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Re: Warblers moving into the mountains



FYI, those people in camo were probably turkey hunting (Saturday was opening day). It isn't mandatory to wear hunter orange when turkey hunting so be careful in the woods.

Jeffrey D. Esely 
Conservation Science Specialist
Division of Natural Resources
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department
9401 Plaza Rd. Ext.
Charlotte, NC 28215
(704) 432-1390

>>> mjwestphal <mjwestphal@unca.edu> 04/16/03 10:11AM >>>
With all the nice weather here in the southern NC mountains the warblers have 
really started to pour in.  I drove up through the Pisgah National Forest on 
my way to work this morning (N. Mills River Rd, up Wash Creek Rd in Henderson 
County, and down Bent Creek Experimental Forest Rd to the Arboretum in 
Buncombe County) and encountered scads of warblers.  I was rarely out of 
earshot of some warbler or other and was often hearing several.  Driving this 
10 to 12 mile stretch (7am to 8:15am) I heard about:
40+ Black-throated Green Warblers
30+ Black and White Warblers
20+ Northern Parula
15+ Ovenbirds
15+ Hooded Warblers
12 or 13 Worm-eating Warblers
1 Louisiana Waterthrush
2 Red-eyed Vireos
10+ Blue Headed Vireos
5 Wood Thrushes

Another plus, on the whole trip I only passed one car - a Forest Service 
truck, although there were several camps along Wash Creek Road (I guess the 
people were still sleeping) and a couple of guys walking down the road dressed 
in camouflage and toting rifles.  Guess they were not concerned about legal 
hunting season dates.  Hope the Forest Service guy caught up with them.

Wash Creek Rd also had a couple of Whip-poor-wills on it last night.  One was 
calling and the other was sitting in the road.

Sure is good to have the song birds back.  The forest has come alive again.  
One warning, the Experimental Forest Road is in rather bad shape in places.  
Looks like it might become a bit tricky it wet weather.
Marilyn

Marilyn Westphal
Environmental Quality Institute
University of North Carolina-Asheville
One University Heights
Asheville, NC  28804
828/251-6823
mjwestphal@unca.edu