[TN-Bird] Southeast Tennessee weekend

Drove from Knoxville to Elora (Lincoln County) Saturday to look for the 
black-throated sparrow.  Didn't manage to find it.  Had a momentary glimpse 
of a small apparently masked bird among the dozens of yellow-rumped warblers 
in brush pile at end of road but couldn't relocate it; could have been the 
sparrow or possibly just a yellow-rumped warbler in a Halloween mask (there 
were several smashed pumpkins strewn about - isn't that a rock band?).  I 
also looked for it in the fallen tree at the beginning of the dirt road, 
walked all along the road, etc.

First bird I saw there was a winter wren in the same brush pile at the end 
of the dirt road.  Best look I've ever had at one.  Very close up.  (of 
course, it's only the second look I've ever had at one, so not much to 
compare to)  Sparrows I did see included 2 swamps.

Stayed for about an hour and a half (2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time); as 
it was getting late and there were more places I wanted to go, I left 
without seeing the sparrow.  Had better luck at Winchester (Franklin County) 
  where I got a lifer (4 actually, all whooping cranes, so that was truly 
exciting).  After watching them for 10 minutes or so a flock of 17 sandhills 
flew in.  This was at the spot by the National Guard Armory where people 
have been seeing them.

By now it was starting to get dark (4:30 p.m., EST) and I really wanted to 
go to Nickajack Lake and check out all the birds I had glimpsed from I-24 
earlier in the day.  The only solution was to turn my day trip into an 
overnight and go to Nickajack Sunday morning -- which I did, stopping at 
Wal-Mart for a toothbrush and book to read.

Sunday morning I stopped at the rest area on eastbound I-24 (Marion County, 
I think) and found a lake full of American Coots along with a couple 
mallards.  Saying good-bye to the coots, I pushed on to exit 161 and ended 
up at Marion County Park.  Now I don't know if this is where people go when 
they say they've been to Nickajack Lake but it did appear to be on Nickajack 
Lake.  And there were many, many birds on the water.  Most of them coots.  I 
did manage to find some non-coot waterfowl, including:

pied billed grebes - about half a dozen
bufflehead -  about half a dozen
ring-necked ducks - quite a few
gadwall - about half a dozen
Northern Shovelers - 7 or 8

Also - 2 or 3 great blue herons
NO CANADA GEESE - NOT A ONE
NO MALLARDS

dozens of cedar waxwings in the cedars
starlings
yellow-rumped warblers
Carolina chickadees
bluejays
song sparrows
house finches
a mockingbird

(not an all inclusive list; I'm sure I've forgotten some)

I didn't go to Nickajack Dam, probably should have but needed to get home, 
feed my cat and wrap Christmas presents.  That's a trip for another day.

Carole Gobert
Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee


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