[TN-Bird] birders walk mountain forest trails for for great finds at TOS foray

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "TN-birds" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:46:53 -0400










 Cars begin to arrive back at the TOS Shady Valley Foray headquarters Saturday
 as birders trickle in from birding hikes that extended from the early dawn 
hours.  
 More were arriving as the afternoon hours passed. Still others are expected 
Sunday.
 
 Birders from Northern Virginia to Southeast Tennessee and the Nashville area
 bunked down in tents, vehicles and at hotels from Abingdon, VA to Mountain 
City,
 TN in order to take part.  Still others commuted long distance each day to take
 part in a century of birding celebration hosted by the Herndon Chapter TOS at
 Elizabethton and the Bristol Bird Club.  This weekend is the fifth summer 
breeding
 season foray conducted by TOS in Shady Valley during the past 50 years -- 
starting
 in 1961.

 Saturday witnessed no less than four field parties hiking nearly 20 miles 
along the
 US Forest Service Iron Mountain Trail and the famous Appalachian Trail which
 extends from Maine to Georgia.

 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Canada Warblers, Blackburnian Warblers and Least
 Flycatchers were among species enjoyed as they sang in their mountain 
territories.

 Lush Appalachian green forests and trailsides were again accented with gorgeous
 wildflowers.  Thrills are showing up by the footsteps.

 A mini-version of a US Fish & Wildlife Service breeding bird survey was covered
 with 15 stops along Beaverdam Stream, a beautiful trout waters flowing from the
 valley north thru a splendid and undeveloped riparian cove hardwood.

 Groups gathered by the tables full for meals at a local restaurant and to 
cheer their
 success and compare notes.  Not the least of which was Rob Biller who set out 
 alone to bird six miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting at daybreak.  Not 
only did
 he discovered what is believed to be a new neighboring-county breeding season
 species record but he couldn't get off the mountain.  A best plan to arrived 
at a
 US highway and then hitchhike back to his car at the headquarters did not work
 so well.  Finally, Biller reached a friend in Shady Valley who drove to the 
mountain
 and gave him a ride from his trail terminus.  But Biller was one happy hikers, 
turning
 in one of the best lists of the weekend.

 Good birds were turning up as expected.  Good birders are having a fantastic 
 weekends in one of Tennessee's most interesting and rare bird habitats.

 If you can make it, don't miss the good times and hustle to meet the Sunday 
parties
 going out from the headquarters at Orchard Bog Preserve on Orchard Rd.

 Wallace Coffey
 Bristol Bird Club

[TN-Bird] birders walk mountain forest trails for for great finds at TOS foray

Other related posts: