Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. Haggai 1:3
Clouds and mist in the mountain valley forest. Photographed from Ratcliff Mountain overlooking Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County. Located just outside the Pisgah National Forest near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. HDR
When my parents moved from Texas, their friends next door gifted them with a weekend stay at their mountainside home in North Carolina that they affectionately call “The Treehouse”. On Labor Day weekend, also coinciding with my 45th birthday, I was privileged to accompany my parents to this wonderful retreat.
The Treehouse is located on the side of Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina in Haywood County. It is located between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from Asheville. The inside of this two-story mountainside cottage was full of character and personality: wood floors and paneling, a stone fireplace, a loft, and plenty of windows to let in the light.
The Treehouse is located on the side of Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina in Haywood County. It is located between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from Asheville. The inside of this two-story mountainside cottage was full of character and personality: wood floors and paneling, a stone fireplace, a loft, and plenty of windows to let in the light.
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Friday, May 25 - Arriving just before 5 PM, I am immediately in love with the back patio. A sweeping mountain view, rhododendrons, red maples, Chestnut Oaks, and a crooked snag full of character jutting forth from the Mountain Laurels to my left.
At once I am greeted by a slate and white Dark-eyed Junco. It was almost as if he were awaiting our arrival. Next, a pair of Eastern Towhees catch my attention. My first action is to fill the birdfeeder. It didn’t take long for a Tufted Titmouse and a Carolina Chickadee to discover the meal. A minute later, two Morning Doves alight upon the snag. All of this in just the first 10 minutes! Its going to be a great weekend.
After returning from dinner in Waynesville, it was back on the treehouse patio for dusk. As we sat and enjoyed, a bold raccoon climbed up the tree and sauntered along the patio railing to munch on a few scattered seeds from the feeder.
At once I am greeted by a slate and white Dark-eyed Junco. It was almost as if he were awaiting our arrival. Next, a pair of Eastern Towhees catch my attention. My first action is to fill the birdfeeder. It didn’t take long for a Tufted Titmouse and a Carolina Chickadee to discover the meal. A minute later, two Morning Doves alight upon the snag. All of this in just the first 10 minutes! Its going to be a great weekend.
After returning from dinner in Waynesville, it was back on the treehouse patio for dusk. As we sat and enjoyed, a bold raccoon climbed up the tree and sauntered along the patio railing to munch on a few scattered seeds from the feeder.
Dark-eyed Junco singing from a Mountain Laurel branch
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Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, or Rufous sided towhee, perched on a twig singing. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA. Near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. An new world sparrow occurring throughout the eastern United States.
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Sassafras albidum native to eastern North America occurs at mountain altitude. The species are unusual in having three distinct leaf patterns on the same plant: unlobed oval, bilobed mitten-shaped, and trilobed three-pronged; the leaves are hardly ever five-lobed. photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Purple blooms of Azalea photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Saturday, May 26
6:45 AM. Cool, damp morning air. Clouds overhead and a long strip of cloud settled low in the valley below. The Juncos and Towhees giving loud wake up calls. As I admire the view, I hear a whirr of wings and a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird with a bright iridescent gorget stops only momentarily at the wisteria blooms on the right side of the patio. He is off too quickly for a photo.
As morning moves on, the landscape before me constantly changes with the passing of the clouds. One peak emerges as another disappears. At another point, all the valley is gone and replaced with a bright white canvas of fog and cloud. The distant sound of bellowing cows are the only indication that there still is a valley below.
We make an afternoon visit of all the antique stores and shops in downtown Waynesville. I enjoy all the nature art and photo galleries. (Perhaps one day I’ll have my own!) Back at The Treehouse for the evening, lots of thunder, lightning and rain rolls through, but gaps in the clouds reveal a sparkling valley view.
6:45 AM. Cool, damp morning air. Clouds overhead and a long strip of cloud settled low in the valley below. The Juncos and Towhees giving loud wake up calls. As I admire the view, I hear a whirr of wings and a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird with a bright iridescent gorget stops only momentarily at the wisteria blooms on the right side of the patio. He is off too quickly for a photo.
As morning moves on, the landscape before me constantly changes with the passing of the clouds. One peak emerges as another disappears. At another point, all the valley is gone and replaced with a bright white canvas of fog and cloud. The distant sound of bellowing cows are the only indication that there still is a valley below.
