Duck River
Unit, TN NWR
Humphreys
County
February 18,
2012
Twenty-five
birders, including many young people, descended on the Long St. meeting point
in New Johnsonville for the Nashville chapter of TOS field trip to the
Tennessee NWR--Duck River Unit in Humphreys County. We first went to the west
side of the refuge, where we found hundreds of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs,
several WHITE PELICANs, and 8 species of ducks including a group of 13
CANVASBACKs. We then headed for the main refuge entrance. Driving to the
Pintail Blind, we heard and then saw a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and viewed 5 BALD
EAGLEs, both immatures and adults. Returning to the main refuge road, we found
a large flock of well over 100 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. The partially flooded fields held at least
250 AMERICAN WIGEONs. Several in the
group got to see a red phase SCREECH OWL using a wood duck box. On our return journey we spotted an adult
BALD EAGLE on a nest. A group of 30
NORTHERN FLICKERs flushed from a field produced an impressive pattern of yellow
underwings and white rumps. In all we
found 67 species in the general area of the refuge.
Frank Fekel,
NTOS Field Trip Coordinator
Numbers for
many species are approximate
Greater
White-fronted Goose 131 Extensive flock seen on ground next to the
river.
Canada
Goose 85
Gadwall 45
American
Wigeon 275
American
Black Duck 2
Mallard 95
Northern
Shoveler 33
Northern
Pintail 44
Green-winged
Teal 4
Canvasback
13
Ring-necked
Duck 55
Lesser Scaup 5
Bufflehead 18
Hooded
Merganser 3
Ruddy Duck 3
Wild Turkey
about 90 seen in two flocks on drive to reach New Johnsonville
Pied-billed
Grebe 2
Horned Grebe
3
Double-crested
Cormorant 295
American
White Pelican 11
Great Blue
Heron 26
Turkey
Vulture 1
Bald
Eagle 10
Northern
Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned
Hawk 1
Red-tailed
Hawk 3
American
Kestrel 2
American
Coot 90
Killdeer 26
Wilson's
Snipe 9
Bonaparte's
Gull 8
Ring-billed
Gull 32
Mourning
Dove several off refuge
Eastern
Screech-Owl 1
Belted
Kingfisher 1
Red-headed
Woodpecker 2
Red-bellied
Woodpecker 3
Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker 1
Downy
Woodpecker 3
Hairy
Woodpecker 1
Northern
Flicker 32 Large group of flickers flew
up from a field.
Pileated
Woodpecker 1
Eastern
Phoebe 1
Blue
Jay 3
American
Crow 25
Carolina
Chickadee 5
Tufted
Titmouse 1
Brown
Creeper 1
Carolina
Wren 3
Golden-crowned
Kinglet 1
Eastern
Bluebird 3
American
Robin 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped
Warbler 3
Eastern
Towhee 1
Field
Sparrow 2
Savannah
Sparrow 25
Song
Sparrow 8
Swamp
Sparrow 7
White-throated
Sparrow 1
Northern
Cardinal 1
Red-winged
Blackbird 2
Eastern
Meadowlark 23
Common
Grackle 55
American
Goldfinch 3 off refuge
House
Sparrow 2 off refuge
