Venture
to Stecoah Gap
(#3)
Graham County, NC
Sunday, May 6, 2007
The spring freeze this year really affected the early leaves and flowers making food very scarce for many of the newly-arriving warblers. We were denied the show of watching warbler clinging to the Silverbell blossoms and extracting small caterpillars. Despite this damage, we still managed an excellent selection of warblers. Our walk through the forest at Stecoah Gap was beautiful with an understory of spring flowers and ferns and the songs of at least 5 species of warblers filtering down from the treetops. Our stop along the river in Robbinsville is always a good spot for both Yellow Warbler and Baltimore Orioles while the feeders at Snowbird Lodge were "covered up" with Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds- what a sight.
Simon Thompson
| Birds | |
| Turkey Vulture | Golden-winged Warbler 2♂♂ |
| Broad-winged Hawk (4) | Tennessee Warbler (Heard) |
| Red-tailed Hawk (1) | Northern Parula |
| Ruffed Grouse (Heard) | Yellow Warbler |
| Mourning Dove | Chestnut-sided Warbler (Hd) |
| Chimney Swift | Magnolia Warbler (1 male) |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Black-throated Blue Warbler |
| Belted Kingfisher | Black-throated Green Warbler (5+ nest) |
| Downy Woodpecker | Blackburnian Warbler (5+) |
| Hairy Woodpecker | Cerulean Warbler (1 female) |
| Pileated Woodpecker (Heard) | Black-and-White Warbler (5+) |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee (Heard) | American Redstart |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Worm-eating Warbler (3) |
| Blue Jay | Ovenbird (2) |
| American Crow | Common Yellowthroat (1) |
| Northern Raven (Heard) | Hooded Warbler (1) |
| Carolina Chickadee | Scarlet Tanager (5+) |
| Tufted Titmouse | Northern Cardinal |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| Carolina Wren (heard) | Indigo Bunting |
| Eastern Bluebird | Eastern Towhee |
| Wood Thrush (Heard) | Song Sparrow |
| American Robin | Dark-eyed Junco |
| Gray Catbird | Red-winged Blackbird |
| Brown Thrasher | Common Grackle |
| Cedar Waxwing | Brown-headed Cowbird |
| European Starling | Baltimore Oriole (2) |
| Blue-headed Vireo | American Goldfinch |
| Red-eyed Vireo | House Sparrow |
| Butterflies | |
| Pipevine Swallowtail | Pearl Crescent |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | American Lady |
| West Virginia White | Duskywing sp |