Mountains Mania (with pictures this time) 01-10May2014

What a great 10 days!  I started my birding vacation with a long weekend at the CBC meeting in Henderson and then moved over to the amazing Anvil Rock cabin at Grandfather Mountain courtesy of an extremely gracious Jesse Pope.  I am going to try and keep this update mostly pictures, otherwise I may end up with a book.

I arrived in Henderson late on Thursday evening hoping to get the White-rumped Sandpiper and Stilt Sandpiper that had been reported the previous day but there was nothing going on, the fields had dried out.  However I managed to start my warbler extravaganza at the river at Hooper Lane.

Palm Warbler - one of the easiest warblers to identify even in fall due to pumping tail behavior.

Blackpoll Warbler - I had lots of these throughout the trip but had no good pictures, they mostly stayed high in the trees.  If you look closely you can see the yellow legs which helps when you are looking at a female or a fall blackpoll.  This one was a breeding male so it was a no brainer.

Indigo Bunting.

Friday was an all day trip to Mt Mitchell with Marilyn Westphal and Mark Simpson.  What a couple of expert birders!  They eat breath and sleep the mountains and know everything about them.  Putting faces to names was a huge bonus about the meeting as I had previously only seen these names on the listserv.

We started the trip with a nice long drive up Curtis Creek Rd. which is a forest service road that creeps up to the top of the Blue Ridge and gives a great sampling of the birds that can be found at each different elevation.

Acadian Flycatcher - how do I know?  Because Marilyn said so.  Empinodax Flycatchers are very difficult to identify without vocalizations.  This one was apparently giving it's call although I couldn't hear it.  I am really starting to think I need to invest in a hearing aid specifically for birding.  I am fine with normal human frequencies but the high pitched warblers and flycatchers are extremely difficult to hear for me unless they are right on top of me.

Black-throated Blue.

We got a bunch of other good birds like Swainson's Warbler, but I had most of them already and I need to keep the pictures down to birds I don't have.

Up on top, the trees were still bare.

Craggy Gardens.

On way back down the mountain, I saw Derb Carter looking up at a road side spot a little up from Bull Gap on the Parkway.   I asked him what he was looking at and he said "just a bunch of Ceruleans."  So I went down to get the rest of the group.  Apparently Ceruleans are a social species and when you find one you frequently will find more.  There were at least 5-6 chasing each other in the tree tops.

I liked birding with the group, but I definitely think you are more likely to see birds close up when birding alone.  These birds stayed pretty far away and the pictures I got are heavily cropped.

Cerulean Warbler.

Black-throated Green.

Saturday consisted of two half day trips.  Trip one was to Jackson Park with Taylor Piephoff as trip leader.  Although we did not have tons of species of warbler, we were able to get some interesting birds.

Magnolia Warbler.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - we saw two of these but both of them were poor looks.  This was one concealed and the other was way up in a tall sycamore.

Solitary Sandpiper - I was really happy to see this bird as I have only seen them a few times.  Little did I know I would end up seeing 10-15 of them in later outings.  Not sure why they call them solitary, I saw groups of 5-6.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler - sporting his breeding plumage.  This is the bird you wish would leave in the winter so they would stop distracting you from finding other birds and then when they are gone or scarce you wish they would come back.

Chestnut-sided Warbler - John Jones who had presented on the Golden-wing Warbler and Chestnut-sided Warbler the previous evening pointed me out this one which he obviously knows the song for probably more than he would like.  His work is centered around problems related to the decline of Golden-wings.  The Chestnut-sided is crowding out the Golden-wing as they share the same habitat which is shrinking both in their northern breeding grounds and southern wintering grounds.

The second trip on Saturday was Charles Owen Park which is next to Warren Wilson College.  I really like this location.  It had two big ponds, a river, tall trees, fields and best of all tons of beautiful college kids roaming around.  Seriously though, I really liked the college atmosphere, it brought me back to my younger days.

Bobolink - The field had tons of these.  I also had a Vesper Sparrow but I was not able to get good pictures.

American Redstart - Male.

