J. Percy
Priest Lake area
Davidson
CountyNashville Tenn. Ornithological Soc. Field Trip
2012 Jan. 21
Saturday
morning Jan. 21, was overcast with cool temperatures and increasing winds, but
16 birders braved the conditions and visited six different J. Percy Priest Lake
areas, looking for winter species. The
group was rewarded and found over 50 species. At the dam, 11 NORTHERN PINTAILs
flew overhead while an adult BALD EAGLE was seen across the way at Nashville
Shores. At Cooks Recreation Area, one of
our young birders spotted a flying COMMON GOLDENEYE. At the next stop, Seven
Points Recreation area, several birders had a brief view of a SHARP-SHINNED
HAWK. Later we saw 14 SNOW GEESE arrive on the lake and afterward spotted a
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. The area was well populated with at least 115 HORNED
GREBEs. Land birds included BROWN CREEPER, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, and a
large flock of EASTERN BLUEBIRDs. After lunch we finished the Merganser trifecta,
finding both HOODED and the continuing female COMMON MERGANSER at Couchville
Lake. We missed the MERLIN at Anderson
Road Rec. Area, but were rewarded at Hamilton Creek Rec. Area when we saw 7
COMMON GOLDENEYEs and after some patient waiting, were able to identify 3 SURF
SCOTERs, one of which was an adult male. A great day of birding warmed the
heart, even if the hands were cold. We thank Richard Connors for acting as trip
leader.
For some
species minimum numbers are estimated.
Snow
Goose 14 Seen flying and then landed on
the lake
Canada Goose
3Gadwall 3
Mallard 26
Northern Pintail 11
Surf Scoter 3, 1 adult male
Bufflehead 11
Common Goldeneye 8
Hooded Merganser 5
Common Merganser 1 female
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Ruddy Duck 1
Wild Turkey 97 in two flocks
Common Loon 54
Pied-billed Grebe 13
Horned Grebe 115
Great Blue Heron 9
Black Vulture 34
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 1 adult
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Coot 137
Killdeer 1
Bonaparte's Gull 29
Ring-billed Gull 65
Mourning Dove 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 14
Carolina Chickadee 11
Tufted Titmouse 4
Brown Creeper 2
Carolina Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Eastern Bluebird 45
American Robin 88
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 22
Yellow-rumped Warbler 21
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 16
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird 20
American Goldfinch 2
