A morning trip to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge Visitors Area in Birchwood
(Meigs County) provided several unexpected surprises. The water levels in the
Tennessee and Hiwassee rivers are quite low at this time. The water levels in
the nearby slough at the HWR Visitors Area are the lowest I’ve ever seen. I’m
speculating that the low water level in the slough caused the largest numbers
of individuals of four species that I have ever seen in the slough to be
present because of favorable feeding habitat in the low water. I think my
estimates of the numbers of these four species that follow are all low. I
estimated 250 American White Pelicans, 100 Ring-billed Gulls, 40 Double-crested
Cormorants, and 30 Hooded Mergansers to be present. Seven duck species seen in
previous days were all absent. There were 15 Great Blue Herons in or around the
slough. Approximately 60 Sandhill Cranes were around the slough’s edges, in the
fields, or in the air. Many more Sandhill Cranes were heard. A Northern Harrier
hawk was another highlight of the morning. At least 20 Cedar Waxwings were in
and out of the area. A total of 18 species were noted.
Charles Murray
Birchwood, TN
