May 15, 2018
Jim and Ellen Shelton in the Walnut Gap area.
Ellen Shelton reports:
Alarka Expeditions has 3 Neotropical Songbird Identification walks in May: https://www.alarkaexpeditions.com/upcoming-events
May 8, 2018 Blue Ridge Parkway with John & Cathy Sill
reported by Jean
Despite the cold and occasional sprinkling rain, we had a lovely walk with the Sills on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There were 17 of us and we got some good views as leaves are not out yet in the higher elevations. Thanks to Amy Boggan for sharing the species list:
1 Ruffed Grouse
1 Broad-winged Hawk
1 American Woodcock
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1 Northern Flicker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
2 Blue-headed Vireo
3 Red-eyed Vireo
2 American Crow
1 Common Raven
1 Carolina Chickadee
1 Black-capped Chickadee
2 Red-breasted Nuthatch
2 House Wren
2 Winter Wren
3 Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Veery
1 Hermit Thrush
5 American Robin
3 Gray Catbird
1 Ovenbird
2 Black-and-white Warbler
4 Common Yellowthroat
1 Northern Parula
11 Chestnut-sided Warbler
3 Black-throated Blue Warbler
2 Yellow-rumped Warbler
7 Black-throated Green Warbler
3 Canada Warbler
14 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Song Sparrow
15 Eastern Towhee
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Orchard Oriole
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 Broad-winged Hawk
1 American Woodcock
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1 Northern Flicker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
2 Blue-headed Vireo
3 Red-eyed Vireo
2 American Crow
1 Common Raven
1 Carolina Chickadee
1 Black-capped Chickadee
2 Red-breasted Nuthatch
2 House Wren
2 Winter Wren
3 Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Veery
1 Hermit Thrush
5 American Robin
3 Gray Catbird
1 Ovenbird
2 Black-and-white Warbler
4 Common Yellowthroat
1 Northern Parula
11 Chestnut-sided Warbler
3 Black-throated Blue Warbler
2 Yellow-rumped Warbler
7 Black-throated Green Warbler
3 Canada Warbler
14 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Song Sparrow
15 Eastern Towhee
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Orchard Oriole
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
February 25, 2018 Standing Indian We had a good walk with the Sills last week at Standing Indian – including a Golden Wing Warbler sighting/hearing.
February 9, 2018 Juneleska Sightings (Thanks to Tim C.)
Welcome to the Franklin Bird Club 
Jim and I were happy to have nine folks from the Franklin birding group come up to our house at Walnut Gap this morning for some higher elevation birding. We were joined by Amy, Ned, Renée, Michael, Jean, John, Jo, Linda, and William. Luckily the rain held off until we were finished, and we were able to identify 40 species. Thanks to Amy Boggan for entering and providing the eBird list this morning:
May 15, 2018
8:30 AM
2.50 miles
198 Minutes
2 Broad-winged Hawk
2 Mourning Dove
1 Chimney Swift
2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
3 Eastern Wood-Pewee
1 Least Flycatcher
2 Eastern Phoebe
5 Blue-headed Vireo
2 Red-eyed Vireo
2 Blue Jay
1 American Crow
1 Tree Swallow
4 Carolina Chickadee
3 Tufted Titmouse
3 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Carolina Wren
1 Eastern Bluebird
1 Veery
1 Wood Thrush
3 American Robin
7 Ovenbird
1 Black-and-white Warbler
1 Hooded Warbler
2 Blackburnian Warbler
2 Chestnut-sided Warbler
4 Black-throated Blue Warbler
2 Canada Warbler
1 Chipping Sparrow
10 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Song Sparrow
3 Eastern Towhee
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Northern Cardinal
5 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Indigo Bunting
1 Pine Siskin
3 American Goldfinch
Number of Taxa: 40