Q/- 671 C2?3 LETD for members of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., ornithological society of the Carolinas Lynne Mattocks Lucas Newsletter Volume 50 March/April 2004 Number 2 Spring in the Mountains is Glorious! By Charlotte Goedsche The spring CBC meeting will be held at Historic Fontana Village Resort April 29 to May 2. Two-hundred species of wildflower will be blooming, almost all breeding birds will have arrived (but some migrants will still be coming through), and butterflies will be waking up mid-morning. The Resort lies in the Nantahala National Forest, just south of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and west of the Nantahala Mountains. With waterfalls surprising us around the bend on quiet forest roads, and views of the surrounding mountains stunning us on many occasions, having designated drivers for the field trips might be a good idea! Warblers and other mountains specialties will be field-trip highlights. From Ruffed Grouse to Cerulean Warblers, Winter Wrens to Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, the breeding birds will be there to delight us. Far western NC is off the beaten track, and not heavily birded. In fact, Mark Simpson calls the Nantahalas “one of the most interesting but least-visited birding areas in the North Carolina mountains.” But once you get here, you will find that there are many easily accessible birding spots. This spring the CBC is introducing a new system of meeting and field-trip registration. We hope this will reduce the need to close popular field trips at the last minute. (Please note three of the field trips have a limit on the number of people.) The cut-off date for reservations at the Resort has been extended to April 5. After that, rooms and cabins will be available to the general public, although the price will not change. As usual, you will register for accommodations directly with the Resort (800-849-2258). Rooms in the Inn are $64 plus tax. For information on the available cottages and cabins, see the January CBC Newsletter , the CBC website, or contact the Resort (www.fontanavillage.com). During the meeting, a hot breakfast (served 6-7:1 5 am, $7.60) and dinner (served 6-7:30 pm, includes drink and dessert, $9.50) will be served buffet-style in the Carolina Room in the Inn. Meal tickets for the buffets must be purchased when you check in (the closest restaurants are about 22 miles away). For all-day field trips, boxed lunches can be purchased, but the Resort has requested we give them an estimate of the numbers needed, so please indicate your needs on the CBC registration form. Boxed lunches ($5.30) consist of turkey or ham sandwich with American cheese, lettuce and tomato, chips, cookie, fruit, and choice of water or soft drink or a super salad for vegetarians. Lunch is also available at the Peppercorn Restaurant in the Inn (individually, but please reserve a table the night before). And remember that Graham County is dry, although brown bags are welcome at the Resort. Registration will begin Thursday evening from 7-9 pm, and resume on Friday at 6 am. The registration table and CBC cap and shirt sales will be in the Carolina Room in the Inn. The Friday and Saturday programs begin at 7:30 pm. Dr. Fred J. Alsop, III will speak on Birds of the Smokies on Friday and J. Wallace Coffey will talk about his experiences as an amateur ornithologist and his owl research on Saturday. There will be no social, but since most everyone will be eating dinner in the Carolina Room, we can chat and enjoy dessert together before the programs. Saturday there will be a brief business meeting with elections before the slide presentation, and the countdown will be held at the end of the program. Also, on Saturday night, wear your birding shirts, hats, vests, and pins — which will help create conversations about fun birding experiences! Great references to use for the weekend are Birds of the Smokies by Fred J. Alsop, III and Birds of the Blue Ridge Mountains by Markus B. Simpson, Jr. Don’t let the long drive deter you — this is going to be a great meeting! And there are lots of other enticing activities nearby for the non-birding spouse: white-water rafting at Nantahala Outdoor Center, riding the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, boating at the Marina, hiking many trails near the Resort, visiting local potters, and a farmstead cheese producer. Upcoming CBC Meetings Augusta, GA - Sept. 24-26, 2004 Atlantic Beach, NC - Jan. 28-30, 2005 Blowing Rock, NC - Spring 2005 Chat Articles Needed ByKentFiaia I would like to see an increase in the number of General Field Notes submitted for publication in The Chat. The Chat is the journal of the CBC, and that means that CBC members have to write it. Your contribution doesn’t necessarily have to be a state record — as we say in The Chat, General Field Notes briefly report such items as rare