White-crowned Sparrow.

As we were headed back the trip leader said a Cape May had been hanging out in the Spruce Trees next to the college.  And there is was!  How great is that when a migrating bird sticks around for several days in the same trees.

Cape May Warbler - not very cooperative for pics but even in the poor light you can make out the chestnut colored mask.

Solitary Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper in the pond next to the pigs.

Well the meeting was fun and I met lots of cool people, but I was looking forward to a week in a cabin on Grandfather Mountain.  Upon arrival that evening the plentiful Juncos, which love elevation in summer, were there to greet me.  The cabin was absolutely beautiful.  Kuralt had stayed there a couple times and written from the cabin.  There is a quote from Kuralt at the entrance to the Anvil Rock Cabin about his time up there and he refers to the numerous Bluets which were in bloom around the cabin.  He was spot on, they are one of my favorites too.  They make you just want to lie down and let the sun shine on your face while Peter Rabbit munches near by.  I took a picture of the Cabin with my iPhone and will try to post it later.

Dark-eyed Junco - slate colored variety.

Juncos were everywhere and I quickly learned their various calls and songs.

A view of Grandfather from the cabin. I think the elevation of the cabin was about 4500 feet.  The leaves were only just budding on most trees when I arrived and when I left a week later most were leafing out nicely.  I couldn't have asked for nicer weather.

My first solo trip was to find the previously reported Ross' Goose at Meat Camp ESA north of Boone.  I wanted to bag this bird before it left.

What an awesome park!  I think the story was that the owners of the property were going to sell the land for some developer so the ponds and bogs could be drained and filled in.  However a local birder recognized it was a gem for birds and was able to buy the land at a song since it was not desired land for development.  Now the land is I believe private but the owner is a birder and allows birders to come and walk around.  There is even a bunch of wood walkways through the bog.

Yellow Warbler - I have seen tons of these outside of North Carolina but it was a treat to see them in my home state.  This is a warbler I can hear loud and clear which makes me appreciate them even more.

At the end of the reserve, there is a vantage point from across a river where the previously reported Ross' Goose is hanging out with a bunch of Canada Geese.

The bird was so white that the glare of the sun reflecting off the bird prevented a truly good picture.  However all the field marks were there or not there in the case of the "grin patch" that the Snow Goose has.  Also this bird was immaculately white, no staining that Snow Geese typically get.

Another Yellow Warbler.

The middle part of the day was spent at Elk Knob, a gorgeous park near the Tennessee border.

Tree Swallow - amazing colors on his back.

Dark-eyed Junco.

Canada Warbler - These became more and more plentiful at elevation during my stay.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Chestnut-sided Warbler.

On the way back to the cabin I hit the Parkway and stopped at Moses Cone park and hiked about 5-6 miles hoping to see or hear Crossbills in the many fir trees. No luck in that department but there were a few birds around despite the warms temps.

Black-throated Blue Warbler.

I have previously posted a yellow-eyed species of the Eastern Towhee.  Here is the "normal" red-eyed variety.

Monday I stayed local and explored the trails around Grandfather.  I have to admit I am always leery of parks that have a large price tag to enter and are known as an "attraction" with things like a swinging bridge and a Bear exhibit, but boy did this place change my view.  It was done very well which is a testament to Hugh Morton the man who opened the park to the public and eventually bequeathed it to the state.  The trails are great with some that have informational plaques with good info on local flora and fauna.  I guess it helps that I had access to the park before anyone else since the park only opens at 8am and closes at 6pm or so.  So I basically had the whole mountain to myself for 2 hours in the mornings and 3 hours in the evenings, which worked our perfectly since I was working during the day anyway.

The museum is nice and especially attracted me because they have a balcony with 4-5 seed feeders and 5-6 nectar feeders.

Ricky the Red Squirrel - what a cute creature.  When Greg Massey showed up later he was so smitten with Ricky that he threatened to put him in his pocket and bring him home.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Red-breasted Nuthatch.

This particular Ruby-throat was amazing, it was flying with only one wing.  I kept going in circles but an amazing feat none the less.  Ok I am kidding, it had two wings.

