[tn-bird] Re: dumping of geese

Hi Folks,

Well today was nice. I got to sleep in, AND bird. The weather was bad
enough this morning that I just rolled over and went back to sleep,
but later it was nice enough to get out, and I'm glad I did.

First, I forgot to mention that I had a 2nd year eagle at Chickamauga
Dam yesterday.  Also, I had a 3rd year Herring Gull, NOT a 2nd year.

So today I went to Booker T. Washington SP, then Hiwassee.

At BTW I was greeted by a beautiful male columbarius Merlin.  It hung
around the playground for at least an hour.  The park was also very
full of dickey bird activity.  Many hundreds of Robins, and Juncos,
as well as good numbers of other expected woodland species.  Also saw
a pair (I'm assuming) of Brown-headed Nuthatches arguing with a male
Red-bellied Woodpecker over a hole in a snag.

Then it was off to Hiwassee.  I was greeted immediately upon arrival
by a Golden Eagle kicking up all the cranes - which seemed much more
numerous than last week.  That idea was confirmed by a young man with
a radio-telemetry antenna.  He's working for UTC as an intern and
monitors a couple specific birds daily, as well as taking notes on
all of them ingeneral.  He thinks there are a lot more, too.

While I couldn't find the Harris' Sparrow(s) I wasn't there at the
best time of day, and the constant presence of a male Kestrel may
have caused birds to be, um, more secretive.  Also the 25 mph gusts
of wind were keeping birds down.  I still saw a flock of at least 150
Chipping and Field Sparrows, though.  Is it my imagination, or is
that spot the only reliable place for chippy's between Knoxville and
Chattanooga this winter?  I haven't seen them anywhere else, it
seems.  Several already have the full chestnut cap back.

On the way out of Hiwassee, I saw a pair of Loggerhead Shrikes on a
wire, just about 15 feet apart.  One nabbed a moth while I was
watching. When you leave the refuge, take a left.  When you see
Mathis Cove Road on the right, check the odometer.  0.2 mile later on
the left is a small pond with a utility line running almost over it. 
They were on it.  I took some photos.

So 2.5 days of not much more than casual birding, 80 species.  Not
too bad.  With an intensive effort, they could have all been seen in
a day.  Hmmmm....

Now it's back to the daily grind of hiking in the Smoky's. Feel for
me.  ;-)

Good day!

Charlie







=====
**************************************************
Charlie Muise, Senior Naturalist
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
Townsend, TN  lat 35 deg, 38'23"  long 83 deg, 41'22"

"Do something. If it works, do it again. If it does not work, do something 
else. But above all else: Do Something." (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)

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