[TN-Bird] Kyker Bottoms Field trip results

From: "Ron Hoff" <aves7000@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "TN-bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2012 21:39:03 -0500
TN-birders,

About 20 birders showed up this morning at Kyker Bottoms Refuge in Blount 
County for a KTOS chapter field trip. I failed to make clear “which” 
observation platform we were meeting at initially, but the intrepid birders 
that showed up over near the manager’s residence eventually found us at what is 
known as Evan’s aerie, on the northeast corner of the refuge. Although starting 
out fairly cool, the weather warmed up nicely and some of us were in 
short-sleeves by the time we quit.

A couple of Cooper’s Hawks and a Red-shouldered Hawk gave us all some nice 
views. There wasn’t much water in the part of the refuge that we could see, so 
very few ducks were seen; only a few fly-by Mallards. A House Wren appeared for 
a few lucky observers. Sparrows were noted but nothing especially rare; just a 
few Swamps and White-throateds in addition to the residents. Tom Howe heard a 
Fox Sparrow but we couldn’t get it to show itself. 

We moved back over to the observation area near the manager’s residence where 
we walked over to a pond across the road from the parking lot. Normally this 
pond is full and sometimes has a few ducks, but today the owner’s were doing 
some re-working of the dike and the pond was mostly empty of water. This 
allowed us to find some Wilson’s Snipe and a Greater Yellowlegs that appeared 
to have a broken leg (probably why it was hanging around so late in the season).

Back at the observation area, sparrows were few, but we did have some Cedar 
Waxwings and a couple of us got onto a male Purple Finch. One of the 
participants, Oliver Lang, was at the upper shelter and reported he had seen 2 
Bobcats on one of the dikes in the refuge. They had disappeared into the 
vegetation but eventually one of them came back out and several of us got to 
see it. It’s only the second time I’ve ever seen this animal. Bird of the 
trip!!!

We then went over to Vonore for a quick snack break/pit stop and eventually 
went to the Toqua boat ramp area on Tellico Lake. We managed to pick up a few 
Common Loons and some Horned Grebes out on the mirror-smooth lake. We then went 
a bit further east to another vantage point on the lake to get some better and 
closer views of the grebes and loons. We only managed to find 4 Lesser Scaup in 
the duck department, but then again winter weather up north hasn’t been harsh 
enough to send many of them down this way yet it seems.

Thanks to all the participants for helping new birders and to everyone for 
their patience and persistence looking for birds. Fun stuff!

Great birding,
Ron Hoff & Dollyann Myers
Clinton, TN
[TN-Bird] Kyker Bottoms Field trip results

Other related posts:
