The weekend's birding

Was full of warblers and First of the Year birds. Friday kicked off the "weekend" for me, and despite an overall quiet morning I found my first Scarlet Tanager of the year along a Forest Service Road near Cullowhee. Black-throated Green Warblers and Northern Parulas were quite vocal as well. A flyover Common Raven, and a closeup view of both a Barred Owl and Wild Turkey pretty capped Friday's highlights. Saturday I visited Kituwah Farms (Ferguson Fields) near Bryson City in hopes of some new warblers, but to no avail. I was disappointed at both the lack of new migrants as well as shorebirds. Not even a Killdeer or snipe was around. I left Kituwah with 50 species for the day, a number that probably should have been closer to 60. Several White-eyed Vireos, Yellow-throated Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Common Yellowthroats pretty much summed up the spring migrants present (in addition to Barn and Tree Swallows and Purple Martins). Taking the advice of the NC Birding Trail guide, I decided to visit the Oconaluftee Botanical Gardens and Village next, an area which I had never visited before. Black-throated Green and Black-and-white Warblers were both vocal around the parking lot, as well as Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Northern Parulas. To my surprise, I heard a Red-eyed Vireo sound off from back in the woods after being there a short while. Another year bird to the list. I then stopped by the Great Smoky Mountain National Park's Oconaluftee Visitor Center (and surrounding trails) where not much was to be seen of heard, perhaps because of a throng of noisy park-goers milling about. Before heading back to Cullowhee, I stopped by the Blue Ridge Parkway's terminus along highway 441 in Cherokee and birded about a 5 mile stretch. Another FOY species for me, Hooded Warbler, was very vocal at Ballhoot Scar Overlook between mile markers 467 and 468. Two males were very noisily having a competition to see who could sing the loudest. I would hear numerous other Hooded Warblers in the following several days around the Cullowhee area.
     Sunday, April 10, I decided to explore some new territory by visiting Max Patch Rd. and Harmon Den WMA in northern Haywood County, a well known birding spot in the North Carolina mountains. I was happy to hear my FOY Ovenbird sounding off from deep in the woods on my drive up Max Patch Rd. about dawn. I would eventually hear 7 more of these cryptic birds before the morning was over. Again, Black-throated Green Warblers (31) and Black-and-white Warblers (14) were numerous throughout the morning, as well as Blue-headed Vireos (57!). I finally was able to find my first Ruffed Grouse of the year, a pair that I flushed from an old roadbed just off the upper portion of Max Patch Rd. By day's end, I would have a tally of 6 of these guys, with visuals on three! While driving along the middle portion of Max Patch Rd. about mid-morning I immediately slammed on the brakes when I spotted another grouse feeding just feet off the road shoulder. As quietly as possible, I took my camera out and managed some nice, ultra closeups of the bird before it meandered off through the brush. As far as I know, these are the only decent photos I have of the species.

                                                       Ruffed Grouse.

Working my way to Cold Springs Rd. in Harmon Den WMA, just off Max Patch Rd., proved to be well worthwhile. Along Cold Springs Rd. about a hundred yards from the Max Patch Rd. intersection I heard my FOY Black-throated Blue Warbler of the year singing from a rhododendron thicket. After a minute of searching and phishing he decided to pop out into the open, what a beauty! A short distance further down the road I heard a distant warbler song which I couldn't place at the moment...and then another individual starting singing from the top of a poplar right in front of me. Enduring a serious case of warbler neck, I discovered a male Blackburnian Warbler, singing an alternate song. I would end with 9 individuals, all but one of which was singing this alternate song. Northern Parulas were prevalent this morning as well. A quick stop by a very crowded Lake Junaluska added a few species to my daily list such as Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, and a scattering of more common ducks. At day's end I had 75 species for the day and 12 warbler species, not to bad for an early April day in the NC mountains. State year list is now at 211, the latest of which was Blackburnian Warbler.