[TN-Bird] Concord Park - grebe and raptor show
- From: Carole Gobert <cpgobert@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Tennessee Bird List <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 18:55:49 -0400
I decided to explore various locations at Concord Park in west Knox County this
afternoon. First the mandatory Red-necked Grebe post... there is still one at
the Cove. I watched it diving from fairly close range (didn't need to break
out the scope) in the east cove near the yacht club.
The exciting part of my afternoon was at the Felton double bridge just west of
the traffic circle. It started out ho hum. Upon arriving I noticed two Turkey
Vultures circling. I walked to the middle of the bridge and scanned the water
seeing nothing but a couple of Ring-billed Gulls and some pigeons on the wire
above the bridge. I walked back, got it in my car and that's when I noticed
that the two vultures had been joined by 3 other big birds. One was a Bald
Eagle; another was a Red-tailed Hawk and I was so intent on watching those two
that I never got a decent look at the 5th bird so I don't know if it was
another vulture or a hawk. The Red-tail was sticking close to the eagle and
the eagle wasn't happy with that, at one point swooping down at the hawk. That
didn't discourage the red-tail however and I watched until they circled farther
and farther to the east. Thinking to drive east on Northshore and maybe
relocate them, I started to back up when another red-tail got my attention. It
was across Northshore, quickly plummeting talons-first into the tall grassy
hillside. I actually heard a thunk as it connected with its prey. I sat there
in the car, watching large wings flapping around in the tall grass for a minute
or so. Then the immature red-tail took off with a small gray rodent in its
talons, flew right in front of my car and landed a few feet away in a tree with
its back to me. After about 5 minutes of just sitting there the hawk flew back
across Northshore (again, in front of my car) and this time kept going past the
trees and over the water to the north. As it passed those trees another hawk
swooped down from the trees and followed it. I didn't get much of a look at
the second hawk.... perhaps a third red-tail.
Carole Gobert, Knoxville
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- » [TN-Bird] Concord Park - grebe and raptor show - Carole Gobert
