FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Roan, Whitetop, Clingman's Dome (Saw-whets, Cerulean)

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bristol Birders:
This is a posting from the national Saw-whet Owl Net.  It contains many 
interesting observations for Roan Mountain, TN.,  Whitetop Mountain, VA., 
Clingman's Dome in the Geat Smokey Mountains and such.  It was posted by Frank 
Enders of Halifax, NC.
Read and enjoy.
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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I failed to find any Saw-whet Owls while camped April 20-21 in Mount 
Mitchell State Park; perhaps too windy, though I did think I might have 
heard one to the northwest. Wind mostly above 10 mph at night.   Impressive, 
picture postcard sunrise from parking area near top of Mt Mitchell; all I 
had previously seen of the mountains' beauty has always been framed by 
utility wires, in the past.  Good views of Blackburnians since the deciduous 
trees had not leafed out, at the dirt road south off the Blue Ridge Parkway 
just south of the base of the Mount Mitchell SP access road; site described 
by Simpson as best place to see Blackburnians along the Blue Ridge Parkway. 
Only siskins on the mountain, no crossbills seen/heard.  Best bird a 
Sharp-shinned Hawk flying down the trail past us on the se side of Mount 
Mitchell.

Whitetop Mountain in Virginia had no Saw-whets from 3 to 9 AM on May 25; but 
I did find two singing Cerulean Warblers lower down on Whitetop, which 
species is not listed there.  Heavy fog, some wind in predawn hours.

Roan Mountain in Tennessee/NC had 3 singing Saw-whets on the evening of May 
25th.  Very light wind, no fog.

At nightfall, a Barred Owl was heard by us from the observation platform at 
Roan High Bluff, this owl way down in the valley.  Then, after I shouted out 
toot-toot-toot, a Saw-whet, who must have been like the wizard of Oz, in 
some cliffy amphitheater, sounded off from the left, the west, hugely loud, 
and could be heard well, repeatedly as we hiked back the half mile to the 
car.  Another was heard farther down on the same side when we stopped on the 
paved road.  And, a third sounded off when we got to Carver's Gap, basically 
on the side of the mountain facing the gap, again in response to 
whistling/calling by me, about 10:30 PM.
Curiously, my wife had seen an Alder Flycatcher at Carver's Gap at about 6 
PM. The bird would not respond to be Wee-bee-o calling.  But, when I started 
tooting for the Saw-whet at the gap at 10:15 PM, the Alder answered once, 
clear, Wee-bee-o!  The next morning, the Alder was singing.

I am suspicious that the Saw-whets set up with a valley or cliff face to 
amplify their sound.   I used to think I needed to be at the tops of the 
mountains to find them singing.  I now think one needs to check the sides of 
the evergreen-cloaked mountains, rather than the ridge crests.  For sure the 
old birch trees look to be the most likely nest sites.  I think I was told 
that at one time the only nest that had been found in the Boone area was in 
a slithole in a Yellow Birch.
The time, 30 years ago that I heard a Saw-whet singing on Clingman's Dome, I 
knew I was on a trail along a cliff face, so why did I keep checking the 
(fairly sparsely vegetated) ridgetops all these years?  Maybe because the 
spruce fir is in such short supply that it is mostly on peaks.

Frank Enders, Halifax, NC

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