Tom McNeil, Cathy McNeil and Rob Biller have been producing
new and good birding finds for the higher elevations of
Sullivan County along US 421 Hwy. It a testament to what
good field work produces.
The trio has probably detected new breeding habitat for
Prairie Warblers.
This is written without much record searching but may hold
up as we understand what is happening.
Biller had a Prairie Warbler singing on the Sullivan County
side of Holston Mountain 29 - 30 April 2012.
In May 2013, Tom and Cathy had a Prairie Warbler singing
in the vicinity of 2,800 feet on Holston Mountain at what
was determined as mile marker 33 which is known as
Dogwood Bench.
Biller believes the Prairie Warblers have started occupying
an area that, a few years ago, was burned by wild fire
which occurred along the highway. He things succession
is favoring the Prairies.
The Prairie Warbler is a breeding species in the Ridge and
Valley and mountains up to 3,500 feet elevation. The TWRA
access area, located between Musick's Campground and
Painter Creek Boat Dock at South Holston Lake in Sullivan Co.,
has been a historic breeding locality for the Prairie Warbler.
About 15 years ago, Larry McDaniel, Rob Biller, Ron Carrico and I
found an active nest in one of the low pines on the northeast
side of the access road leading out to the boat ramp. I had
found what may have been the region's first nest of the
species at this site on 12 June 1964. It contained five eggs.
Succession has altered the habitat for the Prairie Warbler
at this location. The site once had a significant number of
nesting Prairie Warblers.
Biller and the McNeils are also picking up Blackburnian
Warblers along US 421 down on the Sullivan County side
at 3,200 feet elevation. This is almost 200 feet lower in
elevation than Low Gap at the top of the mountain
where Sullivan/Johnson counties share a boundary.
Blackburnian Warblers have been known along the
tops of the ridge and farther down into Shady Valley
for many decades.
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
