Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville, TN
May 6, 2015

Twenty-plus birders joined the NTOS Wednesday walk at Radnor Lake today.  The weather was sunny, without wind, temperature ranging from 65 degrees at 7:30 to 81 degrees at 10:45 am. Warbler migration appears to have peaked, but we saw and/or heard 10 warbler species.  Highlights of the morning were watching barn swallows gather mud for their nest under the rafters at the old visitor's center; watching a Red-eyed and a Philadelphia Vireo within feet of each other in a willow below the dam, and good looks at a Bay-breasted Warbler fairly low in a tangle of trees not far down the lakeside trail from the dam.  A total of 44 species were seen and/or heard as follows:

Canada Goose 13 Wood Duck  6 Mallard 1 Wild Turkey- loud gobbling out of sight Turkey Vulture 1 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Mourning Dove 2 Chimney Swift 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 6 Downy Woodpecker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 3 Eastern Wood Pewee 2 Acadian Flycatcher 3 Great Crested Flycatcher 4 Eastern Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 6 Yellow-throated Vireo 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Philadelphia Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 3

Blue Jay 2 American Crow 2 Barn Swallow 2 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Swainson's Thrush 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Northern Waterthrush 1 Tennessee Warbler 2 Kentucky Warbler 2 American Redstart 1 Northern Parula 3 Bay-breasted Warbler 3 Blackpoll Warbler 1 Palm Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 Field sparrow 1 Summer Tanager 3 Northern Cardinal 8 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3 American Goldfinch 4

Camille Monohan

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville, TN
April 29, 2015

Clouds gave way to mostly sunny skies as 22 birders attended the third spring walk of 2015 at Radnor Lake this morning. Palm Warblers were seemingly everywhere along the north shore of the lake, even outnumbering the abundant Yellow-rumped Warbers. Other highlights include a Yellow-throated Warbler collecting nesting material at or near the ground, a first-of-season American Redstart for many, as well as a Blue-winged Warbler at the parking lot.

57 Species

Canada Goose- 2 Wood Duck- 2 Mallard- 1 Lesser Scaup-  5 Wild Turkey-6 Double-crested Cormorant- 1 Great Blue Heron- 1 Black Vulture- 1 Red-tailed Hawk- 1 Spotted Sandpiper- 2 Solitary Sandpiper- 2 Chimney Swift- 6 Red-bellied Woodpecker- 2 Downy Woodpecker- 4 Hairy Woodpecker- 2 Pileated Woodpecker- 2 Eastern Wood Peewee- 2 Acadian Flycatcher- 1 Eastern Phoebe- 2 Great-crested Flycatcher- 1 Eastern Kingbird- 1 White-eyed Vireo- 2 Yellow-throated Vireo- 1 Red-eyed Vireo- 2 Blue Jay- 1 American Crow- 1 N. Rough-wing Swallow- 6 Barn Swallow- 3 Carolina Chickadee- 2

Tufted Titmouse- 4 White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren- 1 heard Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 2 Eastern Bluebird- 2 Wood Thrush- 2 heard American Robin- 1 Northern Mockingbird- 1 Cedar Waxwing- 1 Louisiana Waterthrush- 3 Blue-winged Warbler- 1 Kentucky Warbler- 1 American Redstart- 1 Northern Parula- 1 Yellow Warbler- 2 Blackpoll Warbler- 1 Palm Warbler-31 Yellow-rumped Warbler- 26 Black-throated Green Warbler- 1 White-throated Sparrow- 2 Summer Tanager- 3 Scarlet Tanager- 1 Northern Cardinal- 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak- 1 Indigo Bunting- 2 Red-winged Blackbird- 2 American Goldfinch- 1

Danny Shelton

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville, TN
April 22, 2015

Earth Day 2015 found twenty-nine adventurous birders participating in the second of six Spring Wednesday morning walks at Radnor Lake.  The sun peeked out occasionally and a few raindrops fell on our heads but all and all it was a great morning with friends new and old.

