FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] VSO Foray , HIgh Knob and Roaring Branch , Wise County.

[Jxdrummo@xxxxxxx]

As part of the VSO Foray , I birded High Knob Recreation Area on June 11  /12 
and Roaring Branch on June 12 , both sites are in Wise County.  
 
  High Knob is high elevation forest and most of my birding was  done above 
3500 feet. Northern neotropical songbirds were abundant : Veeries ,  Blue 
-headed Vireo ,American Redstart , Black and White , Black-throated Blue ,  
Black-throated Green , Chestnut-sided ,Ovenbird , Hooded , Least Flycatcher  
and 
Dark-eyed Junco were very common with smaller numbers of Blackburnian ,  Canada 
,Cerulean ,Louisiana Waterthrush , Northern Parula , Magnolia ,  Worm-eating , 
Scarlet Tanager and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Winter Wren was heard  just once , 
3 Ruffed Grouse and a family group of 4 Barred Owls were also  
noted.Interestingly the Blackburnians had a different song to the two  
variations include in 
the Stokes Field guide , no chippy notes at all , more  like a Black and 
White's .
 While I was at the High Knob area I ran into some birders from the  
Cumberland Bird Club ,among them were  Phil Shelton , Randy Stanley , Jon  
Rockett , 
who graciously invited me to join their lunchtime  picnic. No  evening meal 
needed for me with all the leftovers that they insisted  that I take with me. 
 
  Roaring Branch ,near Big Stone Gap , is steep shady stream with  Eastern 
Hemlocks and Rhododendron Thickets and is the classic site for  Swainson's 
Warbler in SW Virginia. They did not dissappoint , at least 4  Swainson's were 
heard in the first mile of the trail and a pair came in very  close to my 
pishing 
and offered " crippling " views. Also observed on the trial  were Hooded W , 
Worm-eating , Black -throated Green , Ovenbird ,Blue-headed  Vireo and Northern 
Parula. 
 
   Both of the above birding sites are well described in the  VDGIF 
publication of the Virginia Birding Trail ( Mountain Area ) , website 
_www.dgif.state.va.us_ (http://www.dgif.state.va.us)   
 
  John Drummond
  Ashburn ,
  Loudoun  County       

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