A relaxed day of birding from roadsides, gravel roads and overlooks with a minimal amount of walking. Weather at the higher elevations can be unpredictable – rain gear and a light jacket are recommended as are good walking shoes. Bring plenty of snacks/water and be sure to pack a lunch.

The Blue Ridge Parkway winds through the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia into North Carolina, skirts the southern end of the Black Mountains, then weaves through the Craggies, the Pisgahs and the Balsams before ending in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We will head south and visit various locations in the Blue Ridge, looking for some of the area's most exciting birds such as many species of warblers, vireos and several hard-to-identify Empidonax flycatchers. Late summer wildflowers are also prolific this time of year, and a short hike from Mills River Overlook brings us into an open area which surrounds us with the beautiful Turk’s Cap Lilly.

We will meet at the French Broad Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway at 7:30 AM and head South. We’ll stop at various overlooks along the way as we wind up towards the higher elevations of approximately 5,000’. At these higher (and cooler!) elevations, we can expect birds such as Canada Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Veery, Hermit Thrush, Least Flycatchers and Alder Flycatchers. These birds are often seen at the Black Balsams where we’ll do a short walk down the Flat Laurel Creek trail to find them. Black-capped Chickadee is also a possibility in this area, along with the ever-nomadic Crossbills that surprise us from time to time.

We will wind up our trip at Devil’s Courthouse Overlook where Peregrine Falcon has nested in past years and continues to be seen occasionally roosting on the rock ledge.