[TN-Bird] Seven Islands WR

Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge
East Knox County
12:30 pm  - 3:30 pm
Monday, November 15, 2004

Hi folks,

I decided to take advantage of a gorgeous day and go walk the dogs at
Seven Islands (SIWR).

Taking care of our son, herding the dogs into the car and other
assorted tasks got me to SIWR at the bright-n-early time of 12:30pm. 
Not what you'd call a great time to bird.  But approaching the
parking lot I saw the first bird of the day - a gorgeous male
AMERICAN KESTREL.  One of my favorites.  I stopped and watched this
guy, who was in perfect lighting.  Finally driving the last 50 yards
to the parking lot, the first bird I saw after I got out of the car
was an adult RED-TAILED HAWK.  Ditto birds 3 and 4.  There were 3
Red-taileds circling over at once.  For the rest of my time there, it
seemed there was at least one visible at all times.  I assume there
were no more than 3, but I couldn't be sure.

Pushing a stroller meant no trails.  All I did was walk the paved
road to the end and back.  Between keeping track of the dogs and
entertaining the boy, I wasn't exactly thorough, either.  However I
did get the expected SPARROWS:  SONG (several hundred), SWAMP (though
there were likely hundreds in the grass, I only saw about a dozen),
WHITE-THROATED (at least 60), WHITE-CROWNED (the most I've seen
there, at least 25-30), FIELD (I only saw about 30) and even a
LINCOLN'S.  There were also a handful of EASTERN TOWHEES and 2
DARK-EYED JUNCOS for a total of 8 sparrows on the day.

After Song Sparrow, probably the next most numerous birds were
NORTHERN CARDINALS with at least 75.  They were everywhere I looked. 
It sure is a good day when these outnumber the mere 6 EUROPEAN
STARLINGS I saw.  The powerlines were pretty empty today - probably
due to the many raptors around - and only hosted 3 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS
and a female AMERICAN KESTREL, who was busy eating something with
feathers when I found her 2/3 of the way down the road.  At the end
of the road I found the rest of the raptors for the day - adult BALD
EAGLE, adult COOPER'S HAWK and female or immature NORTHERN HARRIER. 
I wanted to round it out with a non-raptor carnivore, but I just
couldn't locate a shrike.  My dogs did give good chase to an outdoor
cat, however (they're well trained!).

Other interesting birds were 3 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, a flock of about
40, mostly immature male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, and a *lot* of
KINGLETS.  Probably about 35 GOLDEN-CROWNED and 5 RUBY-CROWNED.  I
could not locate an Orange-crowned Warbler this time, and there were
only 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS that I could locate.

For the first time, I could not locate a single water-related bird
(unless you count the eagle).  Not a single shorebird - not even
killdeer, which are usually around the horse stable.  No cormorants,
which can often be found on the river.  No ducks, and not even a
Canada Goose.  Hmmm.

There were a few butterflies, which I didn't pay much attention to. 
At least 3 fritillaries, and one angle-wing.

Good birding!
Charlie

=====
**************************************************
Charlie Muise, Naturalist near
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

"Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of cancer."  -Edward Abbey
**************************************************


                
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