[birdky] Red River Gorge Report - large numbers of early arrivals

Our weekend trip to the gorge uncovered indisputable evidence  of global 
warming with summer-like temperatures and advanced spring  arrivals in full 
swing. 
A hike to Rock Bridge on Friday March 23rd with  just 3 Eastern Phoebes, 2 
Blue-headed Vireos and 6 Pine Warblers gave  little hint of the early influx 
that we were to come upon the next day. On  Saturday March 24th we found 
Black-throated Green Warblers to be in close to  normal breeding season 
numbers, with 
a total of 27(!) seen or heard along the  gorge loop drive, during a walk up 
Bison Way trail and while  picnicing at Sky Bridge. Also found on Saturday were 
12 Eastern Phoebes, 12  Blue-headed Vireos, 25 Pine Warblers and 5 Louisiana  
Waterthrushes. Most of the waterthrushes were heard or seen near  the Nada 
Tunnel and along the D. Boone Hut trail. We were not able to  track down a 
single Red-breasted Nuthatch until Sunday March 25th when we found  just one at 
the 
usual location near the Rock Bridge and Swift Camp Creek  Trail junction. A 
nice top-off to the trip were the dozen flying  squirrels that were frequenting 
the feeders at the Natural Bridge SP  lodge after nightfall. We were 
disappointed to see that more prescribed burns  are posted to be done along KY 
715 
between Chimney Top Road and Angel Windows.  In my opinion this is a gross 
misapplication of otherwise sensible prescribed  burn strategies to the exact 
wrong 
locations. Is there anywhere else in Kentucky  where the growth of native 
white pine is considered to be a problem (or not so  coincidentally, where 
Red-breasted Nuthatches breed)? Despite the  rains we have been having back 
home, 
conditions seemed to be rather dry at the  gorge, with water levels rather low 
in 
the streams. A possible reason  to cancel the burns :-)?
 
Frank Renfrow
Bellevue, KY



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