[TN-Bird] New arrivals and a surprise or two (McKenzie area)

4/27/03
McKenzie vicinity (Henry & Carroll Co.)

I spent about 5 hours out this morning, covering my usual local haunts. It was 
a great morning to be out in the woods and fields around home, with 91 species 
seen or heard. Of these 22 species were warblers, if you count Chat among them. 
I had 5 species of vireos, still waiting on a Philly though. Of these: 
Warbling, Yellow-throated, and Blue-headed were all singles.

Surprises of the morning were a calling Black-billed Cuckoo in the Clear Creek 
bottom just southeast of McKenzie, Least Flycatcher in the Obion River bottom 
south of McKenzie, and Swainson's Warblers in 3 locations. 2 of these locations 
were new for me, with 1 being my 1st Carroll Co. record. My usual Swainson's 
was singing away, but I will be surprised if the other 2 hang around, as both 
are in areas I bird fairly regularly, and have never had Swainson's in either. 
One area is an upland, very atypical location for Swainson's. I was sitting on 
the edge of the road, trying to locate a close-by Hooded singing from a thick, 
shrubby area, when a Swainson's song cut loose from nearby. Given the location, 
I almost couldn't believe what it was, although the song was perfect. 
Eventually the bird came into view, allowing me to satisfy myself that it was 
indeed a Swainson's, I guess even these denizens of dark woods need a change of 
pace every once in a while!

FOS birds for the day were:

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (2)
Black-billed Cuckoo (1- only my 3rd local record with a lot of time spent in 
the field)
E. Wood-Pewee (several)
Acadian Flycatcher (3)
Least Flycatcher (1)- which along with E. Kingbird, Great Crested and Phoebe, 
giving me 6 flycatchers for the day
Magnolia Warbler (1)
Ovenbird (1)
Grasshopper Sparrow (1 field, with at least 2 singing)


Warblers seen/heard:

Tennessee Warbler (4)
Nashville Warbler (several)
N. Parula (many)
Yellow Warbler (several)
Magnolia Warbler (1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (several)
Black-throated-Green Warbler (2)
Yellow-throated Warbler (2)
Pine Warbler (1)
Prairie Warbler (many)
Palm Warbler (several)
Black-and-white Warbler (1)
Prothonotary Warbler (many)
Worm-eating Warbler (1)
Swainson's Warbler (3 locations)
Ovenbird (1)
N. Waterthrush (2)
L. Waterthrush (several)
Kentucky Warbler (many)
C. Yellowthroat (many)
Hooded Warbler (several)

Yellow-breasted Chat (many)

I checked on the Lark Sparrows, and heard, but didn't see, a Lark Sparrow 
singing in the same general area they've been for the past several days. Don 
Manning informed me that he finally got a good look at the Lark Sparrow near 
his house, in the general area they usually use. Also, he has seen another Lark 
this week between McKenzie and Huntingdon. I'm starting to wonder if Lark 
Sparrows are really that scarce!

If anyone's interested I've posted a couple of nest shots I took today, of a 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nest and a Tree Swallow poking it's head out of a cavity. 
These shots are posted in a new photo album, "Nests" at 
:http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=330&groupID=116215&folderview=&ck=
 .



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