[TN-Bird] Cherohala Skyway field trip results

From: David Trently <dtrently@xxxxxxx>
To: TN-Bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:34:53 -0400
east Tennessee (Monroe County), western North Carolina (Graham County)

On Sunday, July 9, a Tennessee Ornithological Society field trip to the 
Cherohala Skyway was attended by fifteen birders, traveling from as far as 
Morristown, TN, and north Georgia.
We made stops at the following locations:

in Tennessee:
1. Lake View overlook (3360 feet elevation) - pulloff on left side of road (as 
you head eastbound), above Indian Boundary Lake
2. Grassy Gap (3400 feet) - trail to Citico Creek, on left side of road.

in North Carolina:
3. Stratton Ridge (4420 feet) - first restroom/picnic area as you enter NC.
4. Hooper Bald (5290 feet) - 2nd restroom area
5. Huckleberry Knob (5300 feet) - on left, just east of Hooper Bald
6. Wright Cove (4150 feet)
7. Snowbird Inn

First stops had some high winds, which luckily calmed as we continued. We had 
a little bit of rain on Hooper Bald, but otherwise it was a cloudy and cool 
day.

Bird list, with highlights and notes (numbers correspond to those sites listed 
above):
Turkey Vulture - 6, 7
Broad-winged Hawk - 6
     I'm used to seeing more vultures and raptors there. The cooler, cloudy 
conditions may have kept these out of sight.
Mourning Dove - 7
Chimney Swift - 1, 3, 7
     there were a lot fewer of these birds than usual
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER - 6
     this is the first I've seen in the mountains of Tenn/NC in summer. Thank 
you Mike Nelson for finding it!
Downy Woodpecker - 5
Hairy Woodpecker - 1, 3
LEAST FLYCATCHER - 4
     4 or 5 of these were seen at Hooper Bald, a regular nesting site for 
them. Some of them were immature birds, giving 'half' of the regular call, 
'che', instead of 'che-bek!'
Eastern Phoebe - 1, 4
Blue-headed Vireo - 1, 4, 5, 6, 7
Red-eyed Vireo - 1, 6
American Crow - 3, 7
COMMON RAVEN - 1
     1 (maybe 2) birds actually seen just above this stop. In the distance, 
saw a group of 5 flying.
Carolina Chickadee - 2, 7
Tufted Titmouse - 1, 2, 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 6
Carolina Wren - 2, 7
Veery - 3
Wood Thrush - 1, 2
American Robin - 3, 4
Gray Catbird - 1, 3, 4, 6
Cedar Waxwing - 1, 4
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1, 3, 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1, 2
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1, 6
Blackburnian Warbler - 4
Pine Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 2
Hooded Warbler - 2
Canada Warbler - 2 (one female)
Scarlet Tanager - 1
Eastern Towhee - 1, 4, 6, 7
Song Sparrow - 4
Dark-eyed Junco - 2, 5, 6
     there were a lot fewer of these than I expected
Northern Cardinal - 7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1, 3, 4
Indigo Bunting - most areas along the road these could be heard singing
Brown-headed Cowbird - 3 (one immature)
American Goldfinch - 1, 7

There are a lot of dead and dying Eastern Hemlocks along the road.

David Trently
Knoxville, TN

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[TN-Bird] Cherohala Skyway field trip results

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