[TN-Bird] Blount and Knox County: Marsh Wren, Sora, Fish Crow, Vesper Sparrow
- From: shaawitya@xxxxxxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:07:24 +0000 (UTC)
Today Kevin Burke and I ventured out early to bird some hotspots around Blount
and Knox Counties. We saw or heard 56 species in various localities in Blount
and Knox Counties. We saw a total of 8 sparrow species (including Eastern
Towhee) during the day. Here are the highlights and notes.
Wears Valley Marsh - On NPS Foothills Parkway property ( 23 spp.)
Marsh Wren - 2 singing
Louisville Point Park (16 spp) - no Brown-headed Nuthatch today!
Univ. of Tenn. Plant Science Farm off Alcoa Hwy (39 spp.)
Osprey pair
Purple Martin - 2 flyover
Fish Crow - 1, flying with two other crows from area of Sky Ranch Airport
toward lowers end of Lyons Bend Area . Distinct call.
Savannah Sparrow - 60+
VESPER Sparrow - 1, loosely affiliated with American Pipits and Savannah
Sparrows
American Pipit - 8
Lesser Yellowlegs - 2
Sora - 1 (seen and heard)
If you bird this area, go into the Farm and stay left at the first fork and
then right at the second fork on the gravel road. Park off the gravel road
either at the weather station or before the field gate. DO NOT DRIVE PAST THE
GATE. There is a small marsh on the right at this point. This is where the Sora
was located. The fields beyond the marsh and gate have about four distinct
types of fields at this time. 1) Planted fields, mostly to the right of the
parking area, and mostly unproductive birdwise 2) unplowed fields (mostly
chickweed) good for starlings, 3) plowed fields with sparse vegetation, and 4)
plowed fields with more dense vegetation but certainly not sparse. You are
permitted to walk the roads between the fields, but not in the fields
themselves.
The plowed fields with more vegetation were by far the most productive today
and is where the Pipits, Savannah Sparrows, and Vesper Sparrow were seen. They
were flying around while we walked the field roads. The Pipits were heard and
seen during flight. The Vesper Sparrow was seen through binoculars and spotting
scope. The Savannah Sparrows were quite variable in plumage ranging from light
to dark and with little or no to prominent yellow lores. They were abundant.
Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge - (29 spp.)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
We gave up the search for the numerous Fox Sparrows there as a rain squall was
approaching.
Noticeably none to few ducks, waterfowl, raptors, and early warblers observed
today.
Happy Birding
Keith Watson
Pittman Center, TN
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