ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



11 



A Few Bird Notes from the Great Smoky Mountains 



A short visit to the Great Smokies in eastern Tennessee, in May 1918 

 and another in June 1920, introduced the writer to a number of birds 

 which rarely if ever come to northern Illinois, and to several others that 

 are known only as migrants or occasional summer visitors. 



The visit in 1918 being a month earlier found more birds in full song 

 than were heard in 1920. Daybreak brought a most wonderful bird con- 

 cert and it seemed as though the narrow valley of the Little Pigeon 

 river must be literally alive with birds. Many of the songs were familiar, 

 but there were many new voices most of which were later identified, and 

 a few that on account of the shyness of the feathered vocalist I was unable 

 to associate with any bird of my acquaintance. 



The most striking song noted was that of the Carolina wren, whose 

 ringing "tswee-udle, tswee-udle, tswee-udle" could be distinguished above 

 all of the other bird songs. The Carolina's whistle is as characteristic 

 and far sounding as that of the cardinal though not having as great a 

 variety as does the song of the latter. The wrens, while very common, 

 seldom came out into the open to sing, consequently were difficult to see. 

 An entirely new song was that of the southern yellowthroat whose 

 softly slurred "receiver, receiver, receiver" is quite different in quality 

 and acceleration from the more spritely "wichity, wichity, wichity" of the 

 northern yellowthroat. A pair of these black masked midgets evidently 

 nested quite near the hotel for every afternoon they might be seen on the 

 fence a few hundred feet from the porch. 



A covey of quail across the road on a hillside were more often heard 

 than seen, and one of the family invariably whistled "whi-i-te", possibly 

 he had less respect for "Bob", and chose to use only his last name. The 



Photo by 0. M. Schantz 



IX THE FOOTHILLS OF THE TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS. IN THE BACKGROUND, FORESTED 

 TO THE VERY TOP, IS LE CONTE MOUNTAIN, THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE. 



