[TN-Bird] Whooping cranes plus more birds (a bit long)

Happy Saturday, TN-Birders,
 
Tarcila Fox came over this morning, and we drove over to Bell's Bend where  
we had nice looks at the two whooping cranes. They flew away, so we left  that 
area. It makes me sad that the old Cleece's Ferry was  discontinued.  The land
ing was only four blocks from my house, and it would  be a quick trip across 
the river and just a few miles to the cranes from my  house.  They are almost 
in my side yard, LOL.  I used to go across by  ferry to bird frequently.  Now, 
it is so near, but yet so  far...........
 
We then explored the rest of Bell's Bend, and Tarcila found a nice  
white-crowned sparrow among several white-throateds.  I later saw it drop  down 
to the 
ground and scurry into some underbrush and out of sight.  A  little ways away, 
we found a pileated woodpecker.
 
We also saw some Canada geese and mallards in a pond, then found a tree  into 
which 17 cedar waxwings had flown along with 4 bluebirds and a song  sparrow.
 
We dropped back by the whooping crane spot just as they flew back in and  
proceeded to feed. There are several nice shots on my camera, but I have  
forgotten how to load them into my computer. Those HASMAT people that  
decontaminated 
my house after I was sick, either packed or threw away all my  instruction 
books, so I am "lost" until I can find them or get some help.
 
We dropped back through Cockrill Bend, saw a nice red-tailed across from  
Riverbend Prison and the nesting platform that was built atop a utility  pole, 
was used, but has been cleaned off now. There was a  kestrel eating a mouse 
atop 
a pole at the turn-around outside the  Special Needs Facility and had a 
lovely harrier fly across the meadow near  the work-release correctional 
facility.
 
We dropped by Blue Lagoon marina (formerly Rock Harbor) on  Basswood Avenue 
where we met up with a coyote that was after some food someone  had thrown into 
the parking lot.  That was only about 12 blocks from my  house by street, so 
I'll continue to be careful of my little poodles when I let  them outside on 
my deck.  I'm already a bit wary of the foxes we are seeing  in the 
neighborhood since they cleared all the land that formerly belonged to AL  
Ganier, III, 
and put a HUGE new shopping center on it.  Saw a nice  red-tailed hawk and a 
turkey vulture soaring over the shopping center at the  northeast corner of 
Charlotte & Annex where the bowling alley and Big Lots  are located.
 
We went up to WSMV to look for the turkey that has taken up on their Knob  
Hill which they've been showing on the news.  The first time they filmed  it, 
the bird flew up onto the hood of a WSMV car and did what frightened turkeys  
might do..........right on camera.  The car was sitting up there in that  same 
spot today, and, well, let us just say that no one has washed the car  yet!!!!! 
 We did get a fantastic number of juncos, some bluebirds, downy  woodpeckers, 
a gorgeous yellow-bellied sapsucker, house finches and a purple  finch up 
near the tower, AND we heard a screech owl "whinny" from somewhere  down the 
hill.  We found a "suspicious" hole in a tree beside the church on  Knob Road 
below the tower, but did not see a "screech" in it.  I was  getting tired, and 
Tarcila was hungry, so we were ready to go home.
 
It was a good birdy-day for us.
 
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
 
 
 
 


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