[TN-Bird] 'Grizzly' Harboldt
- From: "Samuel Harboldt, M.D." <SHarboldt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 10:12:05 -0600
Sam Harboldt
Jackson, TN
1/2/08
Am new to tn-bird, and don't know if this will send or not. My wife Susan and
I birded often before kids (about 20 years ago). The kids have put plenty of
gray hairs on my head since then, so looking pretty grizzly by now. Time has
also given me a chance to forget what little I did know about birds. Short
visit on brisk, windy, snowy, New Years Day at Pace Point, TN NWR in Henry
County:.
Barred Owl 1 - my first ever and the highlight of the day.
Golden Eagle, immature, with underwing proximal primary white patch and slight
dihedral. 1
Am Kestrel 1
R.T. Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
N. Cardinals ++
Blue Jays ++
Song Sparrow 1
W.T. Sparrows + one taking a frigid bath in a tiny roadside stream
Hooded Mergansers ++
Gadwalls +
Am Widgeons +
N. Pintail +
Mallards +++
P.B. Grebe +
N. Shoveler +
Canada Goose +++
Gulls ++ (distant)
Crows +++ (distant)
Wild canine (see below)
It sounds crazy to me, so I suppose all will think so: could there be red
wolves at TN NWR at Pace Point in Henry County? The other highlight was a wild
canine crossing the gravel road less than a hundred feet in front of me. After
crossing 20 feet or so into the cover of the woods, it stopped and looked back,
not at my car but toward the direction from which it had come, as though
concerned about kinfolks. This pause afforded me a very good look through my
binoculars. It was about the size and texture of a Rough Coated Collie or
German Shepherd-Collie mix, but clearly blockier and more muscular, and with
it's splendid spiky coat appearing ruffed up as if in response to the cold
wind. However, these were not Collie or German Shepherd colors, but those of
coyote or wolf, and the facial physiognomy was not Collie. It's head looked
rather broad. As I'm well aware that gray wolves don't run there, I concluded
forthwith that it was an extra good-looking coyote, not even thinking of red
wolf. A few minutes later I chatted briefly with a couple of older local men
cruising the refuge in a pickup, who asked if I'd seen wolves. They maintained
with great assurance that red wolves run there, which came as a great surprise
to me. I told them that I understand that there is some (debatable) DNA etc.
evidence for interbreeding between coyotes and red wolves (believe I read this
is Scott Weidensaul's Mountains of the Heart), but they wouldn't budge on their
theory. Then I was left to ponder - how red is red? It seemed a gorgeous
mixed pelt of gray and tawny (red?) tones with subtle black highlights. This
leaves me interested in hearing from any knowledgeable persons and/or needing
to contact the refuge officials to learn if there has indeed been some
reintroduction attempt. I have heard of spots in the Appalachians/Southeast
where there are programs to reintroduce the red wolf. If only coyotes are
known to be there, special protection wouldn't be necessary, but if red wolf is
there I'd be concerned that ill-informed and prejudiced locals might enjoy
cruising the area and taking down any reintroduced animals. In that case the
support of outdoor-minded persons such as birders could be important, so I'll
run the risk of appearing gullible. I want to stress that I'm not reporting a
red wolf siting, however, I was quite struck with the rugged beauty of this
beast, who had a bold erect stance and lacked the skulking posture and scrawny
look I associate with coyotes. Perhaps it just looked bigger and better pelted
because it was cold and I saw it so close.
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