[TN-Bird] Brown-headed Nuthatch, Pine Warbler etc.
- From: James Brooks <comeback@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Tenn Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 07:50:33 -0500
Charlie and Ellen Parker and I ventured to Knoxville Saturday to add
species from "Southern Tennessee" to our lists.
Susan Hoyle responded to a request saying the Sage Thrasher was not seen
since Feb. 17, but offered to escort us to the site anyhow. I decided we
already had a busy day ahead, so thanks, but no Thanks.
David Trently provided directions to Seven Islands and Kyker Bottoms
WMAs, and info on the current location of Brown-headed Nuthatches.
Thanks to both for your help. What a wonderful thing the Internet is!
We met for breakfast at the Hardee's in Jonesborough at 6 a.m. Charlie
is a home-schooler going on 12 and a keen birder, although learning
about birder hours was a bit of a shock to his system.
We stopped at Seven Islands on the way into town. Everything was still
covered with frost and we were dressed for a day forecast into the 60s,
but the birds were not stirring with the sun still below the ridge. Six
White-tail Deer crossing the road from the pasture brightened out
morning, however. On the way out, at the white church, we observed a
flock of about 30 Purple Finches.
Onward to Plant Sciences Farm, where a long hike around the perimeter
revealed 7-8 Great Blue Herons, good scope looks at Eastern Meadowlark,
lots of Song Sparrows, the first Red-winged Blackbirds of the year - one
of those Southern species - and finally over in the marsh we got
Savannah Sparrows to sit up for good scope looks and comparitive
discussions on Song Sparrows, the short, notched tail being primary.
Noticably absent were American Pipits, Horned Larks and Lapland
Longspurs, all reported earlier in the winter here.
On to Kyker Bottoms, which was somewhat awash with hunters working bird
dogs. Our best view of the ducks was taken by setting up the scope in
the road. TWRA should give serious thought to building an observation
platform right where their equipment shed is located, as this is the
best view of the water.
Still out there was goodly numbers of Northern Shoveler, about 6 pair of
Northern Pintail, an equal number of Green-winged Teal, a couple pair of
American Black Duck, a lone Mallard, perhaps 3 pair of American Wigeon,
fair numbers of Ring-necked Duck, one Lesser Scaup, a pair of
Bufflehead. Charlie was wide-awake now.
We continued South to Tellico Lake for a quick stop at the Ft. Loudon
overlook at a few Horned Grebes still remaining, a lifer for Charlie and
Ellen, his mother and home school teacher (this counts as a field trip).
Final stop was Kingston Steam Plant and a search of the pine trees near
the parking lot on Watts Bar Lake for Brown-headed Nuthatch and Pine
Warbler. This was fruitless until we reached the final stand of pines
out on the point, where I saw movement and located a Pine Warbler that
provided good looks for all.
More difficult was the nuthatch, but I finally located him high in one
of the remaining Virginia Pines, and even had him coming around the
bottom of the branch once or twice so the brown cap was clearly visible.
This introduced Charlie and Ellen the the phenomenon known as Warbler
Neck. I don't know if this has been described in the medical journals,
but is a well known syndrome, occurring mainly in the springtime.
What a small, frail habitat for this tiny population up from the deep
south of Tennessee.
The ash pits were mostly empty, but an obliging female Cooper's Hawk
flapped and glided in a circle over us to get a good view of the bull
head, overall size and graduated tail.
I did manage to pish up a few Swamp Sparrows, but was unable to get a
scope on any before they dove back into the grass, so this one is on
Charlie's BVD list (better view desired) as a very dark sparrow with a
leaden face. An American Coot, another lifer for Charlie, was swimming
in the ash pond.
The other two annual bird tics for us, and one reason to come south were
Common Grackles in mating flight and a House Sparrow in a Wal-Mart
parking lot. You have to go where the best habitat is located.
Charlie is all but finished with his work for the Bird Studies Merit
Badge in Boy Scouting, and I look forward to signing him off and to
seeing his future posts on Tn-birds.net.
James Brooks
Bear Run
Malone Hollow
Jonesborough, TN
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