The Red Crossbills that've been hanging out atop the deciduous trees at Dan
Lawson cabin in Cades Cove (GSMNP) were still there as of this afternoon. The
birds were actively calling and flying from tree to tree, though at no time did
I see them foraging. My question is, What are they doing there? This is a
relatively low-elevation site, so are they subsisting on nearby hemlock seeds?
Making trips up the mountain for spruce and fir cones? Does some little old man
come by every morning with a handful of sesame seeds for them? Why else do they
spend so much time at this cabin, and in cherry, birch, and boxelder trees no
less? Are they first-year birds trying to figure things out? They've been there
for several weeks now, and so often that one is almost guaranteed to see them
at just about any time of day (That is, if you don't mind dealing with those
pesky tourists on the loop. "Ralph, stop the car and make those 15 cars behind
us wait, for I see a lovely chipmunk on that log over there! Yes, yes, I know
we have them in Ohio but this one is WILD!"
By the way, I got audio of the birds calling, and have sent the files to Matt
Young at Cornell for verification that they are Type 1 crossbills, which is
what I'm assuming. I hope others will continue visiting these unique little
birds. It's a great opportunity not only to admire them up close, but it's also
a good opportunity to study them a bit.
Here is my eBird checklist, which contains further details:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31187828
Jay Sturner
Knoxville
Knox Co.
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