FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally -- Barbara Kingsolver

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday morning, 7 May 2005, the birding trip I led at the Mount Rogers
Naturalist Rally had a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  It was just under
3,800 feet elevation in Grindstone Campground, Smyth County, Va.  It was
actively moving about the small saplings in the sparse understory.  This is
in the historic local breeding population area of Southwest Virginia's
Southern Blue Ridge.

Few trees have leafed out at that elevation.

Also present were about six singing Least Flycatchers.  They are also part
of a traditional population and Grindstone has been called the "Least
Flycatcher capitol of Virginia."  We saw no nest building, compared to
several years ago (a week later) when we had four or five nest under
construction.

Seperate field parties had Pine Siskins in the campground.  My group had
one. Mike Evans' party had at least one in the back of Grindstone.

There were many American Robins -- all males.  No combat among males.
Little singing among the robins, suggestings many females may no yet be at
that elevation.  However, a male was carrying nesting material so at least
one pair is probably underway.

Some campers had seed trays out and were attracting Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
to temporary feeders.

The weather was awesome.  It was one of the largest, if not the largest
turnout in recent years.

Lots of birders and naturlists enjoyed meeting and talking with author
Barbara Kingsolver who was with her husband and daughter.  She attended the
Friday night talk and was on a morning field trip.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN









----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Dnldhlt@xxxxxxx>
To: <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 8:43 PM
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Roan Mtn. sapsucker


> This morning, SUN 08 MAY 2005, during a field trip at the Roan Mtn. Spring
> Naturalists Rally, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was heard drumming, then
seen
> flying.  A few minutes later two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were seen at
the same
> location flying and landing together.  This was on the road up to the Dave
> Miller Homestead.  The elevation was approximately 3000 ft.
>
> Don Holt
> Johnson City, TN
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> This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
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> between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
> and Northeast Tennessee.
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>        Wallace Coffey, Moderator
>          wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>            (423)764-****
>


*************************************************
       BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST
Bristol Birds Net Photo Gallery located at:
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jwcoffeyy/album?.dir=/efd5

This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications 
between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
and Northeast Tennessee.  
--------------------------------------------------
You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds.
To post to this mailing list, simply send an email
to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send
an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
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       Wallace Coffey, Moderator
         wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
           (423)764-****