sightings, unusual behaviors, or significant nesting records; or summaries of such items. If you’ve got something to say that contributes to knowledge of birds in the Carolinas, please send it in and it will be considered. And if you’ve been conducting a major study that merits being published as a full-length article, so much the better. There are a couple of things about publication in The Chat that I want to make clear, just so there are no surprises. One is that The Chat is a “peer reviewed” journal. This means that manuscripts are read not only by the editors but also by one or more other people, and a consensus is reached as to whether the manuscript should be published. An editor can never promise in advance that a manuscript will be published. It is this kind of a review process that keeps the quality of a journal high. Except for recurring features such as bird count summaries and records committee reports all articles and field notes in The Chat are peer reviewed. Also, the CBC executive committee has adopted a policy that might be considered a special kind of peer review for state records. Reports of first, second, or third state records should first be submitted to the state records committee. Only after the record is accepted by the records committee can a note be published on it in The Chat. I don’t want to scare anyone away from contributing; I'm just providing some background. I want to see your manuscripts! If you're unsure how to write something, ask us for help. And of course notes are not just for rare bird observations, I'd also like to see more contributions on breeding, behavior, ecology, etc. I know that it's a lot easier just to dash off a note to Carolinabirds or post a photo on your web site than it is prepare a carefully written manuscript. But The Chat is a journal of record. It will still be on library shelves after you’ve taken down your web site, after the last person has deleted all their old email folders from this decade, after another operating system has replaced Windows, after nobody uses Outlook Express any more. If you were involved in documenting a bird (such as the Green-breasted Mango in NC or the Ross’s Goose in SC), write it up and submit it to the NC or SC General Field Notes editors! In that vein, I regret to announce that Dennis Forsythe is stepping down as General Field Notes editor for South Carolina after a remarkably long run in that position — 14 years! Thanks Dennis for all your work on behalf of The Chat. Replacing Dennis is Will Post of the Charleston Museum. This is actually a return to the position for Will; he held it for seven years before Dennis took over. So if you are preparing a manuscript to be submitted as a field note from South Carolina, send it to Will instead of to Dennis: Will Post, Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29403, grackler@aol.com. Notes relating to North Carolina birds should still be sent to the other Will, Will Cook. Major articles should be sent directly to me at fiala@ipass.net or Kent Fiala, 1714 Borland Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Just Outside the Window By Donna Slyce J ust Add Sunshine The rime of frost is thick over the weeds of the sparrow field, reaching up even into the bottom branches of the tall pines that border the field. The rising sun twinkles silver and gold on the ice crystals. I am sitting on my heels in the field, frosty sicklepods and broomstraw now reaching above my head. Sparrows stir and call under the cover of the vegetation as I eavesdrop on their conversations. The sun climbs a little higher up the eastern wall of day and now lights the tops of the tallest pines. Suddenly, a semi-musical trill reaches my ear and at last my brain. Listening so intently to sparrow chip notes, it took a bit for my brain to process a longer call such as the breeding song that this trill is. The trill is Pine Warbler, singing his breeding song from atop a tall pine that has just come into the light of the rising sun, sounding off over the frosty field. It seems that when the testosterone begins to rise in Pine Warblers as winter progresses, all that is necessary for them to sing is a dollop of sunshine. Here in the South, where Pine Warblers are year-round residents, it is perhaps the Pine Warblers that we usually hear beginning the cycle of spring breeding song even as winter solstice is barely a week past, and long before vernal equinox. Here on the verge of vernal equinox, more year-round residents are adding their voices to a chorus that begins with a few voices in late winter — Pine Warbler, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse — and increases exponentially as the day length increases. The song cycle continues into April and May, when the neotropicals arrive and add their voices to the soundscape. Neotropicals and birds that reside year-round at more northerly latitudes experience