-----Original Message----- From: Kevin Caldwell <mtssea@xxxxxxxxx> Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:49:54 To: Carolina Birds<carolinabirds@xxxxxxxx> Cc: Julie Judkins<jjudkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Blair Ogburn<bogburn@xxxxxxxxxxx>; Chris Sermons<biowayfarm@xxxxxxxxx>; Ed-Margaret Dunson<wdunson@xxxxxxxxxxx>; Eric&Deb Vrsansky<ericanddebv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Jack Drost<jdrost1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; James Atkinson<jatkin02@xxxxxxxxx>; mark hopey<yepohekram@xxxxxxxxx>; Merrill Lynch<mlynch@xxxxxxx>; Nora Schubert<nora_schubert1@xxxxxxxxxxx>; tom howe<tomandamy@xxxxxxx> Subject: Roan High Knob / Cloudland (Carvers Gap "south") AT point counts Todays AT point-count survey was a banger and maybe the most fun route of all so far in terms of rare / watch list birds. In the land where red-eyed & blue-headed vireos don't dare pass, lots of other Canadian style birds are found instead as most you probably know. Two alder FC's were enjoying the green alders @ Carvers Gap but my first point was 250 to the west. At each of the first 3 points west, a single hermit thrush was heard singing and point #6 brought a male magnolia warbler, the 4th year running I've heard it in this location, and others may lurk to the north & northwest. I had no time to nest-search and saw no female or fledglings. Perhaps next year I can try to find the nest. I can send lat/longs to anyone interested the bird is on the last north-south stretch of trail (short section) going west from Carvers Gap just before the eastern peak of Roan High Knob. It is perhaps 1.4 miles (on the trail) to the west of Carvers Gap. This species must be breeding there as its there annually but some may doubt this until a nest is found...still, the fidelity to the location indicates breeding and I"ll put my chips on that. Other high elevation limited birds were lots of winter wrens, rb nuthatch, gc & rb kinglets, and brown creepers, and only 4 or 5 Canada warbs - and but one chestnut sided warbler which I expected higher numbers of. Juncos and veeries galore to moderately galore. And one Coopers hawk that flew nearly right up to me then off - then came back on using playback. There were no yellow rumps this year where Len & Esther Pardue and I watched a flock of them in early July 2007...that was just in time to possibly be breeders but we can't say for sure - the north slope near the shelter. Other birds were cedar wax's, indigos (2), hairy WP, blue jay, mourning dove, and the ubiquitous crow. Kevin Caldwell Conservation Biologist Mountains-to-Sea Ecological, Inc. 828-551-8225 / MtsSea@xxxxxxxxx 87 Ivy Bluffs Rd / Marshall, NC 28753 LâÁ!Ò4DË!$Í5 ÐÀEú+4DÍý%?m§ÿðÃ(¢ ^r?¼Ó÷?éÝj¿Þ?·?²·