[TN-Bird] Standifer Gap Marsh - nests
- From: "David & Gloria Patterson" <dgpatterson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <SEFC-Birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 3 Jul 2004 21:12:53 -0000
Standifer Gap Marsh, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, TN 4/2/04
LEAST BITTERN: One of the new nests had one egg. An adult perched on a cattail
10 ft away and clucked and watched, another called coo coo coo coo from about
50 ft away.
The nest which had 4 downy young 6/29/04 had three young within 5 ft of the
nest, able to climb around on the cattails very well, but also able to hide
extremely well. No adults noticable in the area any of the times I have been
near this nest.
The nest with 4 eggs still appears abandoned.
At least four Least Bitterns were calling in an area not more than about 5
acres.
Finding Least Bittern nests,- what is working for me: Wade in knee-deep water
along the edge of cattails. Follow any little passageways into the cattails.
The 7 nests I have found could all be fairly easily seen from one of these
passageways, each in a clump of cattails, about 16" above the water ( none
closer than 200 ft to the road ).
Total search time for the 7 nests (and 2 Virginias and 10+ Redwings), perhaps 3
- 5 hours, not counting subsequent visits.
Total area searched,- probably not over 1 acre; there is a LOT of good
territory left.
One problem,- after a few finds it becomes difficult to remember where they all
are, and sometimes hard to find them again. This time I took a compass, took
sightings to 2 nearby poles or trees, kept notes, and placed an inconspicuous
marker in the vicinity to indicate that the nest has been recorded.
One other observation: This is July, later than I would have thought would be
a good time for finding nests.
VIRGINIA RAIL: The nest with 9 eggs 6/29/04 now had 8 eggs, adult incubating.
I couldn't find the nest with 1 remaining young, but assume it would be out and
away by now; however there was no adult excitement in the immediate vicinity.
Perhaps 5 or more Virginia Rails were making various sounds at that end of the
marsh.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL: Flushed 3 apparent sub-adults from cattails. They flew well
but stayed low over the cattails and went only about 200-300 ft; same thing an
hour later. Another bird, which I took to be the mother, flushed sooner, flew
much higher and farther.
This seems nearly conclusive evidence of success for 3 of the young from the
May 1 nest. There is also a possibility that we had 2 nests, since there were
two pairs at least until very late in April.
David Patterson
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
========================================================
Other related posts:
- » [TN-Bird] Standifer Gap Marsh - nests
