Migration Workshop, Jackson Park,
Hendersonville, NC: 1 October 2009
It was a foggy start to the morning as we assembled at Jackson Park, and yes, the birds were everywhere. Warblers zipped and dived over our heads as we struggled to see them properly and describe to each other their whereabouts. Tennessees and Black-throated Greens called and hung overhead in the misty air, often hiding their field-marks as they fed on the still dormant insects. Such was our introduction to fall migration today in Jackson Park. Thankfully the frenzy slowed down enough for us to enjoy long extended views of 14 species of southbound warbler as well as 5 species of vireo. The most abundant species were Tennessee, Black-throated Green and Magnolia and we certainly enjoyed these from almost every angle. We had a fly-by of a cuckoo- probably Yellow-billed and the fruiting Virginia Creeper vines attracting in many species, including Scarlet Tanager, American Robin, Northern Flicker and Brown Thrasher. Actually despite not being fall migrants, woodpeckers were common in the park today- probably due to the abundance of food. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were easy to see first thing in the morning but disappeared later in the day. Indigo Buntings were plentiful in the afternoon as they fed in the weedy meadows and several Swainson’s Thrushes quietly fed in the vine tangles. We ended the day with great views of a Swainson’s Thrush bathing in the stream below us- very nice indeed. All in all, it was a great day of fall migration in one of the best migration corridors in the NC Mountains. American Redstart photo by Todd Arcos
| Birds | |
| Wood Duck (2 pairs) | Brown Thrasher |
| Black Vulture (2) | Cedar Waxwing |
| Turkey Vulture | European Starling |
| Red-shouldered Hawk (Heard) | White-eyed Vireo (Heard) |
| Broad-winged Hawk (3) | Blue-headed Vireo (2) |
| Red-tailed Hawk (2) | Yellow-throated Vireo (1) |
| Mourning Dove | Philadelphia Vireo (1) |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1-probably) | Red-eyed Vireo (3) |
| Chimney Swift (1) | Tennessee Warbler (50+) |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1) | Nashville Warbler (1 immature) |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Northern Parula (4) |
| Downy Woodpecker | Chestnut-sided Warbler (5+) |
| Hairy Woodpecker | Magnolia Warbler (20+) |
| Northern Flicker | Cape May Warbler (2) |
| Pileated Woodpecker (1) | Black-throated Green Warbler (10+) |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee (5+) | Blackburnian Warbler (10+) |
| Empidonax Flycatcher sp (1) | Palm Warbler (2) |
| Eastern Phoebe | Bay-breasted Warbler (6) |
| Blue Jay | Black-and-white Warbler (2) |
| American Crow | American Redstart (5+) |
| Carolina Chickadee | Northern Waterthrush (3) |
| Tufted Titmouse | Common Yellowthroat (3) |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | Scarlet Tanager (1) |
| Carolina Wren | Northern Cardinal |
| House Wren (1) | Rose-breasted Grosbeak (6+) |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1) | Indigo Bunting (15+) |
| Eastern Bluebird (Heard) | Eastern Towhee |
| Swainson’s Thrush (3) | Song Sparrow |
| American Robin | Baltimore Oriole (1) |
| Gray Catbird (4) | House Finch |
| Northern Mockingbird | American Goldfinch |
| Mammals and Butterflies etc | |
| Grey Squirrel | Red-spotted Purple |
| Eastern Chipmunk | Cloudless Sulphur |