[Bristol-Birds] Northern Waterthrush, Hampton, TN

For the past two mornings (April 24 and 25) I have spotted a Northern 
Waterthrush in the spring seep next to my home in Hampton, TN.

There's an old springhouse made of river rock on the property, and the old 
spring still seeps up through the ground and makes an area I just call "the 
swamp."

One surprise on Thursday morning was that the Northern Waterthrush hopped onto 
the old window ledge in the spring house (it's just the open window space now 
with no glass panes) and then flew into the old building.

There's also a huge Norway Spruce towering over everything, and by late summer, 
"the swamp" is choked with vegetation. It's always been a good place to find 
warblers during the spring and fall migration and even the summer nesting 
season. 

The tendency has been that I see more Northern Waterthrushes in fall than 
spring, but I will take them whenever I can get them.

I have a question, too, if anyone can shed some light.

Obviously, the Northern Waterthrush does not nest in the region, so when we do 
see them, they are migrating through.

The Louisiana Waterthrush does nest here, but I never see them until they are 
already on the nesting site. Why don't I see Louisiana Waterthrushes at home or 
in the field as they migrate but have not yet arrived at their nesting sites? 
Of course, the answer could simply be that I have not been lucky enough to see 
one under those circumstances, but I wondered if there is something about their 
migration pattern that might also explain it. 

Bryan Stevens,
Hampton, TN

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