NTOS Field Trips

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville-Davidson County, TN
October 12, 2011

Fall. Fog. Warblers. The combination of these three brought to life the term "Confusing Fall Warblers" this morning for the regular NTOS-sponsored walk at Radnor Lake State Natural Area. In the gray surroundings, we were forced to bird perhaps as we should more often, testing our skills by looking at quantitative shape e.g. bill size and tail length, etc. and flight patterns, rather than by color and the obvious markings. We got better at it. But the improved lighting as the morning progressed may also have been a factor. We still managed to get ELEVEN species of WARBLERS. Once again, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS showed up in large numbers. But perhaps the highlight was a male HOODED WARBLER that flitted low and perched out in the open for a "warbler second" not far from the Long Bridge. We also had a female INDIGO BUNTING near the Spillway. The 250 or so COMMON GRACKLES were flying overhead, a sign that the fog was lifting.

Below is the recap of species observed by the group.

39 species

Canada Goose 18
Wood Duck 37
Blue-winged Teal 96
Northern Shoveler 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 2
American Coot 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 8
Northern Flicker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Philadelphia Vireo 2
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 9
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 14

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 1
Swainson's Thrush 4
Gray Catbird 2
Cedar Waxwing 20
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Tennessee Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 2
Hooded Warbler 1
American Redstart 2
Magnolia Warbler 9
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
Black-throated Green Warbler 10
White-throated Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 9
Indigo Bunting 1
Common Grackle 250
American Goldfinch 1