Radnor Lake State Natural Area

Nashville-Davidson Co. TN
25 April 2012

On a windy morning nearly 30 birders were present for the third of six Radnor Lake Walks hosted by NTOS. The wind made viewing birds difficult but there were several people with excellent hearing which aided in locating many of the birds. A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was clearly heard at the spillway which was in the same location as reported by Jan Shaw on Sunday. Also at the spillway, some birders were able to see an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. A little further along the trail all were able to see a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. 

Thanks to all who participated today. Below is a recap of what we observed:

64 Species

Canada Goose – 12

Wood Duck – 11
Mallard – 5
Lesser Scaup – 5
Wild Turkey – 3
Double-crested Cormorant – 1
Great Blue Heron – 2
Green Heron – 2
Osprey – 1
Red-tailed Hawk – 2
American Coot – 2
Barred Owl – 2
Chimney Swift – 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 3
Belted Kingfisher – 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 8
Downy Woodpecker – 5
Hairy Woodpecker – 1
Pileated Woodpecker – 2
Acadian Flycatcher – 1
Great Crested Flycatcher – 4
Eastern Kingbird – 1
White-eyed Vireo – 3
Yellow-throated Vireo – 3
Red-eyed Vireo – 6
Blue Jay – 4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 7
Barn Swallow – 3
Carolina Chickadee – 11
Tufted Titmouse – 10
White-breasted Nuthatch – 1
Carolina Wren – 16
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 18
Eastern Bluebird – 2
Swainson's Thrush – 2
Wood Thrush – 1
Gray Catbird – 3
Cedar Waxwing – 10
Blue-winged Warbler - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – 1
Nashville Warbler – 4
Northern Parula – 4
Yellow Warbler – 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler – 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 8
Black-throated Green Warbler – 6
Prothonotary Warbler – 2
Ovenbird – 1
Northern Waterthrush – 2
Louisiana Waterthrush – 2
Common Yellowthroat – 3
Hooded Warbler – 3
Summer Tanager – 4
Scarlet Tanager – 2
Eastern Towhee – 2
Field Sparrow – 1
White-throated Sparrow – 1
Northern Cardinal – 13
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 1
Red-winged Blackbird – 3
Brown-headed Cowbird – 2
American Goldfinch – 4

Scott Block

Green Heron

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville-Davidson Co. TN
18 April 2012

Almost 30 birders participated in the second of six Radnor Lake Spring Walks. The weather was very cooperative (sunny and cool) as were the birds. We had a total of 70 species including 16 species of warblers. The Lesser Scaup are beginning to move out (44 last week and just 12 this week).  

Thanks to all who participated today. Below is a recap of what we observed:

70 Species

Canada Goose - 5

Wood Duck - 20
Lesser Scaup - 12
Wild Turkey - 4
Pied-billed Grebe - 9
Horned Grebe - 6
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
Green Heron - 2
Black Vulture - 1
Turkey Vulture - 1
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 3
American Coot - 2
Mourning Dove - 2
Chimney Swift - 25
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 8
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 3
Great Crested Flycatcher - 2
White-eyed Vireo - 3
Blue-headed Vireo - 2
Red-eyed Vireo - 4
Blue Jay - 8
American Crow - 2
Purple Martin - 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1
Barn Swallow - 3
Carolina Chickadee - 6
Tufted Titmouse - 14
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 7
House Wren - 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 10
Eastern Bluebird - 3
Wood Thrush - 3
American Robin - 2
Gray Catbird - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 10
Blue-winged Warbler - 3
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Orange-crowned Warbler - 1
Nashville Warbler - 4
Northern Parula - 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 10
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Yellow-throated Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 5
Black-and-white Warbler - 2
Prothonotary Warbler - 5
Ovenbird - 1
Louisiana Waterthrush - 4
Kentucky Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 2
Hooded Warbler - 5
Summer Tanager - 1
Scarlet Tanager - 2
Field Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 2
Northern Cardinal - 16
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 2
Indigo Bunting - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
Common Grackle - 2
Brown-headed Cowbird - 5
House Finch - 2
American Goldfinch – 5

Scott Block

Prothonotary Warbler

Bells Bend Park

Davidson Co., TN

2012 April 14

On Saturday, April 14, 15 eager birders showed up for the Nashville Chapter of TOS visit to Bells Bend Park in western Davidson County. A group of young scouts and their parents joined us for part of our stroll. The walk began with a SAVANNAH SPARROW perched on a wire fence near the office building, but we missed hearing or seeing HENSLOW'S SPARROWs. On the other hand, NORTHERN BOBWHITEs were very vocal, and a male and female pair seen in the middle of the path provided excellent looks. Singing PRAIRIE WARBLERs and COMMON YELLOWTHROATs seemed to be ubiquitous, but seeing them took patience. BLUE-WINGED and wagging PALM rounded out the warbler contingent. A male ORCHARD ORIOLE graced us with its song and some brief views. Near the Cumberland River we found an OSPREY, EASTERN KINGBIRDs, a flyby FORESTER'S TERN, and a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT that showed off it double crests.

