Smokies

Just spent three days in the Smokies at a lodge for a teachers' convention. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to watch for new birds. Something different flew in the empty area between the two lodges we were using, but I didn't have the binoculars with me. This morning I came out onto this balcony, and saw a number of birds flying between the trees in open areas, so went to get the binoculars - and when I came back out they were gone. Of course. And I saw something blue/gray/white on the porch of the neighboring lodge, but since another group was using that building, felt like it would be intrusive to aim binoculars that direction.

I did at least hear a nuthatch of some sort; also heard a number of times a pileated woodpecker far out in the forest. And, on the way home this morning, I got a very brief glimpse of a woodpecker flying across the road - feel reasonably certain it was a red-headed, since there were large white wing patches. Maybe an immature, because I did not see a red head.