[TN-Bird] Swainson's Warblers in Smoky Mts - YES

From: "Trently, David J" <dtrently@xxxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 18:01:36 -0400
On Sunday morning (May 16), Jerry Ledbetter, Mike Nelson, Merikay
Waldvogel and I visited Schoolhouse Gap Trail in the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park (Blount County in east Tennessee). We arrived at
6:30 a.m. On the drive in from the Townsend Y, we heard a few Louisiana
Waterthrushes, Black-throated Green Warblers and Eastern Phoebes - as
usual.
Our hope for the day was to find Swainson's and Worm-eating Warblers. I
had not looked for Swainson's here for a few years and didn't know if
anyone had been finding them. In the past, I knew at least one singing
male could be found about a mile up the trail, a bit before the
Turkeypen Ridge Trail branched off, so we expected to walk at least that
far before finding any.
At the start of the trail, there was the usual NORTHERN PARULA and
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. Usually there are Ovenbirds here too, but we heard
none.
What a surprise it was that, not even 100 yards along the trail, we soon
heard the loud song of a SWAINSON'S WARBLER ahead! We eventually got
great looks at this bird, and were able to compare the song to a
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH singing nearby. As we watched the Swainson's, a
WORM-EATING WARBLER sang. Jerry got to see this for his life bird - and
we got more great looks at others later on the trail.
Just a short distance from the first Swainson's another singing male was
found. Another bird was with it, which was likely a female. So we found
at least three Swainson's today. The second male was at the point of the
trail just before where it starts to climb up hill.
At about the 1 mile point we were greeted by a few WOOD THRUSHes. I
hadn't found those in that area before. They were very vocal and posed
for a few photos.
From Schoolhouse Gap, we walked to White Oak Sinks, a round trip of 4-5
miles...and it only took us about 6 hours!!!
 
Here is a species list for the  trip:
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Wood Thrush
Northern Parula
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Swainson's Warbler
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Hooded Warbler
(Canada Warbler - ??) - we heard and recorded an unidentified warbler.
It's song was kind of similar to a Canada, though much less emphatic.
I've found them in the area before in the breeding season.
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch
 
Number of Species: 29
 
David Trently 
Avian Pursuits Nature Tours 
...come see the real world!
Knoxville, TN 
http://avianpursuits.com/ <http://avianpursuits.com/> 

CyberDefender has scanned this email for potential threats.
Version 2.0 / Build 4.03.29.01
Get free PC security at http://www.cyberdefender.com 

=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
               --------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan
                        Clarksville, TN
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                       MAP RESOURCES
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________
[TN-Bird] Swainson's Warblers in Smoky Mts - YES

Other related posts:
