Thursday, September 27, 2012

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
September 26, 2012

On this beautiful fall morning 23 birders enjoyed 43 species including 10 warbler species and 3 vireo species. We had a visitor from Arizona and a former NTOS member who now resides in Kentucky join us on the walk. There were many excellent looks at close-up birds, always a treat.

Canada Goose 6
Blue-winged Teal 7
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 2
Chimney Swift 30
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Empidonax sp. 1
Eastern Phoebe 4
Blue-headed Vireo 3
Warbling Vireo 1
Philadelphia Vireo 2
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 10
Tufted Titmouse 12
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Eastern Bluebird 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush 6
American Robin 26
Gray Catbird 5
Cedar Waxwing 33
American Redstart 8
Northern Parula 1
Magnolia Warbler 7
Bay-breasted Warbler 3
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 5
Canada Warbler 3
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
American Goldfinch 2

Susan Hollyday

Sunday, September 23, 2012


Shelby Park and Bottoms
2012 September 22


On Saturday morning a modest contingent of 5 birders came out for the annual NTOS Fall Flock at Shelby Park and Bottoms in Nashville.  In addition to the large flock of AMERICAN ROBINs that swarmed over Mission Hill, the path around the hill produced an unsolicited calling E. SCREECH OWL, and later we heard several ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKs and saw two SCARLET TANAGERs. Aside from the robins, migrants on our walk were dominated by BROWN THRASHERs (at least 2 dozen), who seemed to be calling everywhere we went, and GRAY CATBIRDs (at least 15 seen and heard).  Transferring our walk to Phase I of Shelby Bottoms, we found several SWAINSON'S THRUSHes, two INDIGO BUNTINGs, and a SUMMER TANAGER.  Along the Ecology trail we heard a chip in the weeds that might have be a SEDGE WREN, but the bird never popped into view. Warblers were dominated by MAGNOLIAs and AMERICAN REDSTARTs. Those who stayed for the full walk enjoyed a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER along the Cornelia Fort trail in the woods of Phase 2.  In all we totaled 39 species for the morning.

 
Frank Fekel
NTOS Field Trip Coordinator

Wednesday, September 19, 2012


Radnor Lake State Natural Area
September 19, 2012

With cool temperature and optimal lighting conditions, twenty birders participated in this morning's walk at Radnor Lake sponsored by the Nashville Chapter of TOS. Highlights included great looks at a BALTIMORE ORIOLE on the dam by the lake, an extremely cooperative CANADA WARBLER along the lake trail, a tail-bobbing SPOTTED SANDPIPER on a log in the lake, as well as a rare fly over of a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER heading in a southerly direction.

Below is a tally of what was observed.

47 species

Wood Duck 15
Wild Turkey 2
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Mourning Dove 2
Chimney Swift 50
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 5
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Eastern Phoebe 2
White-eyed Vireo 2
Philadelphia Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 3
Carolina Chickadee 9
Tufted Titmouse 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 9
Swainson's Thrush 3
American Robin 11
Gray Catbird 2
Cedar Waxwing 52
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Golden-winged Warbler 1
Tennessee Warbler 5
Nashville Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
American Redstart 8
Northern Parula 3
Magnolia Warbler 8
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 5
Canada Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3    
Common Grackle 70
Baltimore Oriole 1    
American Goldfinch 3

Kevin Bowden

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
September 12, 2012

Twenty birders gathered this morning to participate in the first regular NTOS Wednesday morning walk at Radnor Lake State Natural Area. Due to the cloud cover, the lighting conditions were not optimal; however, birds were still quite active and put on a good show for the group.

Highlights were a very cooperative CANADA WARBLER seen near the spillway, a GREAT BLUE HERON sitting high overhead in a tree along the dam road, a BALD EAGLE flying towards us from the other side of the lake. Twelve warbler species made for a good count. One of them, a NORTHERN PARULA, was still singing despite the rather late date. Another possible sighting, which is not listed below, was an AMERICAN COOT. Since this species would be rare for this time of year and the bird was seen at a distance without the aid of a scope, it does not appear as a confirmed sighting, although several in the group felt that the bird was likely to be a Coot.

Below is a recap of the group's observations.

46 species

Canada Goose  1
Wood Duck  19
Blue-winged Teal  8
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  2
Green Heron  2
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Barred Owl  1
Chimney Swift  75
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  3
Red-bellied Woodpecker  3
Downy Woodpecker  3
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Eastern Kingbird  1
Blue Jay  8
Carolina Chickadee  8
Tufted Titmouse  7
White-breasted Nuthatch  4
Carolina Wren  7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4
Eastern Bluebird  1
Veery  1
Swainson's Thrush  1
American Robin  3
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  20
Cedar Waxwing  15
Golden-winged Warbler  1
Black-and-white Warbler  3
Prothonotary Warbler  1
American Redstart  2
Northern Parula  4
Magnolia Warbler  4
Blackburnian Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  3
Chestnut-sided Warbler  3
Black-throated Green Warbler  3
Canada Warbler  1
Wilson's Warbler  1
Summer Tanager  1
Northern Cardinal  8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  2
American Goldfinch  6

Kevin Bowden