[birdky] RPT:Big Black Mountain musings;Least Flycatcher, Blackburnian, Cerulean and Canada Warblers
- From: michael autin <napkinarmstrong@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2010 18:41:34 -0400
After driving to Cumberland Gap to spend the night Friday, I woke up and drove
to Big Black Mountain via VA-58 through Big Stone Gap. A late start and
getting turned around in Jonesville, caused me to have less time, but
regardless I saw or heard every species I was hoping to find except
Golden-winged Warbler and Black-billed Cuckoo which are probably more uncommon
than other species. All in all a good day birding an area I should have
visited years ago, and still made it home by 8:40.
Location: Black Mountain-gravel pullout 1 mile from summit on 160
Observation date: 6/5/10
Notes: thought i heard a hummingbird briefly, but wasn't sure if it was an
alarm call from a chipmunk, and was having problems moving at 45 miles per hour
deciding if I was hearing Black-and-White Warbler or a variation on a redstart
Number of species: 11
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3 a pair with a rival male chasing
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Cerulean Warbler 1 I was happy to encounter this as I did not expect to
see one at the summit
American Redstart 1
Hooded Warbler 1
Scarlet Tanager 2 a pair
Location: Big Black Mountain-summit
Observation date: 6/5/10
Notes: at one point 2 people joined me momentarily from Virginia to watch a
Chestnut-sided Warbler, even though one was a birdwatcher and knew nothing of
the high-elevation specialties of the area they were uninterested in what I had
to say about the birding possiblities
Number of species: 22
Wild Turkey 3 fledglings flushed off the side of the road and thought
maybe grouse until a long turkey neck popped out to see what had scared the
babies
Turkey Vulture 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Least Flycatcher 25 a lot of calling birds mostly male some exhibiting
courting, fighting and possibly even begging behavior
Blue-headed Vireo 4 one bird seen the rest heard only
Red-eyed Vireo 35 good to hear so many, nice challenge to find
blue-headed vireos with all the other ones sounding off
Blue Jay 2
Veery 12 one pair was observed, moving together and 2 seen that were
silent and 8 others heard singing, beautiful and haunting
American Robin 8
Cedar Waxwing 8 observed singly and in pairs
Chestnut-sided Warbler 15 probably very conservative, calling somewhere
nearby in multiple directions at all times-several times a male would be
replaced by a rival while looking through binocs
Black-throated Blue Warbler 7 several variations on song were heard
Blackburnian Warbler 3 1 pair was observed a male carrying nesting
material/food while following female very closely
American Redstart 3 not particularly common
Ovenbird 10 singing everywhere
Canada Warbler 1 only heard a couple of times
Eastern Towhee 6
Dark-eyed Junco 7 1 pair and several males singing and sounding off
alarm calls when I approached- may have heard begging juveniles but hard to
tell with other birds nesting nearby
Scarlet Tanager 8 1 pair, and 4 males singing
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 7 all singing, a few seen
Indigo Bunting 5I forgot to enter a pair of Barred Owls that were calling
downslope in the midafternoon.
Good Birding,
Michael Autin
Louisville, KY
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- » [birdky] RPT:Big Black Mountain musings;Least Flycatcher, Blackburnian, Cerulean and Canada Warblers - michael autin
