n Shenandoah National Park, South River Falls Trail is renowned for spring songbird migration and summer birds of middle-elevation forests. At the Parkway's north end, Rockfish Gap provides one of the best spots in the eastern United States to watch the autumn hawk migration. Along the James River, the Canal Locks Trail offers three species of nesting swallows, low-country woodland and field birds, and riparian species, plus a variety of transients during much of the year. Many consider Warbler Road to be the best roadside birding in the Blue Ridge Province, not only for spring migration but also for the diversity of summer birds, the latter resulting from the cross-sectional range of elevations and habitats sampled. Farther south, Rock Castle Gorge National Recreation Trail combines backcountry hiking with good looks at spring and summer birds of oak and cove hardwood forests.

Northern oriole and warbling vireo are among the interesting summer species found by roadside birding on N.C. 1549, which parallels the scenic South Fork of the New River in North Carolina. Trout Lake Trail at Cone Park and nearby Sim's Creek at Price Park pass through some of the best examples of old-growth hemlock cove forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains - prime habitat for many birds typical of middle and high elevations. The Parkway's Tanawha Trail combines scenery, botany, and birding on a superbly engineered route on Grandfather Mountain, loftiest peak on the Blue Ridge front.

n the Black Mountains, Commissary Shelter Road is a fairly easy stroll along a scenic route that is excellent for summer residents of rhododendron thickets, spruce-fir, and northern hardwoods. Many of the same birds can be found along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail between Balsam Gap and Stepps Gap, although the route is considerably more rugged and the vegetation more mature. Fine scenery, distinctive plant communities, and good birding are possible on segments of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail south from Balsam Gap through the Great Craggy Mountains to Beetree Gap.

Near Mount Pisgah, Buck Spring Gap Loop Trail and adjacent hikes offer a diversified summer avifauna associated with northern hardwood forests, heath thickets, and hemlock stands. A quick side trip to Headwaters Road from March through late summer provides a chance to see nesting peregrine falcons at Looking Glass Rock. Farther south on the Parkway, Ivestor Gap Trail to Shining Rock is an easy hike through a complex mosaic of high-elevation plant communities that resulted from logging and wildfire destruction of the original spruce-fir forests. At nearby Devil's Courthouse, the conifers escaped the fire, leaving a good spot for spruce-fir birds, particularly the Northern saw-whet owl. In the Great Balsam Mountains, the stretch of Mountains-to-Sea Trail between Buckeye Gap and Bearpen Gap traverses grass balds, spruce-fir woods, and northern hardwoods for many elusive high-elevation summer residents, such as black-billed cuckoo.

n the Great Smoky Mountains, Alum Cave Bluffs Trail to Mount LeConte is a botanic and scenic delight, as well as the best spot in the southern mountains for olive-sided flycatchers. The drive along Clingman's Dome Road provides easy access to spruce-fir and northern hardwood birds such as northern saw-whet owl and black-capped chickadee.

Many excellent sites require trips more than 15 miles from the Parkway. At the extreme north end of the Blue Ridge, Pennsylvania's South Mountain area contains unique pine-oak scrub barrens along Ridge Road - the only spot in the province where Nashville warblers nest. On the northwest edge of South Mountain, Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center is the only confirmed breeding site for long-eared owl in the Blue Ridge, and nearby Huntsdale Fish Hatchery is the only spot for summering Virginia rail, black-crowned night-heron, and swamp sparrow.

ear Harpers Ferry, W.Va., the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal provides a beautiful and easy hike along the Blue Ridge gap of the Potomac River, where spring songbird migration can be outstanding and birds such as warbling vireo, prothonotary warbler, and Northern oriole are regular in summer. A visit to the summit of Mount Rogers remains the best bet during the breeding season for some of the region's most localized northern species, such as Swainson's thrush, hermit thrush, magnolia warbler, and purple finch. The Appalachian Trail from Roan High Knob across Carver's Gap north to Grassy Ridge Bald is known for spruce-fir birds in summer and for elusive snow buntings in winter. Peregrine falcons, Swainson's warblers, and spectacular geology are present at Chimney Rock Park.

In the Nantahala Mountains, the combination of FSR 69 and 711 provides one of the best roadside birding routes in the province. Another excellent roadside circuit combines FSR 81 and Tellico Plains - Robbinsville Scenic Highway in the Unicoi Mountains. Swainson's warblers are the prime attraction along the Chattooga River, which is accessible on Bull Pen Road and on trails and roads between the Walhalla Fish Hatchery and Burrell's Ford. In the Little Tennessee River valley, Ferguson Fields is among the best spots in the province for spring migration, particularly for shorebirds. To see the many high-country birds near the extreme southern limit of their breeding ranges, try exploring the summit of Georgia's Brasstown Bald.

One hesitates to draw the line, because so many other spots could easily be included in the most highly recommended category. After all, to paraphrase a common bumper sticker, "The worst day birding in the Blue Ridge is better than the best day at work."

From "Birds of the Blue Ridge Mountains: A Guide for the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah National Park, and Neighboring Areas" by Marcus B. Simpson. Copyright 1992 by the University of North Carolina Press.
 www. uncpress.unc.edu. 1-800-848-6224. Used by permission of the publisher.