[tn-bird] Re: Kingston Steam Plant, Roane Co.

Tracey Everson and I spent a few morning hours at the Steam Plant
today (Sunday, 9/29)

We found only 4 Brown-headed Nuthatches holding on at the boat
launch, where we also found 4+ Pine Warblers and 2 Summer Tanagers
and the first of several Palm Warblers of the day.  There were a
number of Blue Jay flying over, presumably migrating, and as we were
returning to the car, there was a sudden "disruption in the force" as
a vertical flash of blue plummeted towards the water.  Though this
beautiful Peregrine missed the jay it was after, we got to see an
aerial show on and off for the next 15 minutes.  After each failed
attempt, it would go to the smoke stack nearest the water of the 6
smaller ones, and soar around, then suddenly zoom off at another
target.  Finally it nailed something we assume to be a jay - about
the same size, anyway - and landed on the nearer of the 2 big towers.

We then went around to the backside of the plant, where we enjoyed
probably a hundred Eastern Meadowlarks, a number of Killdeer, and
other fairly predictable birds.  The sparrows seem to have consisted
of only Savannah, Song and one probably Grasshopper.  Another
month... I miss the sparrows!

Waterfowl included ~60 Canada Geese, ~20 Mallards, 3 Northern
Shovellers, 4 Gadwall and one female Green-winged Teal whose identity
eluded me for a while, due to lack of practice, terrible lighting,
and her tendancy to stay as far away from us as possible.

Other water birds included a single Pied-billed Grebe still in mostly
breeding plumage (beautiful) and 4 peeps that were too far out. 
Where was Ole' Coot?  I am sure they were not Western, as the bill
was not relatively big or deep enough.  But I couldn't see leg color
or anything else I need to ID them.  They were a lot smaller than the
Killdeer next to them, and feeding very actively.  So actively, in
fact, that I was tempted to call them Sanderlings.  But I think I
would have been able to see enough to make that call.  They were
peeps.

2 Osprey, including one trying to hold on to a fish despite the best
efforts of a 2 or 3 year-old Bald Eagle, were all nice to see.  With
the 2 Red-shouldereds and one Red-tailed, we did fairly well on
raptors.  Also had ~15 Turkey Vultures, but no Black.

All of the dozen or so Palm Warblers were western, but one was so
bright and in such bright light, it had me wondering for a second. 
Neither of the 2 Common Yellowthroats I heard deemed me worthy of a
view.

I was surprised by a group of Rough-winged Swallows that also
included one I suspect to have been a Bank - seemed just a bit
smaller, and the breast seemed a bit less dingy and more solid.  But
the lighting and distance were too much for me to be certain.

After the gobs and gobs of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks I've been seeing
this week (20+ in one dogwood tree!) I was surprised to have none
today.

Good day!

Charlie


=====
**************************************************
Charlie Muise, Senior Naturalist
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
Townsend, TN  lat 35 deg, 38'23"  long 83 deg, 41'22"

"Do something. If it works, do it again. If it does not work, do something 
else. But above all else: Do Something." (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)

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