I hiked up to Mt. Leconte (GSMNP) for the first time Wednesday via the Alum Cave Trail hoping for a lifer in Peregrine Falcon. I was rewarded with 3 soaring high and making lots of noise just past the cave bluffs. I checked out the lodge and Cliff Top before heading down around 5 pm. I saw 2 of the Peregrines from the cave bluffs on the descent. Lots of people on the way up but I saw no one the whole way down except for a lodge employee going up with 30 pounds of bagels in her pack. Rosebay, Cawtawba, and Carolina rhododendran was seen although the Cawtawba blooms were mostly fallen, as was the mountain laurel. It was a beautiful hike--gotta remember to charge my camera batteries next time. Peregrine Falcon - 3 Common Raven - 3? heard American Crow - 1 heard Black-throated Blue Warbler - 16 (all elev.-my 1st of year) Black-throated Green Warbler - 9 (all elev.) Black-and-White Warbler - 1 f (lower end) Blackburnian Warbler - 1 f (Cliff Top) Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1 heard Northern Parula - 1 heard (lower end) Blue-headed Vireo - 5 heard (lower half) Veery - 9 (all elev.) Gray Catbird - 3 (upper half) Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 (lower end) Winter Wren - 8 heard (all elev.) Red-breasted Nuthatch - 5 (upper half - 2 at Cliff Top) Dark-eyed Junco - many (all elev. - tons at Cliff Top) Black-capped Chickadee - 6 (upper half) unIDed Chickadee - 3 (lower half) Eastern Phoebe - 2 (cave bluffs) American Robin - 1 heard (lodge) Eastern Towhee - 5 heard (all elev.) Cedar Waxwing - 1 (lodge) Missed out on Canada Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Red Crossbill, and Hermit Thrush. Shane Williams - Knoxville, TN