[TN-Bird] Merlin at Percy Priest Lake, Nashville
- From: Rconnorsphoto@xxxxxxx
- To: TN-Bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:45:28 EST
Percy Priest Lake, Nashville, Davidson County TN
Anderson Road Recreation Area
Location: page 53 in DeLorme Tennessee atlas, section C-D 6-7
.
I have been participating in the Hickory-Priest (Nashville east) Christmas
bird count off and on for the past 15 years, and most of those years at least
one Merlin has been counted on the Percy Priest Lake section. Anderson Road
Recreation Area is the usual site and this year was no exception (although we
almost missed it, thanks to Cass Kennedy for spotting it). A female Merlin was
present on Jan. 1st and has been seen several times since. Jan Shaw and I
checked there Wednesday, January 18th, and watched the bird from 3:45- 4:15pm.
Merlin, Falco columbarius, is not a common sighting anywhere in Tennessee
that I know of. Robinson lists it as uncommon migrant and rare winter resident.
Tennessee data from 2004-2005 Christmas counts from American Birds magazine
showed 7 Merlins "spread across the state." It seems to like the tree-lined,
rocky shore of big lakes. As I recall Jeff Wilson had one at Pace Point this
fall
and I think there were a few from this years Christmas Counts as reported on
TnBird.
But I don't know of another place like Anderson Rd. Rec. Area that has a
history of consistent sightings, a winter territory occupied by a bird each
year.
Possibly by the same bird for many years in succession. I have always seen a
female there, my first count there was 1990. Evidently there was one there in
'89 also. One year there was a female and a male at this site. I would think
there are other wintering birds around at other sites and would be interested
in
hearing of any. And if you see this bird later this winter please post a
sighting.
From the Anderson Road Rec. Area parking lot, at the end of Anderson Rd., go
250 yards down the walking trail to the point of the peninsula where the trail
turns hard right. You could loop out around the point or turn right. At that
juncture look to the north across the lake toward the dam, on your right are
two big cottonwood trees. The bird perches in one of those trees between 3:30
and 4:30 in the afternoon. Real rowdy walkers can spook it but it seems to come
right back. It is probably in the area all day, terrorizing chickadees and
kinglets in the cedar trees.
You can see photos at:
http://www.rconnorsphoto.com/nature.html
Richard Connors
Nashville
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