FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Re: Nashville Big Day - big disappointment!

[BEAMERWITT@xxxxxxx]

On Sunday May 9 David McCarroll and I started out pre-dawn to try and finally 
hit 140 species for the day in the mid-state.  We reached the Harpeth Valley 
early and with all 3 nightjars in the sack.  Two GH Owls were calling on 
arrival, Willow Flycatcher wa present as hoped, and The A Kestrel male flew in 
before first light to the same wire on Hwy 96, stayed for 10 minutes or so and 
then disappeared.  Unfortunately, there was no sign of the shrike seen 
Wednesday, 
but since we had found another one on Saturday near Murfreesboro, all was not 
lost.  Blue Grosbeaks and Grasshopper Sparrows were also on the list before 
daylight, and we reached Radnor Lake with a reasonable start.  I knew that it 
would be a bit slow, and as predicted, bird numbers were low, and the only 
sightings of note were 2 Veerys and several Cape May Warblers.  We carried on 
to 
Shacklett to find the same RT Hummer perched in the top of a large tree, and 
then on to Ashland City.  Our luck with the remaining warblers was marginal 
with 
several misses, the only bird of interest was Worm-eating W on territory on 
the steep hillside just past the house with the bright red roof a few miles 
along Wiley-Pardue Road.  We missed the guaranteed Red-headed Woodpeckers at 
Dyson's Ditch, and limped in to Ashland City at 1 PM for a review of the list 
and 
lunch.  At this point we had only 95 species with another 17 pretty much sure 
things (RT Hawk, Rock Dove, BC Night-Heron, etc).  It looked as if 120 would 
be easy if we just kept going, but we could not get anywhere near our target, 
so we decided to ditch 2004, and regroup next year for another try.  When I got 
home, a red-phase E Screech-Owl was guarding the nest box in my back yard, 
for our third owl of the day - pretty good for this area.
Maybe next year

Terry Witt
Murfreesboro Tn 37130     



  


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