No less than twenty-eight birders converged on the Duck River unit of Tennessee
NWR this morning, taking advantage of the still-open refuge prior to the
seasonal closures that start tomorrow. The birding was steady all morning, and
the outing began by stomping through some overgrown fields in search of
sparrows. Among the numerous Swamp and Song, we managed to scare up several
Savannah, White-crowned, and a lone Lincoln's. We then shifted our focus to
waterfowl, as we scanned Pool 6 as well as the Duck River flats from the dike
along Pool 7. There were four goose species in Pool 6 with Cackling and
Greater White-fronted being the most numerous. Mallards and Gadwall were by
far the most common ducks, but we also found several Pintail, American Wigeon,
Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, and pair of American Black
Ducks. Several folks found a late Blue-gray Gnatcatcher as well. Although we
didn't manage any rare raptors, we found all of the usual suspects including
both Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawks, Northern Harrier, Kestrel, Merlin, Bald
Eagle, Red-tailed, and Red-shouldered hawks. After working our way through the
wildlife drive, we stopped at the river overlook and found a couple of Blue
Geese on some distant mudflats mingling with several Cackling and Canadas. We
then headed over to the Pump Station where we added Red-breasted Merganser,
Ruddy Duck, Horned Grebe, Common Loon, and a couple of distant Canvasback. As
I was scanning though some Mallards along the edge of Pool 1, I watched as a
Bobcat emerged from the tall grass at the edge of the water for a few
seconds...presumably looking for an afternoon snack. We ended the day with 65+
species and watching our 13-car convoy snake through the refuge was a sight to
behold...thanks to all for participating.
Mike SmithHendersonville, TN