Group Birding
It was going to be another warm, sunny and beautiful day in the mountains of Graham County, NC and what better place to be birding than the warbler-filled woodlands at Stecoah Gap? 16 species of warblers along with the supporting crew of other spring birds is hard to beat. Scarlet Tanagers must have been moving through today as we saw over 10 individuals. Some will stay to breed, while others will move north to more deciduous woodlands. Ovenbirds were also easy to see today and I think everyone in the group managed scope views - always an achievement. Both Yellow-rumped and Blackpoll Warblers were moving through and we even managed great views of a singing Worm-eating Warbler as it moved around where we were standing. Golden-wings were in their normal places, although the most obvious male has a very peculiar buzzing song, most unlike the classic song of a Golden-wing. A Blue-winged Warbler was also passing through, but we had to be content with just hearing the 2 note "song" from deep in the roadside shrubbery. I suppose the strangest sighting of the day had to be the Wild Turkey flying downhill high above the canopy. One never knows what one will see next!
| Turkey Vulture | Black-throated Blue Warbler |
| Wild Turkey | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| Mourning Dove | Black-throated Green Warbler |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Blackburnian Warbler |
| Blue Jay | Yellow-throated Warbler |
| American Crow | Blackpoll Warbler |
| Carolina Chickadee | Cerulean Warbler |
| Tufted Titmouse | Black & White Warbler |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | American Redstart |
| Carolina Wren | Worm-eating Warbler |
| Winter Wren (H) | Ovenbird |
| Eastern Bluebird | Hooded Warbler (H) |
| American Robin | Scarlet Tanager |
| Gray Catbird | Northern Cardinal |
| Blue-headed Vireo | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | Indigo Bunting |
| Red-eyed Vireo | Eastern Towhee |
| Golden-winged Warbler | Dark-eyed Junco |
| Blue-winged Warbler (H) | Pine Siskin |
| Northern Parula | American Goldfinch |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler |
Black-and-white Warbler