a seasonal increase in gonad size that is regulated in large part by day length. In most birds this cycle is initiated before vernal equinox in response to the lengthening of daylight hours that begins after winter solstice, the shortest length of daylight of the year. As the daylight hours grow longer, birds begin to get into breeding condition and increase breeding readiness. Birds residing close to the equator where daylight length is much more constant over the year rely on weather cues, such as the arrival of seasonal rains, rather than daylight length as their cue to begin the process of breeding. So there is a type of truth in the somewhat fanciful assertion that all that a Pine Warbler requires to sing is a ray of sunshine. If the Pine Warbler has gotten more sunshine yesterday than he did the day before yesterday and the day before that, it may be that all that is required to cause him to sing this morning is a ray of sunshine. It is an intriguing thought on a frosty morning spent in a winter-killed field of weeds listening to winter-resident sparrows and the early Pine Warbler, trilling his way into the warm sunshine of spring. Feathered Features Some Serious (but fun) Birding! By Haven Wiley After the rarities of winter and the waves of migration have passed, what is a birder to do for a couple of months? There is time for some trips to exotic locales, of course. For me, though, June is also a good time for birding that can make a difference! A Mini-Breeding Bird Survey (MBBS) gives us a chance to take stock of our local breeding birds, those for which we have some direct responsibility. The first MBBS began in Orange County in 1999 and others soon followed in Chatham and Durham Counties. A MBBS uses about the same procedures as the continent-wide Breeding Bird Survey organized each year by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Some adjustments are made to focus on thorough coverage of a sin- gle county. Each MBBS includes 10-14 randomly selected routes on secondary roads (the number depends on the size of the county and the number of observers). Each route, 10 miles long, is run on a morning in late May or June. Every half mile, an observer counts all birds heard or seen. It takes about an hour to finish. The results for Orange, Chatham, and Durham Counties are available on our website (www.unc.edu/ -rhwiley/mbbs). In 2004 we are planning the sixth MBBS for Orange, the fifth for Chatham, and the third for Durham. After five years of the Orange County MBBS, we can begin to see trends in populations of birds. For instance, it is gratifying to find that some long-range migrants to Central and South America so far show no signs of decrease, including Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Summer and Scarlet Tanagers. In contrast, we have seen the numbers of Carolina Wren cut by almost a third following the hard winter of 1999-2000, but then bounce back within three years. Some trends are ominous though. Our Eastern Meadowlarks look like they are headed the way of the Loggerhead Shrike in the 1970s, and the recent trajectories for Killdeer and Bam Swallow do not look good. This is serious birding, both because it requires well-honed skills in identifying local birds by ear and because the results can influence real decisions by planners. A MBBS provides hard evidence of the natural health of the county. The result of changes in land use, such as forest fragmentation, loss of wetlands, conversion of farmland and farming practices, and spreading suburban sprawl, become visible to everybody. When a town planner asks you if there is information about what is happening to the animals in your area, you can say, “Yes, there is, at least for the birds!” A MBBS also has its potential for excitement. There is always the chance of a rarity. Our MBBS routes in the Triangle have turned up a number of unexpected birds for this area — Chuck-will’s-Widow, Baltimore Oriole, Dickcissel, Warbling Vireo, and even Loggerhead Shrike. In fact, almost every species known or suspected to breed in the county has been recorded on a MBBS. The Broad-winged Hawk is a notable exception, perhaps one we should worry about! Even better is the chance to explore new places near home. MBBS routes get birders into comers of a county they might not visit otherwise. We always notify the sheriff s office in advance and consequently have had many cheerful encounters with deputies in remote places! There is something glorious about dawn in the countryside on a morning in June. In the caroling of vireos and buntings, you sometimes catch the distant descant of a Hooded Warbler or the startling twang of a Scarlet Tanager. Birders have an advantage over the average person at times like these: they know enough about the parts to hear the full power of the symphony. How about a MBBS in some other part of the Carolinas? It takes 10 or 12 