[TN-Bird] More interesting birds!

From: "Ron Hoff" <aves7000@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "TN-bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2013 21:58:20 -0400
TN-birders,

This morning Mike Nelson joined Dollyann and me on a trip up to the top of 
Cross Mountain in Campbell Co. to look for a recently reported Black-billed 
Cuckoo.

We went to Caryville, just off I-75 N, and took the only road through town and 
up the mountain, going past the “bench” on the left where we normally look for 
Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA). We got to the top of the road (the road actually 
starts going down in elevation here) and turned right onto a gravel road. We 
went out this road about 1-2 miles to a place where there is an obvious sign 
saying it’s the Cross Mountain Trailhead for the Cumberland Trail. There is a 
small parking lot here and this is where we were told the Black-billed Cuckoo 
was spotted and acted territorial a couple of weeks ago. Mike played a tape for 
the cuckoo a few times but nothing responded.

We then drove further out the road about a mile and stopped to see what was 
calling, when Mike heard a Veery. Veery has been recorded here in migration but 
we have never heard that they were breeders in the area, as the elevation is 
only 3176 ft. Apparently that is enough, as we heard 2 different Veeries 
calling and saw one. The Breeding Bird Atlas of TN (Nicholson) states that 
Veeries nest in the Cumberland Mtns. above 854 m (2818 ft.). The elevation here 
is above that.

After some more trying for the cuckoo, we returned to the original stop by the 
sign for the Cumberland Trail and tried one final time for the cuckoo. No 
cuckoo but Mike heard what he thought was a Blue-winged Warbler (BWWA), but 
when the bird showed itself, it turned out to be a GWWA instead, singing a BWWA 
song. Refer to an email on TN-bird earlier this afternoon. A link to Mike’s 
recording is here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/137639.

Although we haven’t birded this area all that much, we have been up here a few 
times over the years and this was the first time we have ever had a GWWA up on 
top. In addition to that, I managed to find a gorgeous male Blackburnian 
Warbler that eluded Dollyann and Mike. While we have had Blackburnian Warbler 
at about this elevation over at Fork Mountain in Anderson Co., we have never 
had them at this location.

So 3 interesting sightings on top of old Smoke.....oops, Cross Mountain, where 
in the past we have not seen them.

Great birding,

Ron Hoff & Dollyann Myers
Clinton, TN
[TN-Bird] More interesting birds!

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