[Bristol-Birds] Birds about my yard -- Bristol TN

30 May 2006

Bristol, TN

Sullivan Co.

 

At 9 p.m. this evening, just as the last light of evening sunset was fading,
I heard a screech owl in my back woods.  This is the first one found on my
property in maybe two years.  Shortly after dark one of the adults kept the
low wine going and I soon heard the chatter of hungry young.  I have hosted
owls in both tree cavities and owl boxes since 1965.

 

Friday, 26 May, while picking up a car which had been serviced at Bill
Gatton Honda on the Volunteer Parkway,  I noticed a couple of Cliff Swallows
flying about the U.S. 11E bridge over Beaver Creek in front of the
dealership.  I didn't have much time to spend but did walk down the mowed
area far enough to see at least three Cliff Swallow nests under the outside,
downstream side of the bridge.  I suppose this is the first extension of the
Cliff Swallow nesting into the Beaver Creek drainage of Northeast Tennessee
and Southwest Virginia, unless nesting has previously been established and
detected at the mouth of the drainage in the Buffalo Community at Boone
Lake.

 

At least two pairs of Red-bellied Woodpeckers have taken up residence in or
near my yard.  It seems as I definitely have one pair on my property since
one or more are present everyday and calling just about every hour.  Often I
have another male to come and challenge for the territory.  One evening
three birds were calling.  One was about a hundred yards away.  I saw four
birds in my yard at the same time about a week ago.

 

The crows could not settle down about my place this spring.  Seemed to me
like a constant fuss and argument underway almost every morning.  A few
weeks ago the calls were intense and excited.  I looked over the driveway
down in the font yard to see about 15 crows gathered around two birds that
were fighting to the bitter end.  All the other birds were hopping in the
air and fluttering a foot or two above the big fight.  A few days later I
noticed a crow making a steep flight into one of my tallest White Pine
trees.  It was carrying nesting material.  Then I saw it.  A big, heavy
crows nest about 60 to 70 feet up in the very top of the pine.  Just above
my driveway.  The young are hatched and food begging.

 

A Sharp-shinned Hawk makes frequent dashing flights through my many tall
oaks.  I see it once or twice a week and have now for about a month.  It
usually is dashing along about 30 feet above the ground and darting among
the canopy.  No nesting indications I can pick up but I have lots of trees
and a big area it could  be nesting in on this south-facing oak hillside.
The crows do not challenge the hawk and do not chase it.  I have several
active bird feeders at my patio but have seen no indication of bird kills. I
have not seen the Sharp-shinned perch in sight of the feeders but have had
it perched low in the front yard on the other side of the house. 

 

Let's go birding..

 

Wallace Coffey

Bristol, TN

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