enthusiastic birders, including at least one to keep the records. The procedures we have used in Orange, Chatham, and Durham are described on our website. If you have questions or would like a suggestion or two, please let me know at rhwiley@email.unc.edu or 1-919-929-2783. International Migratory Bird Day May 8, 2004 Take part in an International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) event in your area this spring! This year’s theme is Conservation of Colonial Birds. Goose Creek State Park in Washington, NC is holding a Birdathon on May 8 and Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, SC will host their first IMBD event on May 8. For more information call 1-866-334-3330 or visit the IMBD website at http://birds.fws.gov/imbd. Volunteers for New NC Bird Guide Most of the site descriptions for the new North Carolina bird guide are completed. Now we’re looking for volunteers to help visit the sites using the written descriptions before the book goes to Falcon Press for publication. Each volunteer will be asked to use a description to verify directions, make corrections, or provide additional comments, if needed. This will be a fun way to help with the book since you’ll be able to go birding! Contact Marshall Brooks at mb000355@mail.ncwc.edu or 252-985-5245 if you’re interested. Welcome New CBC Members! Nathan M. Bacheler, Raleigh, NC; Ginny & Tom Burnett, Beaufort, SC; David Casey, Carthage, NC; Phil Cirulli, Simpsonville, SC; Gail B. Driscoll, Clover, SC; John & Balinda Ferree, Seagrove, NC; Hazel Guest, Beaufort, SC; John & Chris Hanna, Charlotte, NC; Keith Jensen, Cary, NC; Patricia A. Sams Kale, Mebane, NC; Meerill Lester, Beaufort, SC; John Lindfors, Hendersonville, NC; Jack & Cris Mason, Dataw Island, SC; Jonathan D. Mays, Waynesville, NC; James & Doris Ratchford, Blowing Rock, NC; Terry A. Redmile, Simpsonville, SC; John Roach, Fayetteville, NC; Rachel Roper, Winterville, NC; Juanita Roushdy, Bald Head Island, NC; Carolyn & Emile Russett, Rock Hill, SC; Joan Shapiro, Chapel Hill, NC; Lois Stacy, North Augusta, SC; Eddy Swanson, Goose Creek, SC; Bill & Shirley Thomas, Cedar Mountain, NC; Dr. Dan Vaughan, Carrboro, NC; Steven & Valerie Yurkovich, Cullowhee, NC; Elizabeth Ward, Wilmington, NC; Linda Ward & Skip Hancock, Coinjock, NC; Ray & Ruth Welch, Winston-Salem, NC. Nicole White Kennedy CBC Bonus Field Trips Trips to and from Fontana, April 29 and May 3 Max Patch — On Thursday, April 29, join western NC expert birder Bob Olthoff for a trip to Max Patch in northern Haywood County. We can expect to see Least Flycatchers and about 20 species of warblers, including Golden-winged. Additional species should bring a morning total of 60 to 75 species. Max Patch Road winds through beautiful pasture land to a mountain bald crossed by the Appalachian Trail. Ponds, streams, and forest are also along the way, and wildflowers will be an added attraction. We will stop and bird along the road, so there will be very little walking. The trip begins at 7:00 am and end about 2:00 pm. It’s about a 90 minute drive from our departure/ending point to Fontana. Bring snacks or lunch, and be aware there are no restrooms except at the departure point, but there will be “opportunities for privacy.” Cost is $ 1 0/pp, with a limit of 16 participants, and carpooling in four cars from the departure point. We’ll meet at the Pilot Truck Stop on the north side of Exit 24 off 1-40, west of Asheville. There are numerous motels along 1-40, starting at Exit 44 in Asheville through Exit 98 off Hwy. 23/74 in Waynesville, which is just below 1-40. This is an excellent opportunity to get a jump start on your birding weekend at the Fontana meeting. Those not going to Fontana are welcome. Jackson Park/Hooper Lane — On Monday, May 3, those on your way home from the Fontana meeting, and others, are invited to join Herman and Gail Lankford and a local birding guide, at these two Henderson County hotspots. Although both are better known in the fall, Jackson Park has had the following in the first week of May: Black-billed Cuckoo, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Marsh and Sedge Wrens, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Willow Flycatcher, and Nashville, Kentucky, Blue-winged, and Mourning Warblers. Hooper Lane has had Upland, Western, and Stilt Sandpipers; plovers; Dunlin; Sanderling; Bobolink; and Dickcissel. This will be a good opportunity to get to know these areas. We’ll meet at 7:30 am at Jackson Park. Take 1-26 East (south) from Asheville. Take Exit 18-B to Hendersonville on Hwy. 64 West/Four Seasons Boulevard. Go about 2 miles, passing Four Seasons Cinema on the right, and a swampy area on the left. Turn left at a stoplight onto Harris Street, and stay on Harris until it dead ends at 4th Street. Turn left onto 4th Street and proceed into the Park. Cross a bridge and go up a hill to the administration parking