I birded Eagle Bend Fish Hatchery in Clinton, Anderson County, around 1 PM
today. The highlight of my visit was a Merlin perched in the dead top of a
tree on the riverbank a short distance downstream of the power line that
crosses the hatchery and the river. It appeared to be either a female or an
immature bird; the lighting was not very good. The only shorebirds I
observed were 6 Killdeer, a much lower number than the 40-50 present over
the last couple weeks. Other birds present, besides the usual
semi-domesticated Mallards and geese, included 1 Great Egret, 3 Green
Herons, 3 Belted Kingfishers, 10 Mourning Doves, 8 Barn Swallows, and 5
Eastern Meadowlarks. The Merlin left its perch a few minutes after I
spotted it and I did not relocate it.
Chuck Nicholson
Norris, TN
Attachment:
Eagle Bend Merlin 9-11-17.jpg
Description: JPEG image
