[tn-bird] Re: GSMNP birds

David:
We birded many areas in each others footsteps this weekend.   I hiked out to 
Andrews Bald from Clingman's Dome on Friday and then the Little River Trail 
from Elkmont and the Cucumber Gap Trail on Saturday.  

I picked up a few different things, so I will list mainly these.

En route to Andrews Bald several winter wrens and chestnut-sided warblers were 
singing all along the route.  On the Bald, several flocks of cedar waxwings 
flew overhead and a ruby-throated hummingbird was feeding in the blooming flame 
azalea.  Around the bald I also had a singing red-breasted nuthatch.    

On the Little River Trail on Saturday, black-throated blue warblers were the 
most commonly singing bird, being encountered singing as frequently as if it 
were late May.  Several singing red-eyed vireos were also heard.  I had several 
singing hooded warblers and a single singing black-throated green.  My biggest 
surprise was a singing wood thrush on the Cucumber Gap Trail, which I heard 
during early afternoon.  Ovenbirds were also heard singing along a flatter 
portion of this trail.  Back near the trailhead at Elkmont, I picked up my only 
Northern Parula for the weekend.

After several point counts in Cheatham County where I picked up very few birds, 
I was glad to get somewhere that was a little cooler and still had quite a few 
species singing.

 

Troy Ettel
State Ornithologist
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 781-6653
Troy.Ettel@xxxxxxxxxxx

>>> dtrently@xxxxxxx 06/24/02 09:01AM >>>

On Sunday, June 23, a Knoxville Chapter Tennessee Ornithological Society trip 
attended by Joann Benard, Tony King and I visited parts of the Sevier County 
side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We birded the Sugarlands 
Visitor Center, a short stretch of the Alum Cave Bluff Trail, Newfound Gap, 
Indian Gap and Clingmans Dome.
Plenty of juvenile birds were found, and some of the species I expected to 
still be singing were not. I often bird these areas later in June and early in 
July and still find birds singing, especially at the higher elevations, but 
yesterday most of what we heard were call notes, often coming from begging 
youngsters. Blue-headed Vireos, Northern Parulas, Yellow-throated & 
Chestnut-sided Warblers were still singing regularly. We had a few songs from 
Veery and Black-throated Blue Warblers, with almost no sound of Black-throated 
Green Warblers. Perhaps many of these birds were able to nest earlier this 
year. I may have to brave the traffic (on the return trip) one more time this 
summer to see how things are there in July.
One surprise: No Hooded Warblers!!
Here's what we found:

Sugarlands Visitor Center

Downy & Pileated Woodpeckers
E Phoebe
Acadian Flycatcher (possibly with young)
Am Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Yellow-throated & Red-eyed Vireos
N Parula at least 2
Yellow-throated Warbler at least 2
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbirds - at least three young birds
Louisiana Waterthrush   2
Song Sparrow
Am Goldfinch

Alum Cave Bluff Trail - we walked about a quarter mile up the trail

chickadee species (never sure which species is here, hybrids possible)
Carolina and Winter Wrens
Golden-crowned Kinglets
Veery
Blue-headed Vireo  at least 6, no obvious young birds
N Parula
Black-throated Blue Warblers - several seen, including at least one young
Black-throated Green  2
Canada Warbler  1 adult with a juvenile, never sang.

Newfound Gap (all birds listed are for North Carolina, except crossbill in 
both states)
There was cloud cover at and above this elevation, with occassional misty 
rain.

Ruffed Grouse   2
Hairy Woodpecker
Am Crow
Black-capped Chickadee  5+
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglets
Veery
Am Robin
Blue-headed Vireos
N Parula  1
Chestnut-sided Warbler  2
Black-throated Blue Warbler  1
(Blackburnian   heard what may have been one)
E Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco   at least 20 immature and 10 adults
Red Crossbill  1

Indian Gap - we walked about a tenth of a mile up the Appalachian Trail, 
toward Newfound Gap

Black-capped Chickadee   5
Red-breasted Nuthatch   2
Brown Creeper   1
Winter Wren   2
Golden-crwoned Kinglets
Veery
Blue-headed Vireos
Chestnut-sided Warbler   2
Blackburnian Warblers   2
Dark-eyed Juncos
Red Crossbills   at least two in the fog

Clingmans Dome parking area (I believe this is all North Carolina)

may have heard some Cedar Waxwings...expected there
Golden-crowned Kinglets
Am Robins
Blue-headed Vireos
Chestnut-sided Warbler   1
Dark-eyed Juncos

David Trently
Knoxville, TN
dtrently@xxxxxxx

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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    TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
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