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Ridge Junction Rookies



Two birders who don't get out nearly enough (us) got to sample the flow 
of migrants and special residents along the Blue Ridge Parkway this 
weekend. We worked the birding in around a continuing education event in 
Asheville.

Friday, 9/10, at Ridge Junction, included:

a steady stream of 38 hummers in 1 and 3/4 hours, most following the same 
track
1 Tennessee warbler
several possible magnolias
1 red-breasted nuthatch
a pair of crossbills flying over
1 raven
1 pine siskin

At the Mt. Mitchell restaurant, good looks at crossbills excited us. The 
view from the top was spectacular, after the passage of the front.

Just off the road to the Craggy Gardens picnic area, we saw a male Cape 
May warbler.

On Sunday afternoon, 9/12, we saw 1 broad wing hawk tussling with 2 
ravens in flight, about 2 miles north of the Mt. Pisgah watch site. It 
appeared to head off in a northerly direction.
Near the turn to the Mt. Pisgah fire tower, we saw 2 sharp-shinned hawks 
swooping out from the trees and back in.

Back at home, hummers are swarming our feeders like bees. We had our 
second sighting of a black-and-white warbler in a week.

Buren and Luanne Blankenship
Pendleton, SC (between Clemson and Anderson)
blblank@carol.net