[TN-Bird] Smokies - crossbills

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
near Townsend
Blount County
east Tennessee

On Sunday, Feb. 15, I hiked some of the Chestnut Top Trail which runs from the 
Townsend "Y" to Schoolhouse Gap Trail. I was hoping for some early wildflowers 
(especially Trailing Arbutus) but found nothing blooming yet. This is a great 
trail for wildflowers and looks like it would be excellent for birding in 
spring and summer (I've never hiked it before)

Along the route, there were mostly miles of silence, with a few DARK-EYED 
JUNCOs (3) at the higher elevations (around 2200 feet). At the 2 mile point 
there was a lot of activity with a half dozen TUFTED TITMICE singing, as if 
competing with each other. Here there were also some RED CROSSBILLs. I first 
heard 2 or more flying over, then saw one bright yellow one in a pine tree. 
(yellow ones may be females)
One bird I was really happy to see was a male RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. We had 
missed this species on the Smokies CBC back in December, which was only the 
3rd time in the history of this Count that it was missed.

Also along the trail were:

Downy Woodpecker
Am Crow
Carolina Chickadees
Brown Creeper (1)
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
N Cardinal
Fox Sparrow (at least 2, probably 4. binoculars fogged up in the rain and I 
couldn't easily see another two birds with them)

David Trently
Knoxville, TN

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