[TN-Bird] Kingston shorebirds, etc.


I decided I needed a four-day weekend and took the day off
to do some birding.  The day started with two Wood Thrushes
waking us up at 6:30.  This is the latest we've had them
here.

Later, I spent the morning at Kingston Steam Plant in
Roane Co., Tn.  Things looked promising as I had 3 shorebird
species ticked off before getting out of the car at the
parking lot by the soccer fields.  6 Least, 1 Semipalmated
Sandpiper and 2-3 Killdeer were feeding in the numerous
puddles in the lot.  Got a few nice photos of the peeps and
one of the many Carolina Saddlebags (dragonfly) flying about.
Unfortunately, none of the Black Saddlebags would land and pose.

Several Grasshopper Sparrows and Northern Bobwhites were
heard and seen in the fields and a Scarlet Tanager and
Great Crested Flycatcher were calling from the woods across
the street.  Ospreys were everywhere.

On the main ash pond, there was lots of work going on but
the workers allowed me to view the ponds from a safe
vantage point.  Shorebirds here included 1 alternate-plumaged
Dunlin, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper (which was kind enough
to verify my ID by showing me his backside) and 1 Baird's
Sandpiper which seemed late to me but fits in the dates
given in Robinson's "Annotated Checklist of TN Birds".
This was only my second spring Baird's and I spent a lot
of time with this bird to be sure (having goofed at
KSP a while back by jumping to the Baird's conclusion too
soon and possibly missing a really great bird).

Main pond shorebirds:
Semipalmated Plover, 4
Killdeer, ~10
Spotted Sandpiper, at least 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper, at least 2
Western Sandpiper, 1
Least Sandpiper, at least 40
peep sp., 6 too far to ID in bad light
White-rumped Sandpiper, 1
Baird's Sandpiper, 1
Dunlin, 1

A Willow Flycathcer was seen in the willows by the main pond.

I had five warblers on territory, Yellow, Yellow-throated, and
Pine Warblers, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-breasted Chat.

I missed the Brown-headed Nuthatches.

After Kinsgton, I went on to Eagle Bend Fish Hatchery in
Clinton (Anderson Co., TN).  Shorebird habitat was pretty
much non-existant with two ponds completely dry except for
a small patch of mud which held a lone Least Sandpiper and
3 or 4 Killdeer.  All the other ponds were full but I did
find a couple of Spotted Sandpipers working the banks.
Spent most of my time here chasing dragonflies and was
able to get some nice photographs of male Calico Pennants.
Ohter Odes seen included Green Darner, Common Whitetail,
Eastern Pondhawk, Carolina Saddlebags, Black Saddlebags,
Eastern Amberwing (one of my favorites :-), a clubtail
of some sort and lots of unidentified damselflies.

The shorebird ponds in New Market (Jefferson Co., TN) have
dried up and the big pond is really full but I did find
a couple of Spotted Sandpipers here and a few Bank Swallows
from the colony in the mine tailings.

My parents said the White-crowned Sparrows which winter in
their yard (Jefferson Co., TN) every year from the third
Saturday in October to 20 May left right around on time
last week.

Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN


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