[TN-Bird] Rough-legged Hawk, etc. (Greene Co., TN)

November 22, 2008

Greene County: Greeneville, Wal-Mart Distribution Center (WMDC), and 
miscellaneous areas in the western end of the county

I spent a couple of hours this morning searching for waterfowl and field birds 
in and around Mosheim, Midway, and McDonald.  Most of the reliable ponds were 
frozen, but I did find a small area of open water packed with ducks in the 
fourth pond at WMDC.  Field birds were rather scarce.

A short list of the day's birds includes the following:

Gadwall (12, WMDC)
American Wigeon (5, WMDC)
American Black Duck (8, WMDC)
Mallard (135--120 WMDC, 15 elsewhere)
Northern Shoveler (4, WMDC)
Northern Pintail (7, WMDC)
Green-winged Teal (18, WMDC)
Ring-necked Duck (WMDC)

Pied-billed Grebe (WMDC)

Rough-legged Hawk (light-morph, WMDC)

American Coot (WMDC)

Horned Lark (7, Hwy. 340 approx. 1 mile east of the Hamblen Co. line)

American Pipit (9)

Savannah Sparrow (3)
Swamp Sparrow (6)

Purple Finch (2, Greeneville).

The Rough-legged Hawk was hunting over the railroad track and fence that border 
the third pond at WMDC.  When I first became aware of it, I thought "harrier" 
because of the similar flight styles of the two species.  Then I recognized the 
buteo shape, with "chunkier" body and shorter tail.  When the bird flew past 
me, heading east, I saw the white on the basal portion of the upper side of the 
tail.  I didn't get a good enough look at plumage details to determine age or 
gender.  The bird disappeared quickly from view, dropping to the ground beyond 
the railroad track, I think.  I was unable to re-locate it, even though I 
looked carefully and later drove along nearby Jim Kirk Road to scan the fields 
adjacent to WMDC.  

The area where the Rough-legged Hawk appeared is less than a mile from where I 
found a dark-morph bird on February 19, 2005.   

Don Miller
Greeneville, Greene Co., TN

 
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