March 7, 2012

   Rolling fields, scattered woodlots and riverine brush hold good numbers of both resident and wintering species and the open country habitat dictates the varied bird population of the area. We will be looking for several sparrows, such as White-crowned, Lincoln’s, Swamp and Vesper.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

    Located in the central Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills, Polk County is known for its mild climate due to the "Thermal Belt." This is when warm air settles and moderates the temperatures — cooler in summer and warmer in winter. This phenomenon allows for outdoor activities and events to be enjoyed throughout the seasons. While the weather may indeed be perfect, there’s nothing that can beat a walk in the woods in the spring. The new leaves are a bright emerald green, the first spring flowers are carpeting the forest floor and the woods are full of the sound of birdsong.

Monday, April 16, 2011

     The Blue Ridge Parkway winds through the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia into North Carolina, skirting the southern end of the Black Mountains, weaving through the Craggies, the Pisgahs, the Balsams, and ending in the Great Smokies.; we visit various locations in the Blue Ridge Mountains, studying the natural history of the area at different elevations from the foothills to the top of Mt. Mitchell (at 6,684 feet, the tallest peak in the eastern United States).

   Forest Service Road 711 winds up through beautiful mountain scenery with views and vistas at many turns in the road. At this early time of the year we will be able to see many newly-arrived birds without the dense leaf cover. Blackburnian and Black-and-white Warblers will be flying around and establishing their territories and Blue-headed Vireos will be singing their sweet songs in the slowly leafing woodlands.

Friday April 27, 2012

   The neotropical migrant birds that breed in the southern Applachain mountains arrive earlier than those going further north. By this time in April they should be well established, singing heartily.

Friday, May 4, 2012

    The neotropical migrant birds that breed in the southern Applachain mountains arrive earlier than those going further north. By this time in April they should be well established, singing heartily.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

   This is the day to concentrate on and just “do” warblers, but we have to occasionally look at something else! Most of the warblers should be back on their breeding grounds by now and we should be able to hear and learn many of their songs.

Monday, June 4, 2012

   We plan to drive south and visit various locations in the Blue Ridge, looking for some of the area’s most exciting birds, such as many species of warblers, vireos and several hard-to-identify Empidonax flycatchers.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

    Finding and naming the singers can take a lot of time and can also be a real challenge, so it helps more than just a little to have a working knowledge of the voices in the woods. How do you go about doing that? There are many methods one can use, but the best thing to do is to immerse oneself in the outdoors and track down the singers. Learn a few at a time and maybe the names and voices will eventually merge.

   In addition to the varied plantlife, there are such high altitude birding treats as the Alder Flycatcher, Red Crossbill, Hermit Thrush, Veery, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Chestnut-sided and Canada Warblers and Brown Creeper.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

   The old field/forest succession at the lower mountain elevation provides excellent nesting habitat for Golden- winged Warblers, which are quite common in the area. Blue-winged and Chestnut-sided also breed in the area, as do Yellow-breasted Chats. Because the area is so important to the Golden-wing, the National Audubon Society has designated it an “Important Bird Area.”

   We’ll start in Spruce Pine with a walk along the Spruce Pine Riverside Park. In this riparian habitat we should see Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

    Birdwatchers in recent years have begun to take notice of other flying animals, including dragonflies and damselflies. The Odonates, as dragon and damselflies are collectively known, are diverse and fascinating. Polk County has 65 documented species of odonates. Some are as colorful and unmistakable as any warbler; others can be just as challenging to identify as any sandpiper or flycatcher.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

    Jackson Park in Hendersonville is one of the most remarkable "migrant traps" in the southeast. Nearly every migrating bird in the east has been recorded here, with as many as 23 warblers recorded in a single day! Seldom seen on migration in this area, both Connecticut and Mourning Warblers have been found in the park. More likely to be seen are Bay-breasted, Wilson's, Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Blackburnian, Nashville, Northern Parula, both Louisiana and Northern Waterthrush --the list goes on and on!