Birding was good at my home today in Birchwood (Hamilton County) and at three
areas of Birchwood in Meigs County. Fifty-two species in all were logged today
beginning with a calling Barred Owl before daybreak at home. Twenty-five
species, mostly feeder birds, were noted at home, including four species of
woodpeckers: Red-bellied, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy, and Northern
Flicker. I added a Pileated Woodpecker at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. The overall
number of ducks seen at HWR was down somewhat, but there were still hundreds of
ducks of nine species. Mallards were the most numerous ducks, but American
Wigeon, Am. Black Duck, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal,
many Canvasback and Redhead, and a few Bufflehead (viewed from the Cherokee
Removal Memorial Park) were also noted. The highest number of Sandhill Cranes I
observed all season was seen from the CRMP late on January 20, but there are
still good numbers of Sandhill Cranes present on the HWR. One Whooping Crane
was also located on the refuge today. Late in the day two First-of-Year
Wilson’s Snipes were found near the bridge over Dry Branch on Shahan Road,
which begins as Burdette Road off Highway 60 in Meigs County.
Charles Murray
Birchwood, TN
