Cripple Creek Rd. is an out of the way backroad between hills near the juncture of Carter, Washington and Sullivan Counties. I drove it Sunday morning and felt like I was in the National Forest in the mountains instead of the middle of the valley. SUN 21 MAY 2006 Cripple Creek Rd., Carter Co., TN Yellow-billed Cuckoo Acadian Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Red-eyed Vireo Wood Thrush Pine Warbler Ovenbird Hooded Warbler Scarlet Tanager Song Sparrow Indigo Bunting American Goldfinch Woodlyn Rd., (St. John's Pond), Washington Co., TN Warbling Vireo Blue Grosbeak Big Creek Rd., Cherokee Natl. Forest, Sullivan Co., TN (with Dianne Draper) Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey (with young) Pine Warbler --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MON 22 MAY 2006 Hales Rd., Washington Co., TN Warbling Vireo Baltimore Oriole ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TUE 23 MAY 2006 Hales Rd., Washington Co., TN Loggerhead Shrike --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Warbling Vireos I've been finding lately show an interesting distribution when viewed on a map of the area, like Delormes TN Atlas, pg. 62. The sites I previously posted 18 MAY 2006 from Washington Co. at Bush Hog Blvd., Shanks Rd., Kyker Rd., and McInturff Rd. are all on Big Limestone Creek that drains into the Nolichuckey River. The Hales Rd. site is on Boones Creek that flows into the Watauga system. The Woodlyn Rd. site is on Brush Creek that also flows to the Watauga River. Regardless of the drainages, all of these sites are arranged in a straight line through the middle of the valley between the Unaka range and the Bays Mountain range. I haven't a clue if it means anything, but I find it peculiar. Don Holt Johnson City, TN