Interior North Carolina 17-27 May 2006

Matti Koivula

I had to make a congress trip to Asheville, North Carolina (NAFIWC 22-26 May), and of course combined that with some days of watching wildlife in the interior NC. I visited some lake areas north, the lowland pine heath forests, and the unbelievably beautiful Appalachian Mountains (along the Blue Ridge Parkway). The target species were the threatened Red-cockaded woodpecker and the lovely Cerulean warbler. (For success, see below.) Weather was mostly fine, although some afternoons were rainy with some thundering activity. Temperatures roughly +20...25 C. Extremely difficult to find decent coffee, despite the fact that Starbucks is an U.S. company; food quite cheap in supermarkets. Traffic OK, roads good. A big, detailed map book is essential, as single-sheet maps are poor.

Trip statistics: 117 bird species observed; car rented from Enterprise (Mitsubishi Galant, 4 days, full insurance, unlimited mileage 420 USD); 751 miles (1208 km) driven; gasoline USD 2.85/gallon (ca. 75 US cents/liter); flight tickets Edmonton-Asheville 1300 CAD (ca. 1170 USD); motel costs 30-80 USD/night.

Abbreviations used in the table: sexes separated with slash, e.g. 2/1 = 2 males 1 female, a = flock (e.g. a5 = a flock of 5 birds).

Route & schedule

Dates	Activity & route
17.5.	Flight Edmonton - Minneapolis - Asheville
18.5.	Hendersonville (Jackson Park) - Charlotte - Wadesboro/Anson (PeeDee Reserve) - Southern Pines
19.5.	Southern Pines (Weymouth Woods, Ledbetter Rd) - Sanford - Greensboro
20.5.	Greensboro (Lakes area) - Winston-Salem (Salem Lake) - Blue Ridge (E. B. Jeffress Park) - Blowing Rock
21.5.	Blowing Rock - Moses H. Cone Natural Park - Blue Ridge Parkway - Mount Mitchell - Asheville
22.5.	Asheville - Blue Ridge Parkway - Mount Mitchell - RD 226 - RD 19E - RD 19 - RD 26 - Asheville
23.-25.5.	Asheville (congress days)
26.5.	Asheville - RD 23 - RD 19 - RD 19E - RD 194 - Linville Falls - Boone - Deep Gap - RD 221 - Baldwin - RD 194 - Boone - Asheville
17.5.	Flight Asheville - Minneapolis - Edmonton

