NTOS Fall Count
September 29, 2012

This year's Nashville Fall Count totaled 126 species, the highest since 2006.  With cool temperatures and partly cloudy skies, it was a great day to be out.  There was a good mix of breeding birds, transient migrants, and early wintering species.  Highlights included 4 Bald Eagles at Cheatham Co. and Warner Parks, a kettle of 8 Broad-winged Hawks at Shelby Bottoms, 1 Peregrine Falcon at Rutherford Co.,1 Sora at Cheatham, 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers at Harpeth East, Bells Bend and Cheatham, 12 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (4 in one tree at Shelby), 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher, 1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and 1 Least Flycatcher all at Shelby, 5 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in Rutherford Co., 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches at Shelby, a whopping 17 Sedge Wrens (14 at Bells Bend), 6 Marsh Wrens at Bells Bend and Rutherford, 1 Lark Sparrow and 1 Savannah Sparrow at Rutherford, and 7 Swamp Sparrows at Cheatham and Bells Bend.  Thank you to all who participated.

Click Bird Count Results in the right side menu to view all route results.

Jan Shaw

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

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

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

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

Peeler Park, Neelys Bend

Old Hickory Dam, Snow Bunting Peninsula
Davidson Co., TN
Saturday, 2012 Aug. 25
 
Ten birders from the Nashville chapter of TOS got an early start Saturday at Peeler Park in the Neelys Bend area of north Davidson County.  Perhaps the best bird of the morning was CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER found near the end of our three mile walk. Other warbler species included two BLACK-AND-WHITEs and a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. We also enjoyed views of three YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOs and a BARRED OWL calling in the distance at the beginning of our walk.  Two BLUE GROSBEAKs were a special treat for some of our group. In the meadow sections INDIGO BUNTINGs were our nearly constant companions, along with numerous butterflies.  By the end of our walk we had found 34 bird species.

After finishing our visit to Peeler Park several birders tagged along for the short hop to Snow Bunting Peninsula in the Old Hickory Dam area.  The 1500-2000 PURPLE MARTINs flying around the peninsula and sitting on high tension lines provided an impressive spectacle.

 

Frank Fekel

NTOS Field Trip Coordinator

Radnor Lake
July 15, 2012
Davidson County

Six birders participated in the NTOS field trip to Radnor Lake on Saturday, July 14. We walked around the lake in quite humid conditions and with some light rain. Several WOOD THRUSHES were singing as we started up the road to the lake. BLACK VULTURES were seen feeding on a deer carcass near the lake-side deck but we did not dally as the smell was quite strong.  Along the way we heard and saw a few SUMMER TANAGERS and GREEN HERONS. On the east end of the lake a dark colored duck with orange legs was seen preening on a log. Based on the color, size, bill color and an absence of white in the wings, it was determined to be an AMERICAN BLACK DUCK. It was a good outing and we made it back to the cars just before the heavy rains started.

Below is a recap of the walk.

Canada Goose - 30
Wood Duck - 40
American Black Duck - 1
Mallard - 12
Great Blue Heron - 1
Green Heron - 5
Black Vulture - 8
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Mourning Dove - 1
Barred Owl - 1
Chimney Swift - 3
Belted Kingfisher - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6
Downy Woodpecker - 4
Northern Flicker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2
Acadian Flycatcher - 2
White-eyed Vireo - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 1
Blue Jay - 2
American Crow - 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 8
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee - 9
Tufted Titmouse - 6
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Carolina Wren - 8
Wood Thrush - 5
American Robin - 2
Summer Tanager - 6
Northern Cardinal - 9
American Goldfinch – 8

Scott Block