[birdky] Red River Gorge report

Veronica and I were at the Red River Gorge this weekend. Highlights  included 
a fairly early Swainson's Warbler at Rock Bridge and a  Chestnut-sided 
Warbler at Sky Bridge. In addition we  observed quite a bit of Red-breasted 
Nuthatch 
nesting activity, including a  possibly territorial individual less than a 
half mile upstream from  the Red River near Swift Camp Creek:
 
April 22
 
Rock Bridge Trail, Wolfe Co., KY:
Possibly two pairs Red-breasted Nuthatches, excavating holes, but they  might 
not yet be settled on definite nest sites. The first observation was  at the 
cliff edge near the overlook with both members of the pair  enthusiastically 
digging out a hole about 40 ft up in a dead hemlock, The second  was at the now 
dead trunk of a double-trunk white pine near Rock Bridge where  they may have 
nested several years ago and were now doing a bit of digging (but  could have 
been that same pair as earlier seen above, as they had moved off in  this 
direction earlier). The possible other pair was found several times not far  
from 
the parking lot (but could have been the same pair as  well). Also 3 Pileated 
Woodpeckers, 2 Blue-headed Vireos, 6 Red-eyed Vireos, 1  Hermit Thrush, 2 
White-breasted Nuthatches, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1  Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 
12 
Pine Warblers, 10 Hooded Warblers, 5  Yellow-throated Warblers, 15 Black and 
White Warblers, 8 Worm-eating Warblers,  12 Northern Parulas, 3 Yellow-rumped 
Warblers, 2 Louisiana  Waterthrushes and 6 Ovenbirds.
 
Sky Bridge Picnic Area: 1 Broad-winged Hawk, 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler  
(singing away at same territory as last year's summering individual), 5  Pine 
Warblers, 6 Hooded Warblers, 3 Black and White Warblers, 2 Northern  Parulas, 3 
Yellow-rumped Warblers. 
 
Natural Bridge SP Powell Co., KY : 2 Wood Ducks, 3 Whip-poor-wills, 1  Belted 
Kingfisher, 3 Eastern Phoebes, 3 Yellow-throated Warblers, 2 Pine  Warblers, 
1 Louisiana Waterthrush. 
 
April 23
 
Rock Bridge/ Swift Camp Creek:
One singing Swainson's Warbler along Swift Camp Creek near the Rock  Bridge 
trail. A pair or two of Red-breasted Nuthatches again noted, seen close  but 
not at the snag locations mentioned for the 22nd. 
 
Swift Camp Creek near Red River, Wolfe Co., KY (near Menifee Co.  line):
One male Red-breasted Nuthatch seemed to be on territory in pitch and white  
pines near the old cabin but it is still too early to know if this is a new  
breeding location without some actual nesting evidence. 
 
Habitat concerns continue with a new, very extensive burn noted between  Rock 
Bridge road and Chimney Top road along KY 715. As this burn was done after  
we were there on April 2nd, it is apparent that the Forest Service is no longer 
 posting notice as to upcoming burns. On the upside, we did come across one 
very  large area of Canada Yew in Wolfe County, which I assume the Forest 
Service must  already know about. This brings up the no-brainer that we should 
really be  trying to protect northern species, quite rare for KY, such as  
Canada 
Yew and Red-breasted Nuthatch within Wolfe County rather  than concentrating 
on the hopeless task of trying to get Pitch Pine to  generate in partial shade. 
In fact the real winners of the  2004 burn area are the hundreds of little 
Tuliptrees that are now  propagating. A great tree for White-breasted 
Nuthatches, but not  necessarily so great for their red-breasted brethren.
 
Frank Renfrow
Bellevue, KY

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