We make an afternoon visit of all the antique stores and shops in downtown Waynesville. I enjoy all the nature art and photo galleries. (Perhaps one day I’ll have my own!) Back at The Treehouse for the evening, lots of thunder, lightning and rain rolls through, but gaps in the clouds reveal a sparkling valley view.
Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens, photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Brown Thrasher thrush songbird, Toxostoma rufum, perched on a twig in bush leaves. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA. Near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Carolina Chickadee bird, Poecile carolinensis, perched in Mountain Laurel bush. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Photographed from Ratcliff Mountain overlooking Waynesville, North Carolina; near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Photographed from Ratcliff Mountain overlooking Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County. Located just outside the Pisgah National Forest near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. HDR
Sunday, May 27
6:35 AM-I wasn’t disappointed when I awoke to view the vista. Low clouds were rolling through the valley below with orange highlights of the rising Sun. But not long after sunrise, the clouds rolled up from the valley and the view is lost. But not all is lost, as there is so much to hear: juncos trilling; a cardinal chirping on the snag; titmice saying “we we we “; goldfinches chattering as they fly overhead; the whirr of a hummingbird; the song of an unknown warbler; the distant cawing of crows; the laughter of a Pileated Woodpecker; a turkey gobbling; bees buzzing in the wisteria; the whistle of a dove’s wings; and a baying dog down in the valley joins in the morning chorus.
6:35 AM-I wasn’t disappointed when I awoke to view the vista. Low clouds were rolling through the valley below with orange highlights of the rising Sun. But not long after sunrise, the clouds rolled up from the valley and the view is lost. But not all is lost, as there is so much to hear: juncos trilling; a cardinal chirping on the snag; titmice saying “we we we “; goldfinches chattering as they fly overhead; the whirr of a hummingbird; the song of an unknown warbler; the distant cawing of crows; the laughter of a Pileated Woodpecker; a turkey gobbling; bees buzzing in the wisteria; the whistle of a dove’s wings; and a baying dog down in the valley joins in the morning chorus.
Clouds and mist in the mountain valley forest. Photographed from Ratcliff Mountain overlooking Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County. Located just outside the Pisgah National Forest near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. HDR
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Clouds and mist in the mountain valley forest. Photographed from Ratcliff Mountain overlooking Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County. Located just outside the Pisgah National Forest near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. HDR
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Polystichum acrostichoides, a perennial evergreen fern native to eastern North America is common in shady forests, rocky slopes, and stream banks. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Midmorning I walk the grounds out front. The steep driveway cuts through beautiful patches of Dogwood, Sassafras, azaleas, Christmas Fern, and various mosses and grasses. Tall Chestnut Oaks, White Oaks and Red Maples tower overhead.
The birding activity really picks up around 10:30 AM. A few that I haven’t seen the past few days arrive as well. A White-breasted Nuthatch scuffles along the bark of the Chestnut Oak with the small caterpillar in its mouth. Then, what I had been hoping for prior to coming, a new Life Bird for me pops up momentarily just a few feet away: a Blue-headed Vireo! Three American Goldfinches muster the boldness to come to the patio feeder. Their arrival provokes all the others to have a go at the free meal as well. junco, cardinal, titmouse, chickadee, goldfinch all at one time, somewhat taking turns; we even had a few little tussles and fights! 
Black, gray and white Carolina Chickadee bird, Poecile carolinensis. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County. Near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Carolina and Black-capped chickadees hybridize in the area where their ranges overlap.
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Monday, May 28
6:30 AM - grey clouds cover the sky, a light fog shrouds the valley and a steady rain falls, pattering on the leaves of maple, dogwood, and oak below the patio. There’s a chilly wet wind on the cool, 61° air. The “big five “are the first to come to the feeder: Junko, cardinal, chickadee, titmouse and towhee. A small chipmunk has also found there is spilled seed on the deck. A Carolina Wren again climbs the lichen and moss covered Chestnut Oak with a small moth in his mouth.
7:50 AM- I finally get my chance to shoot the Ruby-throated Hummingbird! No, it wasn’t at the wisteria where I constantly had my lens focused hoping it would show up, but it was down below in a pinkish-white Mountain Laurel. I have no idea how I spotted her.