lot on your left. We will caravan to Hooper Lane after birding in Jackson Park. This trip will be mostly level walking and end by early afternoon. Cost is $10/ pp, and is limited to 12 participants. Bring snacks or lunch. There are numerous motels between Asheville and Hendersonville along 1-26. For both of these mountain trips, please contact Gail Lankford at 828-667-5755 or whocooksforyou@charter.net to reserve your place prior to sending in your registration, and for help concerning lodging or trip details. North Carolina Sandhills Friday May 14-Sunday May 16 Spring is a wonderful time to bird in the Sandhills. Wildflowers will be blooming, late migrants will be moving through, summer residents will be busy establishing territories, and resident species will be ensconced in breeding activities. Join Susan Campbell along with other local birders to get a taste of the flora and fauna of this unique ecosystem. Among others, we expect to see Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman’s and Grasshopper Sparrows, and Kentucky and Prothonotary Warblers. We will also spend time looking for rare breeders such as Lark Sparrow and Swainson’s Warbler. Undoubtedly the group will spend some time butterflying and/or herping at each location. For this extensive field trip, you have the option of meeting up with us Friday or Saturday morning, depending on what your schedule will allow. The weekend will begin at 9 am Friday morning with an introduction to local ecology at the visitor’s center at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve in Southern Pines. We will then venture out on foot to hike a portion of the preserve’s extensive trail system to look for local breeding woodland species. After a stop for a sandwich in the old part of Southern Pines, the afternoon will be spent in natural areas at the Sandhills Community College Horticultural Gardens (one of the state’s best) and Southern Pines Reservoir Park in search of migrant flocks. We will end the day scoping out the Moore County Airport for grassland birds. Saturday we will meet at Weymouth Woods at 7 am and head south by caravan to explore the area in and around the NC Gameland in Hoffman. It will be a comfortable combination of driving and walking through upland Sandhills habitat. Be sure to bring along lunch since we plan to picnic along the way. Sunday we will start a bit later from Weymouth Woods at 8 am and head out to Moore County’s largest body of water, Lake Surf. We will tour this large reservoir, adjacent wetland, and surrounding agricultural fields. We plan to wrap up before lunch so folks can explore other aspects of the area for the rest of the day. And there is lots to choose from: gift shops, boutiques, antiques, potteries, museums, or you might even squeeze in a round of golf! This trip will be limited to 14 people. The cost is $10/pp. For more trip information or details about lodging, contact Susan Campbell at susan@ncaves.com or 910-949-3207 before sending in your registration. Nominating and Membership News At the Carolina Bird Club’s spring meeting in Fontana, NC, the Nominating Committee (Andrea Ceselski, Stephen Flarris, and Dick Blee) will present the following slate of nominees to the members for election: President: Bob Wood. Second of two one-year terms. WNC Vice-President: Simon Thompson. Secretary: Gail Lankford. Second of three one-year terms. Treasurer: Stephen Harris. Third of three one-year terms. WNC Member-at-Large: Lori Martin. SC Member-at-Large: Steve Patterson. Second of two two- year terms. Also at the Fontana meeting, members will vote on two proposed amendment changes to the Bylaws: 1 . The Editor of The Chat , the Editor of the Newsletter, the Editor of the Web Site, and the immediate past President shall constitute the ex-officio (non- voting) members of the Executive Committee. 2. A motion approved by the Executive Committee without a meeting is, nevertheless, committee action provided that the voting process is according to the following procedure: (1) A voting member of the Executive Committee sends, by hand, by mail, or by email, a written notice of a motion to all other Executive Committee members (including ex-officio members); (2) The notice states the motion, the reason for the motion, and the reason why the proponent desires that the motion be voted upon before the next regular meeting of the Fontana Field Trip Schedule Friday, April 30 All-day Trip #1 Purchase Knob (meet in Waynesville, 8 am, limit 15) Trip #2 GSMNP (meet in GSMNP at 8 am) Trip #3 Cherohala Skyway and FS Road 8, 7:10 am Trip #4 Rhymer’s Ferry Rd and FS Road 62, 7:20 am Trip #5 Joyce Kilmer Area: Birds and Wildflowers, 7:20 am Half-day morning Trip #6 Stecoah Gap, 7 am Trip #7 Joyce Kilmer Area, 7 am Trip #8 Rhymer’s Ferry Road, 7 am Trip #9 NC 28 East, 7:10 am Half-day afternoon Trip #10 NC 28 East, 1 pm Trip #1 1 Stecoah Gap: Wildflowers