Venture to the 
Cherohala Skyway and Snowbird Lodge, 
Graham County, NC 
22 September 2007 
with Simon Thompson

  The North Carolina section of the Cherohala Skyway climbs from 2500 to over 5000 feet in elevation and despite the intermittent patches of fog on the way there from Asheville, the day looked like it was heading to be a beautiful one. We met at around 9 AM and started birding along the road. The views from the Skyway are always outstanding as the mountain ridges merge into the morning haze. Surprisingly, birds were not abundant although there had been a big push of thrushes the previous night. After plenty of fly- bys, we did get great views of Swainson's Thrush and Veery near some fruiting pokeweed. Warblers included several Tennessee, a handful of Chestnut-sided, Magnolia and Black-and-white, plus brief views of a Blue-winged. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Scarlet Tanagers were coming through in small numbers and a couple of Broad-winged Hawks sailed over our heads. We finished the day with cold drinks and cookies on the porch of Snowbird Mountain Lodge, where an immature male Summer Tanager entertained us with its flycatching habits barely a few feet from where we sat.

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