Highlights of the day included BALTIMORE ORIOLE and a singing LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH near the parking lot, a beautiful male SCARLET TANAGER, a singing WOOD THRUSH, a NASHVILLE WARBLER darting around Dogwood blossoms, 3 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD enjoying the cross-vine scattered along the trail and a BROAD-WINGED HAWK soaring high above.


61 species

Canada Geese – 6 Wood Duck – 5 Mallard – 3 Lesser Scaup – 4 Wild Turkey – 3 Pied-billed Grebe – 3 Double-crested Cormorant – 1 Great Blue Heron – 1 Green Heron – 1 Black Vulture – 1 Turkey Vulture – 3 Cooper’s Hawk – 1 Broad-winged Hawk – 1 Red-tailed Hawk – 2 Spotted Sandpiper – 1 Ring-billed Gull – 5 Barred Owl – 1 Chimney Swift – 15 Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 3 Belted Kingfisher – 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker – 2 Downy Woodpecker – 4 Pileated Woodpecker – 1 Eastern Phoebe – 1 Great Crested Flycatcher – 3 White-eyed Vireo – 3 Yellow-throated Vireo – 1 Philadelphia Vireo – 1 Red-eyed Vireo – 4 Blue Jay – 4 American Crow – 4

N. Rough-wing Swallows – 12 Barn Swallow – 2 Carolina Chickadee – 7 Tufted Titmouse – 11 White-breasted Nuthatch – 2 Carolina Wren – 2 Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher – 14 Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 1 Eastern Bluebird – 1 Wood Thrush – 1 American Robin – 2 Louisiana Waterthrush – 1 Black and white Warbler – 1 Tennessee Warbler – 1 Nashville Warbler – 1 Common Yellowthroat – 1 Northern Parula – 3 Palm Warbler – 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler – 16 Black-throated Green Warbler – 8 Eastern Towhee – 1 White-throated Sparrow – 4 Summer Tanager – 2 Scarlet Tanager – 1 Northern Cardinal – 13 Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 1 Red-winged Blackbird – 1 Brown-headed Cowbird – 3 Baltimore Oriole – 1 American Goldfinch – 3

Cyndi Routledge

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville, TN
April 15, 2015

Ten hearty individuals showed up on this foggy, rainy morning for the first NTOS Wednesday morning walk of the year.  While no records were set, it was a good outing with 42 species recorded.  10 warblers were observed, which included a FOY Kentucky Warbler seen and heard by most of the group.

Canada Goose 2  Wood Duck 3  Rehead (male) 1  Great Blue Heron 2  Black Vulture 5  Chimney Swift 12  Red-bellied Woodpecker 2  Downy Woodpecker 5  Pileated Woodpecker 2  Eastern Phoebe 1  White-eyed Vireo 2  Red-eyed Vireo 2  Blue Jay 2  American Crow 3  Northern Rough-winged Swallow 15  Tree Swallow 2  Barn Swallow 4  Carolina Chickadee 6  Tufted Titmouse 12  White-breasted Nuthatch 2  Carolina Wren 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 20  Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1  Eastern Bluebird 2  Cedar Waxwing 2  Louisiana Waterthrush 1  Blue-winged Warbler 2  Black-and-white Warbler 2  Prothonotary Warbler 2  Kentucky Warbler 1  Northern Parula 1  Palm Warbler 2  Yellow-rumped warbler 50  Black-throated Green Warbler 1  Chipping Sparrow 1  White-throated Sparrow 20  Scarlet Tanager 2  Northern Cardinal 20  Red-winged Blackbird 3  Brown-headed Cowbird 4  American Goldfinch 10

Big Sandy Unit of TNWR
January 31, 2015

The NTOS field trip to the Pace Point/Britton Ford area was a wonderful success!