and Butterflies, 1 pm Trip #12 Fontana Dam, 1:10 pm Saturday, May 1 All-day Trip #13 Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 7 am Trip #14 Cherohala Skyway and FS Road 81, 7 am Executive Committee; (3) At least one voting member sends a second to all other Executive Committee members by hand, by mail, or by email; (4) The President calls for a vote by notifying all other Executive Committee members (including ex-officio members) by mail or email; (5) The President’s notice stipulates a closing date approximately 30 days in the future or the date of the next regular Executive Committee meeting, whichever is earlier, after which votes will not be accepted; (6) Each voting member sends his or her vote to all other members of the Executive Committee (including ex-officio members) by hand, by mail, or by email. The motion is approved as soon as the number of “yea” votes represents a majority of all voting members, or disapproved as soon as the number of “nay” votes represents a majority of all voting members. If neither of these conditions is met by the closing date, but enough votes have been cast to represent a quorum (see Article XI, Subarticle I, Paragraph 3), then the outcome will be determined by the majority of the votes cast. If not enough votes to represent a quorum have been cast before the closing date the motion dies. The secretary shall report the notice and the vote in minutes to be presented for approval at the next regular meeting of the Executive Committee. Proposal Number 1 above replaces Article XI, Subarticle I, paragraph 4. Proposal Number 2 above replaces Article XI, Subarticle I, paragraph 6. Members are also invited to attend a Finance Committee meeting in Fontana to be held Friday night, April 30th, at 5:30 pm. For more information contact Stephen Harris at 910-791- 7526 or srharris@mindspring.com. Trip #15 Rhymer’s Ferry Road and FS Road 62, 7 am Trip #16 Joyce Kilmer Area: Birds and Wildflowers, 7: 10 am Trip #17 FS Road 81 and Cherohala Skyway: Butterflies and Birds, 7:30 am (limit 15) Half-day morning Trip #18 Joyce Kilmer Area, 7 am Trip #19 Stecoah Gap, 7:10 am Trip #20 Tulula Wetlands, 7:10 am Trip #21 NC 28 East, 7:20 am Trip #22 Rhymer’s Ferry Road., 7:20 am Half-day afternoon Trip #23 NC 28 East, 1 pm Trip #24 Stecoah Gap: Wildflowers and Butterflies, 1 pm Trip #25 Fontana Dam, 1:10 pm Trip #26 Paynetown Cemetery, 1:10 pm Sunday, May 2 Trip #27 The Nantahalas, 7 am Trip #28 Parkway and Heintooga Spur Road, 7 am (limit 1 5) Trip #29 Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, 8 am Fontana Field Trip Descriptions Two Friday all-day trips are designed for people traveling to Fontana from the east: Trip #1 will meet in Waynesville and Trip #2 will meet in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) near Cherokee, NC. If you are doing Trip #1 or #2, be sure to take the following directions along! All other trips will depart from Fontana Village. The three trips scheduled for Sunday are designed for people wishing to bird on their way home. These trips will depart from Fontana Village, caravan to their respective starting points, and terminate as follows: Trip #27, 1 1 miles west of Franklin; Trip #28, 12 miles west of Waynesville; and Trip #29, in Asheville. All trips depart from Fontana Village except Trips #1 and #2. Drive-distance indicates the length of drive to the birding area. Restrooms are available unless otherwise noted. Arrive at least five minutes before departure time with a full tank of gas, snacks, and beverages for half-day trips, and a lunch for all-day and Sunday trips. It’s best to bring a jacket and hat on all mountain trips — it can get cold at high elevations even in May. Please carpool to save time and gas! Trip 1. Purchase Knob in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Birds, Butterflies, Wildflowers. A biologist will lead this trip to a newly incorporated part of the GSMNP near Waynesville. Least Flycatcher and nine species of warbler are expected, as are breeding Vesper Sparrow, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch and both species of chickadee. Trip starts at 8 am at the K-Mart in Waynesville. If coming from the east: 1) take 1-40 to Exit 27 (Hwy. 19/23/74); 2) continue on for 5 1/4 miles to Exit 102; 3) at the bottom of the exit ramp turn left at the stoplight; 4) K-Mart is in the first (and only) shopping center on the left; 5) turn left into shopping center — we will meet directly in front of K-Mart at the farthest distance away from the store (overlooking the road). If coming from the south (Fontana area): 1 ) take Hwy. 74 (Great Smoky Mountain Expressway) towards Waynesville; 2) exit via 102B and travel back under the highway; 3) follow directions from # 4 above. Trip 2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Friday). We will drive up to Newfound Gap, then along the ridgeline to Climgmans