FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Sandhills last night, and other signs of spring

[Raincrow <raincrow@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Last night, under a low, thin cloud ceiling that somewhat veiled moon, 2
very small flights of Sandhills flew low over the pasture next door. The
first, at 9:30 pm, sounded like 5-8 birds, and the second, at 10:15, was
only 1-2. This morning, the trees here are quietly resounding with a
gabillion little bird voices, sparrowy and warblery contact calls.  I
have not yet had a chance to listen in any detail (and I'm no good at
distinguishing most contact calls anyway). It sounded as if a few
perhaps settled down for the night about 1/3 of a mile downhill from me
while others went on.

I have not been on the lake for several weeks, but I strongly suspect
the Riley Creek ospreys might already be here. Also, a few days ago, I
saw a heron sitting in the osprey nest on the downstream side of
Gallaher Bridge on Rt 58 (west of the Oak Ridge K-25 site), with its
neck arched in a very un-heronlike pose that reminded me of nothing so
much as a blue-gray plastic flamingo (the ospreys have been
redecorating!).

And watched 2 grackles flying one after the other, the first carrying
nesting material and hotly pursued by a smaller bird from whom, I
suspect, the nesting material had been stolen.

Liz Singley
Kingston TN ("Sou'tha River")

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