On Saturday, January 16 NTOS will take a trip to Robertson County, which has
thousands of acres of scenic farm land. These fields are home to Horned Larks
and Eastern Meadowlarks year 'round, and in the winter they attract American
Pipits, Lapland Longspurs, White-crowned Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Northern
Harriers, and, occasionally, Vesper Sparrows, Loggerhead Shrikes, Short-eared
Owls, and Merlins. We will explore several quiet, infrequently traveled farm
roads by car looking for these species. A highlight will be an optional walking
excursion to Cedar Hill Swamp, one of the few remaining upland swamps in
Tennessee, where we will see Red-headed Woodpeckers and look for Rusty
Blackbirds and the locally rare Brewer's Blackbirds. Please note that the trip
to the swamp will involve walking on and viewing from an active railroad track;
appropriate footwear is a must. We will meet at 7:00 am at the Adventure
Science Center and carpool to the Dunkin' Donuts at Exit 24 (Pleasant
View/Springfield) on I-24 where we will join Tony Lance, who will lead the
trip. The outing should finish shortly after midday, so be sure to bring a
lunch and water and dress warmly.
Hope to see you there!
Tarcila
tarcila@xxxxxxxxxxxxx