This morning (July 14) I found a female Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on a wire
along Dunbar Rd. at the intersection of Ted Davis Rd. (about 2 miles south
of Lake Tansi and on the edge of the UT Grasslands Unit). This was only the
second time I've seen one in the county, despite its proximity to the ones
in the Sequatchie Valley north of Pikeville in Bledsoe County. I contacted
Pam Barrett who immediately came out and found it and noted that it was at a
nest on a transformer three tall poles south of that intersection. As I came
back I saw it on a wire near there and then saw it fly to the nest. The
attached eBird list of the area of Dunbar, Winningham, and Hillendale Roads
includes several photographs.
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47183954
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher isn't listed as an eBird rarity, though it
certainly is. I'm assuming that the filter for Cumberland County is combined
with Bledsoe County, where they are regular in specific locations. Yesterday
morning, I birded in the Sequatchie Valley north of Pikeville. The only
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers I found were five birds (two adults and three
immatures) along Ninemile Road, despite checking most of the other known
locations for them. Brushy Cemetery, along Old Hwy 28 north of Ninemile, had
four Loggerhead Shrikes (apparently two adults and two immatures) along a
distant fencerow (scope needed), and I briefly saw another shrike near the
small pond along Ninemile Road southeast of the intersection with Old Hwy
28. I heard one Dickcissel along upper East Valley Road south of Lowes Gap
Rd. I couldn't find any Eurasian Collared Doves, the other Sequatchie Valley
specialty (though it's almost time to start checking for the nearly annual
flock of Swallow-tailed Kites there).
Ed LeGrand
Cumberland Co. TN
