Our family just returned from a family adventure at Lookout Mountain and at
Mt Le Conte TN.

Dead Hemlocks.... because we hiked in the Great Smokey Mtns NP..... we
stayed up on top of Mt Le Conte at their (AMC equivalent) hut.

I am always birding.... but the most notably aspect of our hike up Mt Le
Conte (some 15 miles) was the dead hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis). This was
visually the most tragic natural phenomenon I have seen... (maybe the clear
cutting out west or the coal mining rivals this ?)  We saw thousands of dead
trees (the whole forest)... trees that grew slowly and died in ~ 3 years.
Trees that were probably 400 years old. Trees regularly were two full arm
spans around.  We saw very few live trees, and even these looked like their
time was limited.  I could not help but wonder how this absense affects the
forest's harmony, the forests balance and the web of life that cycles around
these forests. How will this absense affect the ecology of the forest and
the understory in the future. How about the bird species dependent upon this
once spectacluar forest.  The Gr Smokies is a wonderful, amazing place....
the others trees are spectacular.... this forest has not been cut.... I
never saw a stump, (not in a long time).   I hope we keep an eye on our
hemlocks..... the wooly adelgid is visious !

Bird highlights:  from both places)

Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Towhees, Pine Warblers, Prairie Warblers...
Lookout M

Le C: Winter Wrens (a bunch), Ca Chix (a few), Hooded Warblers !!!! (some
excellent looks), Swainson's Thr, Singing Go Cr Kinglets, Canada Warblers,
BH Vireos...   forest seemed a little quite at times....



best Bill S

Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1468 - Release Date: 5/26/2008
3:23 PM

****************************************************************
To post messages, send e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]
Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages.
To contact the list owner:  [log in to unmask]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Web based archives and subscription management are available at:
http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html
****************************************************************