Nashville Area
May 21, 2014

The Nashville Spring Bird Count was held on May 10 and totaled 145 species, eleven fewer than last year, and lower than normal. For several days leading up to the count, there were warm, sunny days with south winds, contributing to fewer transient migrants in our area. After a little rain in the morning, the day turned pleasant. Some of the highlights included 28 Northern Bobwhites, 3 Common Loons, 7 Great Egrets, 2 Osprey, 1 Caspian Tern, 6 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 1 Alder Flycatcher, 2 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, 1 American Pipit, 31 warbler species, 24 Savannah Sparrows, 7 Grasshopper Sparrows, 2 Lincoln's Sparrows, 24 Dickcissels, and 7 Bobolinks.

To view a detailed list of species seen go to the Bird Count Results page (link on the right side of this page).

Jan Shaw co-compiler

Bark Camp Barrens WMS
Coffee County
May 17, 2014

Susan McWhirter led ten birders around Bark Camp Barrens WMA this morning, and it resulted in an interesting (for lack of a better word!) trip. The weather was abnormally cool for May - around 50 F with a slight drizzle, strengthening near the end of the trip. It was slow-going at first, but things sped up when we found three Loggerhead Shrikes - two adults and one juvenile. (There might have been four, but they were darting around as quick as warblers!) These were observed on the electrical wire that runs behind the barn on Warren Road. We walked around the fields a bit and flushed a pair of Northern Bobwhites and got great looks at a calling male Blue Grosbeak. Near one of the plowed areas we found a couple of late Savannah Sparrows. As we were walking along the pine stand in the recently-burned field (the field that can be accessed from the sod farm), we finally heard a Henslow's Sparrow! The bird was on the opposite side of the tree line, so we climbed through the barbed wire fence to get some looks at him. It didn't take long to find him; he was perched next to some bright yellow flowers throwing back his head every now and then to give his "tsi-lick". A complete list of species can be found below. A big thanks to Susan for leading us out here!

35 species

Northern Bobwhite - 2 Wild Turkey - 3 Red-tailed Hawk - 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 Great Crested Flycatcher - 2 Eastern Kingbird - 3 Loggerhead Shrike - 3 White-eyed Vireo - 1 Blue Jay - 2 American Crow - 1 Barn Swallow - 3 Tufted Titmouse - 1 Carolina Wren - 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1 Brown Thrasher - 2 Northern Mockingbird - 1

Common Yellowthroat - 7 Yellow-throated Warbler - 2 Prairie Warbler - 2 Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 Yellow-breasted Chat - 6 Eastern Towhee - 6 Field Sparrow - 11 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Henslow's Sparrow - 1 Summer Tanager - 2 Scarlet Tanager - 1 Northern Cardinal - 1 Blue Grosbeak - 4 Indigo Bunting - 7 Red-winged Blackbird - 3 Eastern Meadowlark - 8 Brown-headed Cowbird - 2

Chloe Walker - NTOS Field Trip Coordinator

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
May 14, 2014

Four birders bravely ventured to Radnor Lake for the fifth of the 2014 NTOS-sponsored Spring Radnor Walks. Most of the birds were tucked in their beds keeping dry, but we did have a few highlights including a briefly seen (yet very vocal!) Barred Owl in the West parking lot, several Swainson's Thrushes, a Veery, and one Wood Thrush in various locations along the Lake Trail, and a Northern Waterthrush bobbing in a honeysuckle bush on Otter Creek Road. A complete list of species is below.


47 Species

Canada Goose - 4 Wood Duck - 11 American Black Duck - 1 Double-crested Cormorant - 1 Great Blue Heron - 2 American Coot -1 Barred Owl - 1 Chimney Swift - 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5 Downy Woodpecker - 4 Hairy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 2 Pileated Woodpecker - 4 Eastern Wood-Pewee - 5 Acadian Flycatcher - 4 Great Crested Flycatcher - 3 Eastern Kingbird - 2 White-eyed Vireo - 2 Red-eyed Vireo - 3 Blue Jay - 2 American Crow - 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 4 Barn Swallow - 2

Carolina Chickadee - 6 Tufted Titmouse - 5 White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 Carolina Wren - 13 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2 Veery - 1 Swainson's Thrush - 4 Wood Thrush - 1 Louisiana Waterthrush - 1 Northern Waterthrush - 2 Prothonotary Warbler - 2 Tennessee Warbler - 1 American Redstart - 1 Northern Parula - 2 Bay-breasted Warbler - 1 Yellow-throated Warbler - 1 Summer Tanager -6 Scarlet Tanager - 1 Northern Cardinal - 17 Indigo Bunting - 1 Red-winged Blackbird - 2 Brown-headed Cowbird - 4 American Goldfinch - 2

Chloe Walker

Radnor Lake State Natural Area

May 7, 2014

Quite a few people were present today. The temperatures are warming up with a steady south wind. Below is combined list of two groups at the lake this morning.

57 Species 

Canada Goose - 5 Wood Duck - 3 American Black Duck - 1 Wild Turkey - 5 Pied-billed Grebe - 1 Double-crested Cormorant - 10 Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 1 Spotted Sandpiper - 2 Chimney Swift - 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3 Downy Woodpecker - 2 Pileated Woodpecker - 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2 Acadian Flycatcher - 3 Great Crested Flycatcher - 2 White-eyed Vireo - 1 Philadelphia Vireo - 3 Red-eyed Vireo - 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 6 Barn Swallow - 2 Carolina Chickadee - 7 Tufted Titmouse - 1 White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 Carolina Wren - 7 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 4 Eastern Bluebird - 3 Veery - 1

Swainson's Thrush - 2 Wood Thrush - 1 Gray Catbird - 1 Tennessee Warbler - 5 Northern Parula - 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1 Magnolia Warbler - 1 Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 Blackburnian Warbler - 1 Yellow-throated Warbler - 1 Palm Warbler - 3 Bay-breasted Warbler - 2 Blackpoll Warbler - 5 American Redstart - 1 Prothonotary Warbler - 2 Ovenbird - 2 Louisiana Waterthrush - 1 Mourning Warbler - 1 Wilson's Warbler - 2 Canada Warbler - 2 Summer Tanager - 5 Field Sparrow - 1 White-throated Sparrow - 1 Northern Cardinal - 8 Indigo Bunting - 2 Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 Baltimore Oriole - 1 American Goldfinch - 3