April 10 - The nuthatches didn't read the book!

April 10, 2008
Beech Mountain, Watauga County, North Carolina
American Crow
American Goldfinch (2f, 2m)
Carolina Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco {slate-colored} (2)
Downy Woodpecker (f, m)
Hairy Woodpecker (m, f)
Mourning Dove
Pine Siskin (2)
Purple Finch (f, 2m)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (4)
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Chipmunk
Gray Squirrel (2)
Red Squirrel

I read somewhere that Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches do not occupy the same territory. "If you have one you don't have the other." Well, that is just wrong! I have on many occasions observed both Red and White sharing the same feeder as I did today. I guess one cannot believe everything one reads! "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1Thessalonians 5:21

April 9 - Semi-friendly Red-breasted Nuthatch

April 9, 2008
Beech Mountain, Watauga County, North Carolina
American Crow (4)
American Goldfinch (m, 2f)
American Robin (2)
Carolina Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco {slate-colored} (11+)
One of the juncos today was hopping around on my car with nesting material looking very interested in the space below the windshield wipers while another one watched. I opened the door and suggested that they find a safer place to nest. They took my advice.

Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Mourning Dove (2)
Pine Siskin (4)
Purple Finch (m, 2f)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2+)
I sidled up to one at the feeder and it waited until my hand was just over a foot from it before flying about three feet away to a tree branch. I backed off and it came right back to eat so I let it dine in peace.

Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Vulture
White-breasted Nuthatch
Chipmunk
Cottontail (3)
Gray Squirrel (3)
Groundhog
Red Squirrel
White-tailed Deer
Brown Stinkbug

Genesis Wildlife/Buckeye Lake, Beech Mountain, Watauga County, North Carolina
American Crow – heard
American Robin
Carolina Chickadee
Dark- eyed Junco {slate-colored} (5)
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee – heard
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal (2m)
Northern Flicker
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2)
Song Sparrow
Chipmunk
Gray Squirrel (3)

Beech Mountain, Avery County, North Carolina
American Crow (3)
Song Sparrow

Banner Elk, Avery County, North Carolina
American Crow
Mourning Dove (2)

Please vote!

I added a poll (top of sidebar) asking if you find it helpful to have each species linked to more information about it. I thought it would be helpful but am finding it takes a bit of time to do so. If no one cares (uses) the links then I may stop making them. So please vote and let me know what you think.

April 8 - New season high Bullfrog and Tiger count

April 8, 2008
North Carolina - Watauga County - Beech Mountain
American Crow (3)
American Goldfinch
American Robin (4)
Carolina Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco [slate-colored] (3)
Downy Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
Pine Siskin (4)
Purple Finch (2m, 3f)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2)
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red Squirrel

North Carolina - Watauga County - Beech Mountain - Genesis Wildlife/Buckeye Lake
American Robin
Carolina Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco {slate-colored}
Mourning Dove - heard
Northern Cardinal (f)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (4)
Song Sparrow
Gray Squirrel (4)

North Carolina - Avery County - Fall Creek
Dark-eyed Junco {slate-colored}

North Carolina - Avery County - Heaton
American Crow (2)

North Carolina - Avery County - Elk Park
American Crow
Common Grackle (2)
Mourning Dove
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Tennessee - Carter County - Roan Mountain
American Crow (5)
American Goldfinch - yard (2m, 3f)
American Robin
Carolina Chickadee - yard (2)
Eastern Towhee - heard
European Starling (5)
Mourning Dove (2)
Tufted Titmouse - feeder
Bullfrog - pond (3) season high count
Eastern Chipmunk
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (2) season high count

Tennessee - Carter County - Roan Mountain State Park
American Crow (2)

North Carolina - Avery County - Beech Mountain
American Robin (2)
Dark-eyed Junco {slate-colored}
Mourning Dove (3)

April 7 - FOS Tiger Swallowtail

April 7, 2008
Tennessee - Carter County - Roan Mountain
American Crow - yard (2); elsewhere (2)
American Goldfinch - feeder
Blue Jay - feeder (1); yard (1) + heard (3) others
Carolina Chickadee - feeder (2); elsewhere (1)
Common Grackle (2)
Cottontail - dead
Dark-eyed Junco [slate-colored] - feeder (2)
Eastern Phoebe
Killdeer
Mourning Dove (2)
Northern Cardinal - (m, f) under our mostly empty feeder, he would find a sunflower seed, shell it, and run over and feed it to her.
Pileated Woodpecker - heard
Song Sparrow - feeder
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - first of season
Tufted Titmouse - feeder (1) + another (1) heard at the same time

Tennessee - Carter County - Roan Mountain State Park
White-tailed Deer

North Carolina - Avery County - Elk Park
American Crow
Common Grackle (5)
European Starling
Virginia Opossum - dead

North Carolina - Avery County - Heaton
Northern Rough-winged Swallow

North Carolina - Avery County - Banner Elk
American Crow
Unidentified Hawk - probably Red-tailed

North Carolina - Avery County - Beech Mountain
American Crow

North Carolina - Watauga County - Beech Mountain
American Robin
Carolina Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco [slate-colored] (3)
Mourning Dove
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-tailed Deer (2)

North Carolina - Watauga County - Beech Mountain - Genesis Wildlife/Buckeye Lake
American Crow - heard
Carolina Chickadee (3)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (f)
Dark-eyed Junco [slate-colored] (4)
Eastern Phoebe (2)
Eastern Towhee (m)
European Starling
Gray Squirrel (3)
Mourning Dove
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2)
Pied-billed Grebe
Song Sparrow - heard

April 6 - A snake like no other

April 6, 2008
Tennessee - Carter County - Roan Mountain
American Crow - yard (2); elsewhere (3)
American Goldfinch (7)
American Robin (2)
Blue Jay - yard (1); elsewhere (5+)
Carolina Chickadee (2)
Carolina Wren - yard: there were two but I only got to see one
Eastern Phoebe (2)
European Starling
Northern Cardinal (f)
Pileated Woodpecker - heard
Pine Siskin (3)
Red-shouldered Hawk I don't remember one of these around here for a long time if ever
Turkey Vulture (3)
Water Striders - pond
Common Garter Snake - boggy area at edge of yard: best guess, that's what it looked most like but it didn't MATCH any of the 200+ pictures I scanned online. I did read many, many times that the coloration was HIGHLY variable. It was about 2 feet long, very slender, with a clearly defined, thin back stripe, little checker-board spots along the side, with a lighter band before the belly. Sounds like the written descriptions but no luck finding a picture match.

April 5 - Brown-headed Cowbird

April 5, 2008
Tennessee - Carter County - Roan Mountain
American Crow (6)
American Goldfinch - feeder
American Robin (8)
Blue Jay - feeder
Brown-headed Cowbird (2) following a flock of unidentified blackbirds
Bullfrog - pond
Canada Goose (2)
Carolina Chickadee - feeder (1); elsewhere (4)
Dark-eyed Junco [slate-colored]
Eastern Towhee - heard
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal (2f, 2m)
Pileated Woodpecker - heard
Raccoon - porch
Salamander - pond
Tufted Titmouse - feeder (1); elsewhere (2)
Water Strider - pond