Duck River Unit, TWR

Jan. 11, 2014

Eleven birders ventured out to the Duck River Unit of the Tennessee National Wildlife refuge for a wonderful outing with THOUSANDS of waterfowl and other interesting birds. Highlights included one fairly close Greater Scaup at the pump station; four species of geese including Greater White-fronted, Snow, Cackling, and Canada; twenty-six American Pipits at close range; a Palm Warbler at Pintail Blind; two male Brewer's Blackbirds; and an (not surprisingly) uncooperative Le Conte's Sparrow. Below is a list of all the species that were seen/heard.

  

77 species

Greater White-fronted Goose-400 Snow Goose-15 Cackling Goose-15 Canada Goose-300 Gadwall-280 American Wigeon-170 American Black Duck-2 Mallard-2000 Northern Shoveler-200 Northern Pintail-500 Green-winged Teal-60 Canvasback-110 Ring-necked Duck-12 Greater Scaup-1 Scaup sp.-200 Bufflehead-78 Common Goldeneye-7 Hooded Merganser-5 Ruddy Duck-30 Pied-billed Grebe-17 Horned Grebe-6 Double-crested Cormorant-59 American White Pelican-35 Great Blue Heron-8 Turkey Vulture-6 Bald Eagle-10 Northern Harrier-10 Sharp-shinned Hawk-1 Cooper's Hawk-1 Red-tailed Hawk-3 American Kestrel-2 American Coot-195 Killdeer-7 Wilson's Snipe-6 Bonaparte's Gull-35 Ring-billed Gull-45 Herring Gull-4 Mourning Dove-25 Belted Kingfisher-1

Red-headed Woodpecker-2 Red-bellied Woodpecker-4 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-1 Downy Woodpecker-2 Hairy Woodpecker-1 Northern Flicker-3 Pileated Woodpecker-1 Eastern Phoebe-6 Blue Jay-2 American Crow-11 Horned Lark-2 Carolina Chickadee-4 Tufted Titmouse-1 Brown Creeper-1 Carolina Wren-5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet-5 Eastern Bluebird-4 Northern Mockingbird-2 European Starling-75 American Pipit-26 Lapland Longspur-2 Palm Warbler-1 Yellow-rumped Warbler-4 Field Sparrow-1 Savannah Sparrow-8 Le Conte's Sparrow-1 Song Sparrow-20 Swamp Sparrow-25 White-throated Sparrow-25 White-crowned Sparrow-2 Dark-eyed Junco-20 Northern Cardinal-5 Red-winged Blackbird-15 Eastern Meadowlark-19 Rusty Blackbird-5 Brewer's Blackbird-2 Brown-headed Cowbird-12 House Finch-1 American Goldfinch-x (heard only)

Chloe Walker

NTOS Field Trip Coordinator

Hickory-Priest Christmas Bird Count

Jan. 1, 2014

Twenty-five people in 5 parties participated, 96 species were reported. The count covers eastern Davidson County with bit of Sumner and Wilson counties included.

Highlights: Some highlights were previously reported by Scott  Somershoe for the Percy Priest Lake section, most notably the out-of-season Yellow Warbler. Fortunately it was seen (and heard) by  most of the party, and well-seen by a few. Also from this location was  Scott's early morning sighting of Pacific Loon and Peregrine Falcon. Ducks, 13 species including 2 merganser species, were fairly well represented but in mostly low numbers; no scoters found. Not too surprisingly Black Vultures outnumbered Turkey Vultures 20-1. 7 Bald Eagles counted, with 3 reported as adults. Falcons totaled 3 Merlins plus the Peregrine. On Priest the evening gull roost was productive with Ring-billed Gull and Com. Loons present in expected high numbers, plus Scott's addition of 2 Red-throated Loons to the mix. Sandhill Crane made the list with a fly-over of 2 at Priest. Several "winter" warblers were found on the Old Hickory section: Orange-crowned (2), Palm (1) & Pine (1), with the addition of Yellow-rumped giving them a 4 warbler day on Jan. 1st! Only 2 Purple Finches and 1 Rusty Blackbird reported, those from Neely's Bend.

To view the entire list click on Bird Count Results on the right menu and select Hickory-Priest CBC under 2014.

Richard Connors

Compiler