8:00 AM- the Black-and-white Warbler appears again singing his somewhat random pattern of descending whistles that repeat perfectly each time. He explores the crevices of bark and lichen, so fitting for his name. (The genus Mniotilta means “moss-plucking”.)
The rain continues to fall harder and harder as the morning hours pass. We clean up after ourselves, load the car, and are sad the leave this wonderful retreat.
6:30 AM - grey clouds cover the sky, a light fog shrouds the valley and a steady rain falls, pattering on the leaves of maple, dogwood, and oak below the patio. There’s a chilly wet wind on the cool, 61° air. The “big five “are the first to come to the feeder: Junko, cardinal, chickadee, titmouse and towhee. A small chipmunk has also found there is spilled seed on the deck. A Carolina Wren again climbs the lichen and moss covered Chestnut Oak with a small moth in his mouth.
7:50 AM- I finally get my chance to shoot the Ruby-throated Hummingbird! No, it wasn’t at the wisteria where I constantly had my lens focused hoping it would show up, but it was down below in a pinkish-white Mountain Laurel. I have no idea how I spotted her.
8:00 AM- the Black-and-white Warbler appears again singing his somewhat random pattern of descending whistles that repeat perfectly each time. He explores the crevices of bark and lichen, so fitting for his name. (The genus Mniotilta means “moss-plucking”.)
The rain continues to fall harder and harder as the morning hours pass. We clean up after ourselves, load the car, and are sad the leave this wonderful retreat.
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My birdlist for the weekend:
1 Wild Turkey 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 3 Mourning Dove 4 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5 Red-bellied Woodpecker 6 Downy Woodpecker 7 Pileated Woodpecker 8 Blue-headed Vireo 9 Red-eyed Vireo 10 Blue Jay 11 American Crow |
12 Carolina Chickadee
13 Tufted Titmouse 14 White-breasted Nuthatch 15 Carolina Wren 16 American Robin 17 Brown Thrasher 18 Cedar Waxwing 19 Black-and-white Warbler 20 Dark-eyed Junco 21 Eastern Towhee 22 Northern Cardinal 23 American Goldfinch |
Slate colored Dark-eyed Junco songbird, Junco hyemalis, perched on a twig singing. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Dark-eyed Junco,Junco hyemalis, snowbird songbird sparrow singing on a branch. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Dark-eyed Junco bird, Junco hyemalis, perched on leaves. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Dark-eyed Junco,Junco hyemalis, songbird sparrow singing on Dogwood Tree. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
Dark-eyed Junco bird, Junco hyemalis, eating black oil sunflower birdseed. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Dark-eyed Junco bird, Junco hyemalis, eating black oil sunflower birdseed. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Dark-eyed Junco bird, Junco hyemalis, eating black oil sunflower birdseed. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, or Rufous sided towhee, perched on a twig singing. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
Red Bellied Wood Pecker bird, Melanerpes carolinus. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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The red-bellied woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada.
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Dark-eyed Junco bird, Junco hyemalis, eating black oil sunflower birdseed. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Virginia Creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering plant in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America. photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens, photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County. Near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Red male Northern Cardinal songbird, Cardinalis cardinalis, perched in Mountain Laurel bush. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Red male Northern Cardinal songbird, Cardinalis cardinalis, perched in Mountain Laurel bush. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Polyporus fungi mushroom growing on a moss covered tree stump in the mountain cove. Eastern North America in shady forests, rocky slopes, and stream banks. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Carolina Chickadee bird, Poecile carolinensis, perched in Mountain Laurel bush. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
Bright yellow American Goldfinch songbird, Spinus tristis. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Bright yellow American Goldfinch songbird pair, Spinus tristis, eating black oil sunflower seed and millet. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA. Near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The American goldfinch is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter.
American Goldfinch songbird, Spinus tristis, eating black oil sunflower seed and millet. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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American Goldfinch songbird, Spinus tristis. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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American Goldfinch songbird, Spinus tristis. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Eastern Towhee bird, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, fanning black and white tail feathers. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, or Rufous sided towhee, perched on a twig. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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Sciurus carolinensis, common name eastern gray squirrel or grey squirrel, is a tree squirrel native to eastern North America. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County USA.
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American Goldfinch songbird, Spinus tristis. Photographed on Ratcliff Mountain in Waynesville, North Carolina; Haywood County.
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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