Gail and I went with our Forsyth County Audubon bird group to Elk Knob State Park in the North Carolina mountains. We went specifically to look for the Golden-winged Warbler. We were in the right spot, hearing our target warbler on several occasions. But we never quite laid eyes on one. We did see or hear several other warblers, too, including Ovenbird, Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, and Common Yellowthroat. Other fun mountain birds included Least Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, and Veery. All told, we finished with 24 species, which is not a big day as far as counts go, but it was a FUN day! We had a nice group on a nice day at a beautiful place!
Here is a pic Gail took of the Chestnut-sided Warbler:
Indigo Buntings are always cool to see:
Then we decided to take a hike all the way to the top of Elk Knob, an elevation of 5,520 feet.
We encountered this deer along the way. She stayed surprisingly close for quite a while. I wonder if she wasn’t protecting a little one somewhere close by.
And at the top, we were rewarded with these amazing views!
Man, did we get a workout, too! According to our FitBits, we finished with over 15,000 steps, or about 7.5 mountain miles, and credit for 111 flights of stairs!
We are so grateful to be able to enjoy things like this. I hope we can keep doing it for a very long time! 🙂
Wow! Those WERE amazing views! Those last three pictures look like paintings. So beautiful. Glad you had good weather. And congrats on getting in so many steps in one day. Can you even move your legs today?
Ha! A comment on a blog post. Like old times!
That was a fun but exhausting day yesterday! We were pretty beat last night, and slept well. I’m not as achy this morning as I expected, but I can tell my body is still catching up. We plan to take it easy today. But that kind of day is sure worth it! 🙂
I would have loved to go only on this excursion. The views are indeed beautiful. And the photography too.
Have a fabulous day. Big hugs to you both. 🙂
Thanks, Sandee! I would have loved having you and Zane along! If you are ever in North Carolina… 🙂