How rude, this bird kept sticking his tongue out at me.

Pine Siskin - year bird for me.  Not many have been seen in NC this year so it was good to see them in numbers at Grandfather.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - also a year bird.

"What are you looking at you silly human".

At the top which is over 5000 ft in elevation, I had a couple Chickadees which I was hoping was the Black-capped and not the Carolina which is all over NC.  However, I later found out the Black-capped is typically only found in the lower parkway ranges which is strange since it is a northern bird.

Apparently not enough white edging to the tertials to be a Black-Capped.

Handsome bird none the less.

The bridge was kind of scary on Monday as the winds were clocking gusts of 60-70 miles per hour.  Here you can see the swinging bridge was really swinging back and forth, notice the hand rails are not in a straight line.  However what was really remarkable was the noise.  They should call it the Singing Bridge not the Swinging Bridge.  The high winds hitting the cables were making an awful racket.

Prime Saw Whet Owl habitat.  Lots of spruce firs which are stunted by the winds.  I searched high and low all over the mountain but only found one owl box and it appeared to be unoccupied.

Black-throated Green Warbler.

On Tuesday my good buddy Greg Massey joined me in the cabin which was a great thing for two reasons.  First is that Greg has amazing ears and can help me find 3-4 times more birds and more specifically can help me hone in on target birds.  Secondly he is funny as hell and just really fun to hang around.

We started the day birding some of the Parkway spots including Mt. Mitchell.

Blue-headed Vireos were everywhere.

Common Raven - see wedge shaped tail.

On the way down from Mitchell we hit a Forest Service Rd that Greg knows about.

Willow Flycatcher - Greg said the call was spot on which is needed for confirmation on an empi flycatcher.

A morning walk around the Grandfather trails and I found an owl box which was unfortunately unoccupied.  Apparently the best way to photograph a Saw Whet is to catch one in the box.  Some times they sun themselves in the opening.  No such luck for me.  Greg and I tried hard to get owls at night with no luck.

We also tried very hard for Ruffed Grouse which we heard drumming several times but never saw the birds.  A couple times I was hiking alone and felt like I was having heart palpitations, but it just turned out to be a nearby grouse drumming.  The drumming is literally felt more than it is heard.  Hard to explain, so if you have not experienced a drumming grouse, I would highly recommend it.

I wanted to show Greg the Meat Camp ESA spot so we went one of the mornings.

Green Heron.

Our friend the Ross' Goose was still around with some Canadian friends.  Here you can see the size comparison.  Also note the very pale Canada, I have never seen one that pale.

We also visited Elk Knob again and it was good that Greg was with me or I would probably not have seen the many Least Flycatchers.  They were all singing Chebeck!

Least Flycatcher.

Like most Empinodax flycatchers you really need to hear the call or know the habitat to tell them apart.

We had an Alder Flycatcher but unfortunately I did not get a picture, so looks like I will have to visit their high elevation breeding grounds later in the summer.  Jesse told me about a good spot which I checked but they were not there yet.  They apparently come in later than the others.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - he sang away while we had lunch at a picnic table directly beneath him.

Red-headed WP - Apparently these are fairly rare at this elevation so I snapped a pic.

Greg took us to a spot in Elk Knob and said it was Scarlet Tanager Rd.  So this Scarlet promptly showed up.

Scarlet Tanager - duh!

Next stop was Shady Grove, a private farm or nursery that is good for Golden-wing Warblers.

Golden-wing Warbler.

He was signing away, but of course I could hear nothing but the ringing in my ears - Tinnitus.  I can hear the song if I put an iPhone up to my ear.  For all of you with good hearing, don't take it for granted.  For those of you that are young enough to stop hearing loss, wear protection if you are going to be around loud music or machinery.

Golden-winged Warbler.

Here is a random pic from hiking the Grandfather trails, I need help with ID.  If I saw this bird in winter near the coast I would say Hermit Thrush.  However it was not tail pumping and although the tail has some reddish hue, I am not so sure.  No buffy tones to breast or face so I don't think it's a Swainson's which is the most common thrush at this time and elevation with exception of Veery and Robin which it's obviously not. Breast spots not dark enough for Wood Thrush.  As for Gray-Cheeked or Bicknell's I guess the tail and wing color rule them out?  So its a Hermit?

The famous Swinging Bridge from the end of the Black Rock Trail.

Tree Swallow - two birds were nesting in a Bluebird Box at the top of the mountain.

I am losing track of time, but at some point we went back to Warren Wilson to get Greg some Bobolinks.  Well we got him a Bobolink and bagged some other good birds.

Orchard Oriole - Male - see black beard.

Warbling Vireo!!!!  A good bird for NC.  and there was two of them!!

We knew this bird was being seen in the vicinity but it was Greg's wonderful ears that tracked them down.

When I saw this nest I thought for sure it was an Oriole nest, it was kind of hanging.  But Greg swears he say the vireo land in it and not the other close by next which was more of a traditional nest construction.

After the park we headed up Curtis Creek Rd. all the way to the Mitchell summit with our goal of getting a Saw Whet. We saw some good birds but nothing new.

After the sun set we tried for owls at Mitchell with no luck.  So we headed down to a couple other spots on the parkway north of Mitchell.  Persistence pays!!! We got a rather weak Toot toot toot toot from a Saw Whet probably a mile or so away near Ridge Junction.  Of course no pictures.  Although if I get desperate at the end of the year I will make an audio recording and post it.

The following are some more random pics from the Grandfather area over the rest of the week.

Canada Warbler.

Blackburnian Warbler.

Hairy Woodpecker - note the much sturdier and proportionally longer bill compared to his little cousin the Downy.

Hairy WP.

Scarlet Tanager as seen directly from the Anvil Rock Cabin.

I was on a Teleconference for work and nearly pooped myself when a Broad-winged Hawk flew right past the picture window.  I woke Greg from his daydreams and we both ran outside and captured some shots of this beautiful bird with my phone on mute and held by my shoulder while I snapped away.

Taking some advice from Jesse Pope we headed to Valle Crucis to bird the community park.  What an awesome place.

Willow Flycatcher - "three beers" he was saying.

There was at least 3-4 in a small area and we found 2 nests in the process of being built.

Check out the wide bill from below which is a pretty orange/yellow.  One field mark that is helpful but again you really have to rely on vocals for Empi Flycatchers.

What? Another Tree Swallow Picture?  Damn straight.

Female Baltimore Oriole.

Veery.

White-breasted Nuthatch - another Anvil Rock denizen.

Veery - Looks angry.

Green Heron.

Tree Swallow - Sorry I just can't get enough of this bird.  He is so accommodating.

I guess this is why they call it the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Last morning dawned dry despite reports of threatening rain.  So naturally I tried hiking some more of the trails for one final shot at photographing a Grouse or Saw Whet.  I heard several drumming Grouse but no visuals and the owls well lets face it some people spend years trying to see a Saw Whet.

Good Bye Grandfather!  Hope I get another opportunity to hike you again some day.

On my way home I stopped at Reynolda in Winston-Salem for 20 minutes to look for the previously reported Olive-sided Flycatcher but some local birders filled me in that it had not been seen for a couple days.

Best sighting at Reynolda was this Swallow-tailed Butterfly (I think that's what it is).

Next stop in Winston-Salem was for the Dickcissel that was being seen in a field off Research Parkway.

I wonder how many studies have been done on Bobolink social structure.  They seem to post sentries and if you get too close the sentry will sing a tune to his colleagues that is to say "watch out a big goofy birdwatcher is coming" and the flock takes off.

This male was a little crisper with his plumage.

Bingo!!! This is a bird I can hear and I was able to find him in the sea of grass/wildflowers in following his song.

Dickcissel.

What an incredible 10 days!  Thanks to Jesse Pope for his hospitality, Greg for his ears and jokes and my wife for being supportive!

Its good to be back in Wilmington, but I suppose I will get an itch again soon.

Great times.