Birding in East Tennessee

March 30, 2008  - Rob Biller

Watauga Point  - Watauga Point is on the Hampton Side of Watauga Lake.  It is a Cherokee National Forest Recreational Area.  It is one of my favorite places to look for Yellow-throated Warblers when they first arrive back because they always seem to nest here.  I was surprised to see that there were NO Yellow-throated Warblers there on Sunday (they are usually my first true warbler migrant back). 

On Sunday, the 30th of March, I was surprised to find a Black and White Warbler forging for food on on of the trunks of the trees in the center of the "point".  The early date of the bird is March 27 (from Rick Knight's records) so it is pretty early for this species.  Other birds that were with it were: Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warblers(4), Common Loons(3) - in full breeding plumage on the water, Dark-eyed Juncos(many), Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, Brown Creeper (this bird will be migrating either north or to moving to higher elevations - like the very top of Roan Mt  - before long to nest), Canada Geese(2), and Blue Jays.

From there I rode to the second entrance to the road that goes over Pond Mountain.  I stayed around the apron of the mountain because it is still too early in the season to find much too high.  Along the creek that comes off the mountain I heard my first Louisiana Waterthrush of the season loudly singing its calls for a  mate.  This is another bird that is a favorite to get because it arrives so early.  I start really anticipating migration at this point.  I also heard for the first time in '08 another early migrant - Blue-headed Vireo.  Also seen here were Yellow-rumped Warbler (many), Eastern Phoebe, and Dark-eyed Juncos. 

You may be wondering, faithful reader, why I haven't made a point about Yellow-rumped Warblers.  It is, after all, a warbler  - and it's a migrant.  This particular warbler winters in our area and will be moving northwards to nest - but they in their spring plumage and are very striking birds to see right now.  In the winter they are pretty drab with only the yellow on their rumps really marking them out.  Yellow-rumps, or "Butter Butts" as they are also know, will also go move up to high elevations to nest as well.  While we haven't documented a nest in the area, we do have a few summer records on the top of Roan Mountain which leads us to believe this is the case.  I think it is just a matter of time before such a nest is found.

Earlier in this post I also casually mention Pine Warbler.  This bird doesn't normally winter with us, but it usually just moves over the mountains to our east and south of our area to winter.  There are a few sporadic winter sightings of this warbler in our area.  It will generally come back to East Tennessee in early March.