Frank Fekel

NTOS Field Trip Leader

58 species

Minimum numbers are listed for several species

Wood Duck 2

Mallard  1

Northern Bobwhite  11     6 seen including a pair on the path.

Wild Turkey  1

Double-crested Cormorant  3

Great Blue Heron  1

Green Heron  1

Black Vulture  14

Turkey Vulture  2

Osprey  1

Sharp-shinned Hawk  1

Cooper's Hawk  1

Red-shouldered Hawk  1

Red-tailed Hawk  2

American Kestrel  1

Killdeer  1

Forster's Tern  1     flyby on the Cumberland River

Belted Kingfisher 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker  2

Downy Woodpecker 1

Eastern Phoebe 1

Eastern Kingbird  2

White-eyed Vireo  5

Blue Jay  8

American Crow  4

Purple Martin 1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1

Tree Swallow  2

Barn Swallow  1

Carolina Chickadee 1

Tufted Titmouse  1

Carolina Wren  3

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2

Eastern Bluebird  3

American Robin  1

Northern Mockingbird  2

Brown Thrasher 1

European Starling  7

Blue-winged Warbler  3  singing

Common Yellowthroat  9  singing and seen with difficulty

Palm Warbler  3

Prairie Warbler  11  singing and seen

Eastern Towhee  6

Chipping Sparrow  1

Field Sparrow  8

Savannah Sparrow  2

Song Sparrow  1

Swamp Sparrow  2

White-throated Sparrow  2

White-crowned Sparrow  13

Northern Cardinal  3

Red-winged Blackbird  11

Eastern Meadowlark 1

Common Grackle 2

Brown-headed Cowbird  9

Orchard Oriole  1     singing and seen

American Goldfinch  8

House Sparrow 1

Prairie Warbler

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
11 April 2012

Nearly 20 birders joined this morning's first of the regularly scheduled Spring 2012 walks at Radnor Lake State Natural Area in sunny but chilly conditions. It was one of those transition days where several RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS entertained us at close range with  NORTHERN PARULAS singing and flitting overhead. Along the creek near the West Parking Lot we all got a great look at a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, but later the YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS, whose song seems so similar after months of hearing neither species, fooled some of us at first. A pair of WOOD DUCKS, perched about 20 feet off the ground near the trail, explored a large tree cavity. Many LESSER SCAUP were still on the lake as great numbers of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS perched nearby and flitted over the lake surface.

45 species

Canada Goose  11

Wood Duck  18
Mallard  9
Blue-winged Teal  4
Lesser Scaup  44
Wild Turkey  6
Pied-billed Grebe  14
Great Blue Heron  1
Black Vulture  2
Osprey  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  13
Mourning Dove  1
Chimney Swift  16
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  11
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  4
Pileated Woodpecker  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Red-eyed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  61
Tree Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  2
Carolina Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  18
White-breasted Nuthatch  4
Carolina Wren  7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  10
Eastern Bluebird  8
Louisiana Waterthrush  1
Nashville Warbler  1
Northern Parula  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler  15
Yellow-throated Warbler  2
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Eastern Towhee  1
Field Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  4
Northern Cardinal  15
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
American Goldfinch  10

Kevin Bowden

Richland Creek Greenway
Nashville
March 31, 2012

Seventeen birders participated in the Nashville Chapter of TOS walk at Richland Creek Greenway in West Nashville. Looking for early migrants, several in our group were fortunate to see perhaps the best bird of the morning, a BROAD-WINGED HAWK on the wing.  Another harbinger of spring was a NORTHERN PARULA,singing along the creek at the 1.5 mile marker.  A single YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET reminded us that despite the very warm March weather, wintering species are still around.  As we tabulated the birds of the morning, a GREAT BLUE HERON flew by, increasing our total to 41 species found along the greenway on this very enjoyable spring morning.


Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Frank Fekel
NTOS Field Trip Coordinator