[TN-Bird] Nashville Martin roost, 16 Aug 2010

From: "Scott Somershoe" <Scott.Somershoe@xxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:17:23 -0500
About 20 of us viewed the roost again tonight in Nashville at Oldham Rd and 1st 
Ave where I-24 passes over Oldham.  I went to a spot just south of Oldham and 
viewed from a different angle (looking north), which was closer to the roost 
and provided a better vantage for counting (and increased chances of getting 
pooped on, I held an umbrella).  I counted birds (by the thousands) as they 
dropped into the roost, while recording it all on video to see if it is any 
help in counting.  

My fairly conservative estimate was 48,000 birds, possibly as high as 55,000 
birds roosted there tonight.  A cooper's hawk made a pass through the roost 
when there were about 10,000 birds in there and a lot flushed out.  It had a 
nice evening meal of fresh martin.  The birds returned to the roost within a 
couple minutes and other continued to pour into the roost.  Interestingly, 
there were several thousand that circled at eye level over the parking lot of 
the abandoned truck stop.  Really impressive seeing that number of birds 
circling at high speed at eye level!

There were maybe 100 martins on site at 7:20-7:25, but by 7:55 all 48,000 
martins had arrived and gone to roost.  If you haven't had a chance to see this 
yet and have a chance to check it out, I strongly encourage you to do so.  

Please post or email me your sightings off list-serve.  I'm interested in 
knowing when the birds depart and whether they all leave on the same day or if 
it is staggered.  I had an estimate of 30,000 on 26 Aug 09, so they ought to be 
around for 10+ days, if not into very early Sept.

Cheers,
Scott Somershoe

State Ornithologist
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
615-781-6653 (o)
615-781-6654 (fax)

www.tnwatchablewildlife.org
www.pbase.com/shoeman
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
               --------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan
                        Clarksville, TN
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                       MAP RESOURCES
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________
[TN-Bird] Nashville Martin roost, 16 Aug 2010

Other related posts:
