We got to Hooper Lane in the afternoon but the reported swallows were not present in numbers. A call to Wayne Forsythe revealed that mornings were crucial for getting the numbers we needed to get me a Bank Swallow.
So up we went to Devil's Courthouse on the Blue Ridge. Harry has the NC record for pictures of the most species for his life list but he still needs a Saw Whet. He has seen Saw Whets flying over his head in the dark in the Outer Banks but has not gotten a real good look and certainly not a picture.
Greg also has heard and seen Saw Whets but he was looking to get a picture.
We got to the top of the Courthouse well before sunset and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. One of the best views on the Parkway.
Then just around 9pm Greg heard some fluttering of wings and found a nice juvenile Saw Whet checking us out. We all shone our flashlights and tried to snap a few shots but unfortunately Harry's camera was not cooperating and would not focus on the bird. I was the only one that managed a shot where you can see clearly its a Saw Whet. Greg got a sasquatch style photo that he is going to try and work with but I thought it was a lost cause. Greg heard juveniles begging but despite staying well past 10pm we were not able to get another look.
Next dawned as a beautiful cool day and we headed to Hooper to try for Bank Swallows again. The swallows were out in full force this time with the majority of them perching on the tomato stakes offering good looks.
Barn Swallows were the most numerous with hundreds if not thousands.
Tree Swallows were a close second with loads of Juveniles causing diagnostic troubles for me. Juvenile Tree Swallows can have a breast band that will trick you into thinking of Bank. But the breast band is usually not complete and certainly not as well defined. There are some other field marks like the framing of the auriculars and Tree Swallows have a nice crescent behind the wing.
Tree Swallows - Male on right and Female on left.
Bank Swallow or Tree Swallow? Would appreciate my readers weighing in on this one. The breast band was fairly well defined but it was still borderline.
In this shot the breast band is still visible, but the wing is maybe too broad to be a Bank?
This one is clearly a Tree.
The swallows were sharing the Tomato Stakes with Goldfinches, Song Sparrows and Mourning Doves.
Barn Swallow.
It was great meeting some good local birders in Wayne Forsythe and Steve Ritt. The birding community in NC is strong with real good birders in which I am trying to learn from.
After a Teleconference for work, we hopped into the truck and headed up to Mount Mitchell via the Curtis Creek back road. We were hoping for Ruffed Grouse but they did not show up. First stop at the top was the Bald Knob Ridge Trail to look for Crossbills. Marilyn Westphall and Marcus Simpson have been seeing Crossbills from this trail on a fairly regular basis. I have tried and failed to find them on this trail 4-5 times now this year but this time I was confident that armed with Greg's ears we would get them.
We made it to the grove of Red Spruce where we thought our odds would be the best. Then out of the woods materialized Marilyn and Marcus. We were chatting away when I noticed a bird fly into a spruce. Once on the bird I immediately knew and told the others "Crossbill!!!". I guess if you really want to see Crossbills you just have to hang around Marilyn and Marcus and eventually you will see one. We were treated to some excellent looks although my pictures are not so great. A male and female provided good comparisons between gender. The male is Red and Female is a yellow/green color.
Red Crossbill - male.
Red Crossbill - female.
This was the only shot I had where you could actually see the crossed bill.
Next up was the restaurant at Mt Mitchell for some eats. Unfortunately the restaurant was packed and after a 15 minute wait on the back porch which is gorgeous, we decided we would call it quits and eat in town. However, the birding gods were with us and not 50 yards down the road from the restaurant, I saw a dark shape in a field and shouted "woodchuck"! Greg loves woodchucks so Harry slowed down. Then we got a better look and both Greg and I shouted "Ruffed Grouse"!!! I literally jumped out while the truck was still moving and was able to see a beautiful Ruffed Grouse with two or three chicks. Harry was a trooper and directed traffic while Greg and I snapped away. Harry already had grouse pictures in his bank.
Ruffed Grouse with two chicks which are getting big.
Seeing a Ruffed Grouse is like winning a mini lottery. There is no sure fire way of finding one of these short of going to the zoo. Its all about just putting in the time in suitable habitat. I have put in days worth of time this year so it was just a matter of time.
Random photo of an upside-down Lily.
Here Harry is saying "I got you a Crossbill and Ruffed Grouse in the span of one hour, you better get me a Saw Whet picture or you are walking home".
We had some time to kill before a second shot at Saw Whets so Greg and Harry dropped me off at one of my favorite Parkway spots, Black Balsam Knob. They took a nap while I took a short hike down a spur trail.
Golden-crowned Kinglet - this guy had 2-3 inch worms he was probably gathering for his growing brood.
Blue-headed Vireo
That night we met up again with Marylin and Marcus coincidentally and were able to get a tooting Saw Whet that was tooting pretty much the whole time we were there. At one point it flew one foot above Marilyn's and my head and perched for a short second above us but alas Harry couldn't get his camera to pivot to the angle needed to get a photo.
Oh well, Harry still has something to live for. He is already talking about next year.
We stayed one more night in Hendersonville and tried for a definitive Bank Swallow the next morning. Although we had seen a couple the previous day I still did not have a definitive picture. Greg had one that looks pretty good for a Bank but mine was still not convincing.
I did get this Cliff Swallow picture though as a consolation. Too bad I have that bird already.
Great times. I really enjoy birding with Greg and Harry. Greg's background as a Forensic Scientist (inside joke) and Harry's as a Ferry Captain provides for lots of good storied in between the birds.
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