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KTOS Field Trip to Cherohala Skyway (fwd)




Forwarded from TN-birds.  Thought some might be interested.  Note the
butterfly sightings as well.

Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN
kde@utk.edu

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 20:39:08 -0400
From: David Trently <dtrently@UTK.EDU>
Reply-To: Discussion list for Tennessee Birding <TN-BIRD@LIST.AUDUBON.ORG>
To: TN-BIRD@LIST.AUDUBON.ORG
Subject: KTOS Field Trip to Cherohala Skyway

On Saturday, Sept. 23, 7 birders visited the beautiful Cherohala Skyway in
Monroe County, Tennessee and Graham County, North Carolina. For those of
you who chickened out because of the threat of rain - you should have been
there! The weather was terrific, no rain until we were on our way home,
listening to the UT Vols beating Louisiana-Monroe.

Everyone got at least one life butterfly, and I believe one person got at
least one life bird.

some highlights...
We were birding along the road from 8:30 a.m. until about 4:00 p.m. We
found 13 species of warbler:
Tennessee       1
Magnolia        3
Black-throated Blue     1
Blackburnian    3
Yellow-throated         2
Pine    2
Palm    2
Bay-breasted    1 or 2
Black-and-white         1
Redstart        2
Worm-eating     2
Ovenbird        1
Hooded          1

Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were fairly common at a few
stops.
2 Common Ravens
3 Savannah Sparrows
at least 4 Black-capped Chickadees
heard one E Screech-Owl

Dark-eyed Juncos were abundant at some of the higher elevations, especially
on Huckleberry Knob...but we did not see any partial albinos which have
been spotted in that area in the past.

While all the birds were wonderful to see and hear, in some ways the best
flying creature we saw was a butterfly: LONG-TAILED SKIPPER. According to
range maps in the field guides, this guy should not have been in the high
mountains of western North Carolina!! It was seen on the lower Huckleberry
bald.

Other butterflies:
Little Yellow (lifer for everyone, I think)
Eastern Tailed Blue
Monarch
Gulf Frittilary
Great Spangled Frittilary
Cloudless Sulphur
Pipevine Swallowtails (plenty!)
maybe others I don't remember.

If you haven't been to the Skyway, you are missing a wonderful place!

David Trently,
Knoxville, TN
dtrently@utk.edu