A relaxed day of birding from roadsides, gravel roads and overlooks with gentle walking. Weather will be warm when we start and cool off as we climb in elevation.

Curtis Creek Road is a well maintained, albeit now-and-then bumpy, gravel road that climbs with frequent switchbacks along Curtis Creek through Pisgah National Forest, eventually reaching the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is an especially good location for highland woodland birds, including warblers, vireos, thrushes, tanagers. At this time of the year the breeding season is in full swing and birds will still be singing in the early part of the day. We could see or hear Yellow-throated, Hooded, Worm-eating, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green and Swainson’s Warblers; Red-eyed, Yellow-throated and Blue-headed Vireos; Wood Thrush and Veery; Scarlet Tanager; Ruffed Grouse; and lots more. Join us for a very pleasant day birding at the edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

If time permits we might work our way along the Blue Ridge Parkway to look for high elevation boreal species.