[TN-Bird] 29 Vesper Sparrows/ Cades Cove/PEREGRINE FALCON
- From: James M Moore <jimimoore@xxxxxxxx>
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2003 11:42:55 -0500
After attending a retreat Fri. and Fri night. at Townsend, I
decided I "needed"
a "retreat" after sitting in meetings all day and proceeded (unplanned )
Sat. morn. to Cades Cove, in the Smoky Mountains. Early am was partly
cloudy and quite cool, and breezy, however, I began to walk the fields
and areas near the beginning of the loop road. Many Song and Swamp
Sparrows were flushed in the briar and thicket areas along the creek ont
he left side of the road, but it was rather quiet for most of the morning
with the wind. I did see one FOX SPARROW ( a first for me in the Cove)
and 2 WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS. Strangely enough, I only saw 1 FIELD
SPARROW all day. By 11:30am the winds had calmed considerably, and I
walked up on what I thought an excellent count of VESPER SPARROWS- 12. I
became so enamored with the first group of 12, that I decided to look for
more in similar habitat. These first 12 were around the water treatment
ponds ( I believe they are called the lagoons) and were along the dikes
and road around the ponds in very short grass. Present on the ponds were
HOODED MERGANSERS (69) as well as RING-NECK DUCKS (5) -One female
Bufflehead and 11 Wood Ducks.
A PALM WARBLER was also flitting about on the fenced in area. From here,
I continued walking the fields and roads to the left of the lagoons, all
the way to Sparks Lane. Around 2:00 I walked up on another large group of
Vesper Sparrows in an area of very short grass in the horse pasture.
I began counting and could not believe I had 16! This was at least a mile
from the first group of 12, but I was skeptical- walked BACK to the
lagoon area, and found 9-10 this time, but enough to know that this
second group I had found was different. An amazing 28 VESPER SPARROWS
(and 1 more added in another area before the end of the day for 29)
About that time a PEREGRINE FALCON came storming in to the ponds and
the ducks went wild! What an exciting day in the Cove! I saw him again
around 3:45
adjacent to the same area flying low along the ground after doves. It was
an adult, and perfectly gorgeous with a close look in the bright sun.
(Also, my first in the Cove)
I saw NO other Hawks all day.
Later in the day, I drove through Hyatt Lane, and saw one more Vesper
Sparrow along this road, far away from the others bringing the total to
29 for the day. This is certainly a record for me for one day in the
Park, the State, and the East. I wonder how many more were in some of the
other areas I did not visit? Other Sparrows were SAVANNAH-7 FIELD 1
JUNCOS, only 3- SWAMP 41 SONG- 50- WHITE-CROWNED 2 ( Ad. and imm.)
I also heard a RAVEN, though I never could find him. 3 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS
were my first for the Cove.
Species total was only 33 for the day, but what a great day. There was
much traffic in the Cove, but staying in the areas I was in there was
virtually no foot traffic until late afternoon.
*(If any one wants to look for these Sparrows they may be around a day or
so.-
**Easy directions to the 2nd group of Vesper Sp.- Go into the Cove Loop
Rd. Take the first Rd. Left onto Sparks Lane that goes through to the
other end of the loop. Drive through the first creek- Park left at the
gate by the creek and walk into the field there with the very short
grass. The Sparrows were all along the road here near the gate and in the
fields) At one point I had 8-9 in the bins at the same time.
Nell Moore
Caryville, TN
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