Observations

Nr	Species	Scientific	Notes
1	Double-crested cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus	20.5. Greensboro 1
2	Great blue heron	Ardea herodias	Total 5
3	Cattle egret	Bubulcus ibis	20.5. Greensboro a2
4	Green heron	Butorides virescens	20.5. Greensboro 5
5	Canada goose	Branta canadensis	Common
6	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Common
7	Wood duck	Aix sponsa	Common
8	Turkey vulture	Cathartes aura	Common
9	Black vulture	Cathartes atratus	19.5. Siler City a2, 26.5. Boone region 1
10	Cooper's hawk	Accipiter cooperii	18.5. Hway-74 1
11	Sharp-shinned hawk	Accipiter striatus	20.5. Jeffress Park 1/-
12	Red-tailed hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Common
13	Broad-winged hawk	Buteo platypterus	Common
14	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Total 5
15	American kestrel/Merlin	Falco sp.	26.5. Hway-19E 1
16	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Common
17	Spotted sandpiper	Actitis macularia	Common
18	Ring-billed gull	Larus delawarensis	Common
19	Ruffed grouse	Bonasa umbellus	20.5. Jeffress Park 1 "drumming"
20	Wild turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Total ca15
21	Belted kingfisher	Ceryle alcyon	20.5. Winston-Salem, Salem Lake 1
22	Rock dove	Columba livia	Common
23	Mourning dove	Zenaida macroura	Common
24	Yellow-billed cuckoo	Coccyzus americanus	Total 2
25	Common nighthawk	Chordeiles minor	24.5. Asheville city 1
26	Ruby-throated hummingbird	Archilochus colubris	Total 3
27	Chimney swift	Chaetura pelagica	Common
28	Barn swallow	Hirundo rustica	Common
29	Cliff swallow	Petrochelidon pyrrhonota	Common
30	Tree swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	Common
31	Northern rough-winged swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis	20.5. Winston-Salem, Salem Lake 1
32	Bank swallow	Riparia riparia	Common
33	Purple martin	Progne subis	Common
34	Hairy woodpecker	Picoides villosus	Total 2
35	Downy woodpecker	Picoides pubescens	Total ca5
36	Red-cockaded woodpecker	Picoides borealis	19.5. Southern Pines 4-5 (Weymouth Woods 2 + nest, Ledbetter Rd 2-3 + nest)
37	Yellow-bellied sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	21.5. Moses H. Cone Nat. Park 1
38	Northern flicker	Colaptes auratus	Common
39	Red-bellied woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Common
40	Pileated woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	18.5. Wadesboro, PeeDee Reserve 1
41	Eastern kingbird	Tyrannus tyrannus	Common
42	Eastern wood-pewee	Contopus virens	Common
43	Great crested flycatcher	Myiarchus crinitus	Common
44	Eastern phoebe	Sayornis phoebe	Common
45	Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	Common
46	House wren	Troglodytes aedon	Common
47	Carolina wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Common
48	Golden-crowned kinglet	Regulus satrapa	Common
49	Eastern bluebird	Sialia sialis	Common
50	Cedar waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Common
51	Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Common
52	Loggerhead shrike	Lanius ludovicianus	18.5. Wadesboro, PeeDee Reserve 1
53	American crow	Corvus brachyrhynchus	Common
54	Raven	Corvus corax	Common
55	Blue jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Common
56	(Black-billed) magpie	Pica hudsonica	Common
57	Tufted titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Common
58	Carolina chickadee	Poecile carolinensis	Common
59	Blue-gray gnatcatcher	Polioptila caerulea	Total 3
60	Red-breasted nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	21.5. Moses H. Cone Nat. Park 2-3
61	White-breasted nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Common
62	Brown-headed nuthatch	Sitta pusilla	19.5. Southern Pines total 6-7
63	American robin	Turdus migratorius	Common
64	Swainson's thrush	Catharus ustulatus	Total 2
65	Hermit thrush	Catharus guttatus	Total 4
66	Veery	Catharus fuscescens	21.5. Moses H. Cone Nat. Park 1
67	Wood thrush	Hylocichla mustelina	Total 2
68	Gray catbird	Dumetella carolinensis	Common
69	Northern mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Common
70	Brown thrasher	Toxostoma rufum	Common
71	Red-eyed vireo	Vireo olivaceus	Common
72	Yellow-throated vireo	Vireo flavifrons	26.5. Linville Falls 1 singing
73	Blue-headed (Solitary) vireo	Vireo solitarius	Common
74	Yellow-rumped warbler	Dendroica coronata	Total ca10
75	Yellow warbler	Dendroica petechia	Common
76	Chestnut-sided warbler	Dendroica pennsylvanica	Total ca10
77	Magnolia warbler	Dendroica magnolia	Total 4
78	Black-throated green warbler	Dendroica virens	Total ca10
79	Blackburnian warbler	Dendroica fusca	Total 3
80	Palm warbler	Dendroica palmarum	18.5. Hendersonville, Jackson Park 1
81	Blackpoll warbler	Dendroica striata	Common
82	Black-throated blue warbler	Dendroica caerulescens	Total ca20
83	Cerulean warbler	Dendroica cerulea	20.5. Jeffress Park 2/- singing, 1/-
84	Pine warbler	Dendroica pinus	19.5. Southern Pines ca10
85	Prairie warbler	Dendroica discolor	19.5. Southern Pines 5
86	Northern parula	Parula americana	Total ca10
87	Black-and-white warbler	Mniotilta varia	Total 2
88	Canada warbler	Wilsonia canadensis	Total 5-6
89	Hooded warbler	Wilsonia citrina	Total 6
90	Kentucky warbler	Oporornis formosus	19.5. Southern Pines 1 singing
91	American redstart	Setophaga ruticilla	Common
92	Ovenbird	Seiurus aurocapillus	Common
93	Northern waterthrush	Seiurus noveboracensis	Total 3
94	Louisiana waterthrush	Seiurus motacilla	Total ca10
95	Common yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas	Common
96	Prothonotary warbler	Protonotaria citrea	18.5. Wadesboro, PeeDee Reserve 2, 19.5. Southern Pines 6
97	Worm-eating warbler	Helmitheros vermivora	20.5. Jeffress Park 1
98	Yellow-breasted chat	Icteria virens	Total 3
99	Red-winged blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	Common
100	Brewer's blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	Common
101	Common grackle	Quiscalus quiscula	Common
102	Brown-headed cowbird	Molothrus ater	Common
103	Eastern meadowlark	Sturnella magna	20.5. Greensboro 1
104	Scarlet tanager	Piranga olivacea	20.5. Moses H. Cone Nat. Park 2 singing
105	Song sparrow	Melospiza melodia	Common
106	Dark-eyed junco	Junco hyemalis	20.-21.5. Blue Ridge Parkway 10+, 26.5. Blue Ridge Parkway 10+
107	Chipping sparrow	Spizella passerina	Common
108	Field sparrow	Spizella pusilla	18.5. Wadesboro, PeeDee Reserve 2
109	Bachman's sparrow	Aimophila aestivalis	19.5. Southern Pines, Ledbetter Rd 1 singing
110	Eastern towhee	Pipilo erythrophthalmus	Common
111	House finch	Carpodacus mexicanus	Common
112	American goldfinch	Carduelis tristis	Common
113	Northern cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Common
114	Rose-breasted grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus	20.5. Moses H. Cone Nat. Park 1/-
115	Blue grosbeak	Pheucticus caerulea	Total 6
116	Indigo bunting	Passerina cyanea	Common
117	House sparrow	Passer domesticus	Common