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Extreme birding
May. 29th, 2011 09:13 pmThis morning I went on a field trip to Royal Blue WMA, up by Caryville--it was either on Cross Mountain or Turley Mountain, I'm not sure which. We met at the Caryville Shoney's at 8 a.m. and carpooled in 4wd vehicles through some of the worst roads I've seen. At first they were just gravelly and steep. Then there was less gravel and more holes and big rocks. I was riding in a Subaru Outback and I had some doubts it would make it. We parked near what's referred to as the quail field (though no one has seen quail there in living memory) and began walking.
Immediately we heard an Indigo Bunting and a Hooded Warbler. Good start. We then walked down a steep trail and heard lots of song, one of them a Common Yellowthroat. We heard the first Cerulean Warbler in the distance. Then the trail leveled out and we heard a Cerulean up close and actually managed to see it. It was a male with a broad breast band. We stayed there a while listening to vireos and warblers. We kept walking. Then we came to a clearing, where we could hear 3 different vireos. Near this clearing on the way back, I saw my first Yellow-throated Vireo.
The field trip was led by a researcher at UT who has been studying the effect of foresting on Cerulean populations. He took us to one of his spots that had been cleared a fair bit (meaning trees were knocked down in our way). Sure enough, a Cerulean came out for us to see. There was also a Kentucky Warbler, another life bird for me though I'd definitely like a better look. Its call is diagnostic--I only was able to see its yellow breast and it flew by us.
After we went back to the first clearing and rested, the leader took us up an incredibly steep trail to look at an Ovenbird nest. Unfortunately it had been predated--just bones and ants inside. But there was an active female nearby, so we hope she started another nest. I got a good look at her and she angrily chipped at us (a pretty good indication of a nest).
We finally made it back out to the gravel road, where we could hear Yellow-billed Cuckoos, though I didn't get to see one. I did get a good view of a Chestnut-sided Vireo and I got to hear a baby Ovenbird calling to its mom.
Great day. I'm exhausted.
Immediately we heard an Indigo Bunting and a Hooded Warbler. Good start. We then walked down a steep trail and heard lots of song, one of them a Common Yellowthroat. We heard the first Cerulean Warbler in the distance. Then the trail leveled out and we heard a Cerulean up close and actually managed to see it. It was a male with a broad breast band. We stayed there a while listening to vireos and warblers. We kept walking. Then we came to a clearing, where we could hear 3 different vireos. Near this clearing on the way back, I saw my first Yellow-throated Vireo.
The field trip was led by a researcher at UT who has been studying the effect of foresting on Cerulean populations. He took us to one of his spots that had been cleared a fair bit (meaning trees were knocked down in our way). Sure enough, a Cerulean came out for us to see. There was also a Kentucky Warbler, another life bird for me though I'd definitely like a better look. Its call is diagnostic--I only was able to see its yellow breast and it flew by us.
After we went back to the first clearing and rested, the leader took us up an incredibly steep trail to look at an Ovenbird nest. Unfortunately it had been predated--just bones and ants inside. But there was an active female nearby, so we hope she started another nest. I got a good look at her and she angrily chipped at us (a pretty good indication of a nest).
We finally made it back out to the gravel road, where we could hear Yellow-billed Cuckoos, though I didn't get to see one. I did get a good view of a Chestnut-sided Vireo and I got to hear a baby Ovenbird calling to its mom.
Great day. I'm exhausted.