[Bristol-Birds] Red-breasted Nuthatch, Fox Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, etc. (Greene Co., TN)

From: Don Miller <raincrow@xxxxxxx>
To: TN-Bird <TN-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Bristol-birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Butternuts <butternuts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 23:34:39 -0500

March 26, 2006

Paint Creek Recreation Area (PCRA) and miscellaneous other sites in eastern Greene County

I visited Paint Creek Recreation Area in southeastern Greene County this afternoon, as well as a few ponds and fields en route and on the return trip home. PCRA is a low-elevation hemlock-rhododendron corridor along lower Paint Creek in the Cherokee National Forest. It begins at Paint Creek Campground and continues about 5-6 miles until it reaches the French Broad River at the Madison Co., NC / Cocke Co., TN line. All along the route, the creek is paralleled by Lower Paint Creek Road (Forest Road 41).

In August 2001, southeastern Greene County was devastated by a series of floods that wiped out PCRA, one of the county's most popular areas for forest recreation. Other Cherokee National Forest areas were also seriously impacted. PCRA has been closed since the floods but is scheduled to be re-opened soon, very possibly this year. The road and bridges along the corridor have been re-built, or mostly so, and things are looking much better.

Today I hiked from Paint Creek Campground downstream about a mile or so. I was pleased to note that even though the flood damage had been extensive, apparently much waterthrush habitat had been relatively untouched. In its prime a few years ago, PCRA was notable for Acadian Flycatcher, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and a few other neotropical species. It was one of the few sites in Greene County that was capable of attracting Yellow-throated Warbler for breeding. Louisiana Waterthrush was downright common in the corridor, likely to be found every half mile or so.

Since the floods wiped out much streamside vegetation and thus have led to an increase in average water temperature in Paint Creek, the damage to the corridor may be more extensive than meets the eye. It is very probable that the ecology of the corridor is radically different from what I remember from a half-decade ago. I don't have enough information to speculate on that yet, but since travel in the area is possible once again, I plan to spend significant time there this spring and summer. I will be especially interested to note any changes in waterthrush occurrence.

Today's list at PCRA includes the following:

Hairy Woodpecker (2);
Eastern Phoebe (6);
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2);
White-breasted Nuthatch (2);
Golden-crowned Kinglet (7);
Pine Warbler;
Fox Sparrow (2);
Dark-eyed Junco.

(I had no luck finding Blue-headed Vireo or Louisiana Waterthrush, two prominent early arrivals.)

Elsewhere in the county, I found the following:

American Black Duck (5 on Cartwheel Road);
Northern Shoveler (18 on Cartwheel Road);
Green-winged Teal (2 on Cartwheel Road);
Redhead (female on Cartwheel Road);
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Greeneville);
Wilson's Snipe (7);
Purple Martin (on Cartwheel Road);
Loggerhead Shrike (2 on Gray Road 0.1 mile west of Pumpkin Bloom Lane);
Chipping Sparrow (15+ on Garrett Hill Road).

Don Miller
Greeneville, Greene Co., TN

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[Bristol-Birds] Red-breasted Nuthatch, Fox Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, etc. (Greene Co., TN)

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