NC 2011- #200

Was a White-eyed Vireo that was singing and scolding at Kituwah Farms in Swain County this morning. Here, I also was surprised to see and hear three Greater Yellowlegs at close range. Looks like shorebird migration is certainly moving now too. 11 Blue-winged Teal, 3 gnatcatchers, a catbird, and a Common Yellowthroat, along with three swallow species, rounded out the spring migrant tally from this morning. A windy morning, especially after about 9:00, provided some challenging songbird-finding conditions. I'm planning on birding around Henderson and southern Buncombe counties tommorow, with targets of Black-throated Green Warbler and other newly arrived neotropical migrants. Lake Junaluska had some cool birds reported from this morning- Green-winged Teal, Horned Grebe, and several Red-breasted Mergansers, all of which would be county birds, along with a whole raft of Blue-winged Teal. Today's birds from Kituwah:

Canada Goose 5
Blue-winged Teal 11
Great Blue Heron 4
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Wilson's Snipe 10
Rock Pigeon 6
Mourning Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 8
Pileated Woodpecker 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 11
American Crow 43
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Tree Swallow 12
Barn Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 8
Carolina Wren 15
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Eastern Bluebird 7
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 19
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling 7
American Pipit 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Eastern Towhee 6
Chipping Sparrow 1
Field Sparrow 20
Savannah Sparrow 49
Song Sparrow 22
Swamp Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 61
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 20
Red-winged Blackbird 47
Eastern Meadowlark 3
Common Grackle 1
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 3

Other species seen today:
Eastern Phoebe 1- Needmore Gamelands, Swain County
Blue-headed Vireo 1- Needmore Gamelands, Swain County
Dark-eyed Junco 1- Needmore Gamelands, Swain County
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1- Edgewater Rd., Cullowhee, Jackson County