winter and spring but I can't help but 
wonder if the tiny beaver dam with it's extensive flooding of Brickhouse Branch 
isn't helping hold up the water table.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN












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