FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] PELICANS, raptors - Knox

[K Dean EDWARDS <kde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

No foolin'.  Though parts do seem more like one of my birding
dreams.

Sat, 1 April 2006; Knox Co.

After the sun came out this morning, the weather must have been
just right to get raptors moving... though a few seemed to be
going the wrong way.

About 10AM I had a MERLIN make a pass along the ridge heading
south.  Possibly the same bird I saw earlier this week but I
wouldn't necessarily count on it.

About 11:30AM I noticed a similar but much larger bird making
a similar track down the ridge and over our backyard.  I got
the binoculars on it and confirmed it was a PEREGRINE FALCON,
second sighting for our yardlist.

As I followed the Peregrine with my binocs, its path and my
field of view intersected with 2 lines containing a total of
23 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs soaring high off to the west.

Once the Pelicans had disappeared from sight, I was able to
relocate the Peregrine in a kettle with 2 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS
across Middlebrook Pike on the other side of the gap in the
ridge.  The Peregrine circled high then broke off heading west
in the same direction as the Pelicans.

A few totals for the morning, again all from our yard in west
Knox County.


AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, 23, yardbird #137

BLACK VULTURE, 1, only the second sighting for the yard
Turkey Vulture, at least 3

Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 kettling
Cooper's Hawk, 1 immature, local bird
Red-shouldered Hawk, 3, only a handful of yard records
Red-tailed Hawk, 2, local birds
MERLIN, 1, 3rd yard record
PEREGRINE FALCON, 1, 2nd yard record

Barred Owls, 2, local birds calling before dawn, think I may
have found the nest cavity

Brown Thrasher, 1, first of 2006 in yard
Black-throated Green Warbler, 1 singing
Myrtle Warblers, several

38 species total (with several regulars still missing)

Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN



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