Dome, stopping all along the way to enjoy the great variety of birds living from about 2,000 to over 6,600 feet. According to Fred Alsop, over 1 00 species can be found in the Park in late April. Let’s look for them! Friday’s trip starts at 8 am at the GSMNP Oconaluftee Visitor Center one mile inside the Park (3.5 miles north of Cherokee, NC on US 441). Trips 3, 14. Cherohala Skyway and FS Road 81. Although the skyway was only completed in 1 996, it is already legendary among birders, and offers magnificent views as it traverses mile-high mountains. We’ll stop at overlooks and walk a few short trails looking for mid-to high-elevation species, including American Redstart, Chestnut-sided and Canada Warblers, Veery, Rough-winged Swallow, Common Raven, and Yellow- bellied Sapsucker. FS 81, a beautiful forest road, follows Santeetlah Creek and ultimately joins the Cherohala Skyway at Stratton Meadows. We will look and listen for breeding Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, Dark-eyed Junco, Wood Thrush, Blue- headed Vireo, and many warbler species. No restrooms on FS Road 81. Drive: 31 miles. Trips 4, 15. Rhymer’s Ferry Road and FS Road 62. See “Rhymer’s Ferry Road” below. After Rhymer’s Ferry Road we’ll eat our packed lunches along Calderwood Lake, listening for Yellow Warbler. Then we’ll drive up FS Road 62. This is a 7-mile road that climbs nearly 2,000 feet on its way to Big Fat Gap and the boundary of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area, where many mountain specialties will be singing. Trips 5, 16. Joyce Kilmer Area: Birds and Wildflowers. Wildflowers make the Memorial Forest an even more magnificent experience in spring. We’ll see the mountains’ largest trillium, Vasey’s, and a multitude of Canada Violets, to name just two outstanding wildflower species. See “Joyce Kilmer Area” below for site details. Trips 6, 19. Stecoah Gap. Walk a nearly level FS road at 3,165 feet looking for the many neotropical migrants that nest here, including Golden-winged, Cerulean, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, and Black-throated Green Warblers and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Those who wish to may climb a short way up the steep Appalachian Trail for a better chance of seeing Ceruleans and more wildflowers. No restrooms. Drive: 13 miles. Trips 7, 18. Joyce Kilmer Area. We will explore one or two campgrounds on Santeetlah Creek for spring migrants, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Warm-eating Warbler before stopping at Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. A 2-mile trail passes through this unique virgin cove hardwood forest. Yellow poplars over 20 feet in circumference and giant hemlocks are among the marvels of this site. Bird song is everywhere in spring, although many birds remain only heard, not seen, because of the height of the forest canopy. The trail ascends 400 feet, so there are many steps to climb. We’ll also stop at Maple Springs Observation Point (3,400 feet) for a panoramic view of two mountain ranges and more birds. Drive: 30 miles. Trips 8, 22. Rhymer’s Ferry Road. This 6-mile road is very good for birding. It starts in Fontana Village and meanders through hemlock and rhododendron on its way to NC 129. We will stop frequently and listen for Black-throated Blue, Swainson’s, and Yellow-throated Warblers, and a host of other birds, and look for Golden-winged Warbler by the power lines. Trips 9, 10, 21, 23. NC 28 East. We’ll drive east on NC 28, listening for Worm-eating and Golden-winged Warblers, then down Cable Cove for Ceruleans, and head up Tuskeegee Road, stopping for more neotropical migrants. We’ll also explore a short section of the Appalachian Trail where it crosses the road. No restrooms. Trips 11, 24. Stecoah Gap: Wildflowers and Butterflies. The wildflowers here are spectacular. The many species of spring butterflies include West Virginia White and Silvery Blue. See “Stecoah Gap” on the previous page for site details. Trips 12, 25. Fontana Dam. We’ll listen for breeding warblers on the 2.5 mile drive. (Blue-winged Warbler has been seen here.) Then we’ll bird around the dam, the highest east of the Rockies, and stroll a short way along the Appalachian Trail. Trip 13. