[Bristol-Birds] roan high rares & BHVi's

From: Kevin Caldwell
To: Carolina Birds
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2008 1:43 PM
Subject: roan high rares & BHVi's


This Friday I  walked with Len & Esther Pardue from Tollhouse Gap to Carvers 
Friday, after hitting the balds @ 6am, all in all about 9 rare or watch list 
birds (many of which are locally common up high). 

At the gap a few magnolia warbs, alder flycatchers, one hermit thrush, rb 
nuthatch,  what I thought was vesper sparrow, one common yellowthroat, and one 
bobwhite (also audbile from way away in the forest).  I rarely see vespers but 
the several males I saw later appear to be that and I know from Merrill's 
recent report nearby they're in the vicinity.   Other birds were junco, 
catbird, towhee, robins galore, one raven and a few crows. No goldenwings 
however - not sure they're nesting in this area. 

From Tollhouse east to Carvers we heard  brown creepers, pine siskin, winter 
wren (several), a nice hairy woodpecker, canada warb, chestnut sided, what may 
have been a yellow-rump or two, and some very nice views of a magnolia warbler 
male about 1/2way down.  The point of the trip was actually monitoring two rare 
plants for ATC but hey...you can't ignore all those high-elevation-ers. 

BTW - I can't recall who was curious about blue-headeds still singing.  I've 
been in the field (more remote areas possibly) the last 8 weeks nearly 3 to 4 
days / week and they're on nearly every day's listing even up to this week 
though they area quiting down. This is primarily the mountains and mostly 
forest interior habitats, the AT, Polk Co, Mitchell / Avery, and the western 
counties.  Not in the #'s they were at first though...and they pulled into 
Marshal in late Feb but I still heard 3 males on our tract last night.  Oddly - 
one just starting singing (audible from my office) this moment...thanks for the 
backup pal! 



Kevin Caldwell

Marshall NC / Madison Co

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