A beautiful, crisp fall morning greeted 10 participants who took part in
Saturday morning's NTOS field trip to Bells Bend Park in western Davidson
County. Almost immediately upon arriving at the parking lot, a screech owl
began calling from the thicket just across the road and a few minutes later a
Northern Harrier made a quick flyby. Once we started birding in earnest, we
found most of the action centered around the dried-up pond behind the nature
center. A Horned Lark flushed from the mowed path as we approached and was a
delectable appetizer for the main course that was to come. No less than seven
sparrow species were feeding in the stunted grass, highlighted by Lincoln's,
Vesper, and Savannah and as a result we spent quite a bit of time sifting
through the understated hues, breast streaks, eye rings, and face patterns.
Once our study in subtlety was complete, we continued meandering through the
fields and forest patches, at one point encountering a small flock that held an
interesting mix of lingering neotropical migrants and newly arriving wintering
birds: Tennessee and Magnolia Warblers gave way to Orange-crowned and
Yellow-rumped Warblers. Both Kinglets and some catbirds rounded out the mix.
Northern Flickers and Blue Jays made a good showing and a Sharp-shinned Hawk
patrolling the tree lines kept things stirred up.
All in all, it was a great morning to be out; we ended up with 55 species a
list of which can be found below.
Mike SmithHendersonville, TN
Mourning DoveBlack VultureTurkey VultureNorthern HarrierSharp-shinned
HawkCooper's HawkRed-shouldered HawkRed-tailed HawkEastern
Screech-OwlYellow-bellied SapsuckerRed-bellied WoodpeckerDowny WoodpeckerHairy
WoodpeckerPileated WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerAmerican KestrelEastern PhoebeBlue
JayAmerican CrowCarolina ChickadeeHorned LarkTree SwallowBarn
SwallowRuby-crowned KingletGolden-crowned KingletWhite-breasted NuthatchHouse
WrenWinter WrenCarolina WrenEuropean StarlingGray CatbirdBrown ThrasherNorthern
MockingbirdEastern BluebirdAmerican RobinHouse FinchField SparrowWhite-crowned
SparrowWhite-throated SparrowVesper SparrowSavannah SparrowSong
SparrowLincoln's SparrowSwamp SparrowEastern TowheeEastern MeadowlarkRed-winged
BlackbirdCommon GrackleTennessee WarblerOrange-crowned WarblerCommon
YellowthroatMagnolia WarblerPalm WarblerYellow-rumped WarblerNorthern Cardinal