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Saturday). See “GSMNP” on the previous page for details. Saturday’s trip departs from Fontana Village. Drive: 42 miles. Trip 17. FS Road 81 and Cherohala Skyway: Butterflies and Birds. This route was hand-picked by a butterfly expert. See “Cherohala Skyway and FS Road 81” on the previous page for site details. Trip 20. Tulula Wetlands. This rare mountain forest-fen complex was restored as a NC DOT wetland mitigation bank. Research in the hydrology, flora, and fauna of this site began in 1 994 and is on-going. We will walk along the level roadbed and enjoy views of many of the breeding birds, including Golden-winged, Hooded, and Chestnut-sided Warblers; Ovenbird; and Yellow-throated Vireo. Drive: 30 miles. Trip 26. Paynetown Cemetery. This is an easy 1.3-mile hike to an old cemetery with a Civil War grave within GSMNP and the quickest way to get to the Park from Fontana Village. We’ll follow the Appalachian Trail as it crosses Fontana Dam into GSMNP and bird along an old roadbed to the cemetery. Drive: 2.5 miles. Trip 27. The Nantahalas. We will start birding in Kyle, NC along a paved but little used road, looking for mid-and high elevation birds, then continue through northern hardwood forests and stands of azalea to skirt Wine Spring Bald, the highest peak in the Nantahalas, which may host Golden- crowned Kinglet and Red-breasted Nuthatch. The road then parallels the Appalachian Trail about a mile to beautiful Wayah Bald (5,342 feet), the terminus of the trip. No restrooms after Kyle. Drive: 40 miles. Trip 28. Blue Ridge Parkway from Cherokee to milepost 458.2 and Heintooga Spur Road. Because of its location, the 9-mile Heintooga Spur Road is not birded heavily, but it is a jewel. Expect lots of high-elevation birds, including warblers, Least Flycatcher, Common Raven, Brown Creeper, and Black- capped Chickadee. Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin are possible, along with the beautiful song of the Hermit Thrush. No one has had more birding experience at Heintooga than our leader. Drive: 42 miles. Trip 29. Blue Ridge Parkway from Balsam Gap (milepost 443.1) to NC Arboretum at Asheville (milepost 393.6). Although we can’t stop at every single overlook along this 50- mile stretch of the BRP, we will hit the “birdiest” ones and enjoy the views on the way. The overlooks provide good looks into the forest canopy. We may see breeding Common Raven, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, and Ruffed Grouse, and there will be warblers for sure. Drive: 57 miles. Carolina Bird Club Registration Form Fontana Meeting April 29-May 2 and Bonus Field Trips Name(s) Address City State Zip Day Phone Evening phone Email Enclosed is my check for $ for member ($10) registration(s) and/or nonmember ($20) registration(s) Friday trip choices # / Saturday trip choices # / Sunday trip choices # AM/PM AM/PM I/We will probably want to buy boxed lunches as follows: lunch(es) for Friday, lunch(es) for Saturday, lunch(es) for Sunday. This is my (our) first time attending a CBC meeting. Enclosed is my check for $ for member(s) to participate in the Max Patch April 28 trip. Enclosed is my check for $ for member(s) to participate in the Jackson Park/Hooper Lane May 3 trip. Enclosed is my check for $ for member(s) to participate in the NC Sandhills May 14-16 trip. Make check payable to Carolina Bird Club and send to: CBC, 5009 Crown Point Lane, Wilmington, NC 28409. Carolina Bird Club , Inc. 11 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 SMfTHSONlAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES Nonprofit Organization U.S. Post Office Raleigh, NC Permit No. 1654 Upcoming CBC Bonus Trips June 12-13 New Rivfer, NC July 24, South Carolina Kite Adventure August 7, Shackleford Banks, NC September 11, Edisto Beach State Park, SC •-•000 F n , SMITHSONIAN 1 rU 2S-mRC 'j^bhMKlEs 70 1. CBC Board Members President, Bob Wood 803-475-5660 wood29020@comporium.net Vice-Presidents Dick Blee, Brevard, NC John Cely, Columbia, SC Ricky Davis, Rocky Mount, NC Secretary Gail Lankford, Raleigh, NC Treasurer Stephen Harris, Wilmington, NC NC Members -at -Large Susan Campbell, Whispering Pines Charlotte Goedsche, Weaverville Dwayne Martin, Talorsville Judy Murray, Chapel Hill SC Members -at -Large Marcia Watkins, Columbia Steve Patterson, Pickens Immediate Past President, Van Atkins, Charleston, SC Editor of The Chat, Kent Fiala, Hillsborough, NC Editor of CBC Newsletter, Karen Bearden 1809 Lakepark Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612 919-844-9050, chickadeebirders@earthlink.net Submission deadlines are due the 1st of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Headquarters Secretary, Tullie Johnson, Raleigh, NC 919-733-7450, Ext. 605, tullie.johnson@ncmail.net Rare Bird Alert: 704-332-BIRD Website: www.carolinabirdclub.org The CBC Newsletters published bimonthly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Founded in 1937 the membership is open to anyone interested in birds, natural history, and conservation. Current dues are: Individual & non-profit, $20; Associate (in household with individual), $5; Student, $15; Patron, $50 and up; Life, $400; Sustaining & businesses, $25. Cost for CBC bird checklists, including postage: 10@$1.75, 25@$5, 50@$9.50, 75@$12.75, and 100@$16. Submit application for membership, change of address, and payment for checklists to: CBC Headquarters Secretary, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601- 1029. Copyright © 2004. Printed on 100% recycled paper.