[TN-Bird] Eight years of birds at home

From: Bill Pulliam <bb551@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tn-bird Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 16:30:16 -0500
I've been here on our 40 acre homestead in western Lewis County for  
about 8 years now.  The land is a typical Highland Rim mix of forest  
and fields, bottoms and ridges.  I have two ponds, plus there are  
three others on adjoining farms.  There is a lot of beaver activity  
along the creeks; I do nothing to disuade them.  I've been looking at  
my bird data for this time, and it is interesting to note the changes  
in abundances of various species over this time.  I haven't tried to  
do statistics on these data, but here are the more notable trends I  
see when I compare 2002-2005 versus 2006-2009:

Species that have increased:

Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Black Vulture (from non-existent to common)
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Sandhill Crane (none in first 4 years, now seen every spring)
American Woodcock
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (neighbor put up feeders)
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Purple Martin (dramatically)
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin (especially in winter)
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Summer Tanager
Eastern Towhee (3-fold)
White-throated Sparrow (3-fold)
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Species that have decreased:

Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Black-billed Cuckoo (formerly annual in spring, last found 4 years ago)
Acadian Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Brown Creeper (dramatically)
Swainson's Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Blue-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler (drastically)
Ovenbird
Kentucky Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Scarlet Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole

Many of these changes are clearly a result of the local habitat  
changes over this time.  The fields have gone from annually-mowed  
hayfields to brushy oldfields with only small areas actively  
managed.  The edges have gotten edgier, brushier, and viney-er   
(woodcock, Winter Wren, kinglets, catbird, yellowthroat, towhee,  
white-throats, cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, goldfinches).  The biggest  
pond has gone from barren chert shores to willows, brush and weeds,  
hence more herons, kingfishers, and Yellow Warblers, and fewer  
shorebirds.  My forests were selectively logged two years before I  
moved here; their canopies have been closing and understories opening  
over the years.  This along with the improved edge habitat likely  
accounts for the increases in many woodland birds.

A few of these increases are clearly regional phenomena.  Black  
Vultures and Sandhill Cranes seem to be on the increase all over  
middle Tennessee.  Some of the decreases, though, are surprising and  
worrying, especially as this only covers an 8-year span.  With  
improvement in edge, oldfield, and brushy habitats, why are chats,  
Blue-winged and Prairie Warblers declining?  Why are so many sparrows  
declining even though the diversity of sparrow habitat has  
increased?  Given that the resident woodland species such as  
woodpeckers and titmice are nearly all increasing, what is going on  
with flycatchers, creepers, Ovenbirds, Kentucky and Hooded Warblers,  
and Scarlet Tanagers?  Many boreal nesting transients have shown  
drops, some very large drops, in spite of improved habitat for  
visiting transients.

Most of these declining trends are, alas in keeping with well- 
documented regional and continental patterns.  Still, it is sobering  
to have such a strong demonstration, over such a short time scale,  
that no matter what you do on your own land, the large-scale trends  
can still trump your efforts.  Blue-wings and Prairies are especially  
disturbing for me, as I have made a particular effort to maintain  
habitat for them.  They are still present, a male Blue-wing is  
already on territory for 2010.  But, last year there was only one.   
When I first moved here there were multiple pairs singing at and  
scolding each other through mid-summer.

Bill Pulliam
Hohewnald TN
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[TN-Bird] Eight years of birds at home

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