Our group started at the Bennetts Creek Overlook within the Big Sandy Unit of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, and no sooner had we stepped out of our vehicles when the cry of "Golden Eagle!" sounded. We all had fantastic views of both an adult and an immature together - a life bird for many.

Duck numbers were sky-rocketing throughout the day, the vast majority being Mallards. Three hybrid dabblers were sighted: one, a "Brewer's Duck" (Gadwall x Mallard) at the Bennetts Creek Overlook; the second, a handsome Mallard x American Black Duck at Tennessee NWR--Britton Ford Unit; and finally, an additional "Brewer's Duck" at Britton Ford. Also of note was a merganser "trifecta" at Bennets Creek Overlook and all five regular geese at Britton Ford.

Notable misses: American Coot (!)

Wow...what a day! A huge thanks to Mike Todd for leading the trip, and thank you to all who attended.

65 species

Great White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Ross's Goose Cackling Goose Canada Goose Gadwall Mallard Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe American White Pelican Great Blue Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk

Golden Eagle American Kestrel Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Blue Jay American Crow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird American Robin Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird American Goldfinch

Chloe Walker
Field Trip Coordinator

Nashville Christmas Bird Count
Dec. 20, 2014

The 100th Nashville CBC took place December 20 and totaled 82 species, right about average. A whopping 50 birders took part, with 17 at Owls Hill alone. Thank you to all for such a remarkable turnout! And thank you to Susan Hollyday for providing a delicious compilation dinner. The numbers by route may be viewed on the Bird Count Results page (link on the right). Some interesting finds for our count:

2 Double-crested Cormorants at Poplar Creek route - have only occurred 8 times in 100 counts.

1 Bald Eagle at Poplar Creek - only occurred 11 times.

8 American Woodcock at Bells Bend Park - highest count ever and occurred only 16 times.

2 Eurasian Collared-Doves at West Meade - only occurred 4 times.

23,957 American Robins - 20,000 seen flying at dawn at Bells Bend Park.

6 Rusty Blackbirds - one at Bells Bend and 5 at Radnor Lake.

2 Purple Finches - at Poplar Creek route.

5 Pine Siskins - one at Bells Bend and 4 at Poplar Creek.


Jan Shaw, Compiler

Old Hickory Dam Area
Nashville, TN
Dec. 13, 2014


It was a chilly morning at Old Hickory Lake; nonetheless, thirteen birders gathered for a wonderful outing. Activity was slow along the Nature Trail, but a few highlights included brilliant views of a Pileated Woodpecker which landed on a telephone pole behind the woodlands and Hermit Thrushes and Fox Sparrows near the trail's entrance.

"Snow Bunting Peninsula" was a bit more productive. One Bonaparte's Gull and one Herring Gull were the only gulls in the vicinity other than the abundant Ring-bills. Common Loons were scattered around the lake, as well as both Horned and Pied-billed Grebes. A raft of Ruddy Ducks was a nice addition to the trip list, and not far away floated a lone female Bufflehead.

Overall, it was a nice morning! Thank you to all who participated! (List below.)


44 species

Canada Goose - 2 Gadwall - 1 Mallard - 20 Northern Shoveler - 8 Bufflehead - 1 Ruddy Duck - 35 Common Loon - 6 Pied-billed Grebe - 20 Horned Grebe - 40 Great Blue Heron - 5 Cooper's Hawk - 1 Bald Eagle - 1 Bonaparte's Gull - 1 Ring-billed Gull - 100 Herring Gull - 1 Belted Kingfisher - 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 Downy Woodpecker - 5 Hairy Woodpecker - 2 Northern Flicker - 3 Pileated Woodpecker - 5 Blue Jay - 3

American Crow - 7 Carolina Chickadee - 15 Tufted Titmouse - 7 White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Carolina Wren - 4 Winter Wren - 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet - 10 Ruby-crowned Kinglet -3 Eastern Bluebird - 10 Hermit Thrush - 6 American Robin - 70 Brown Thrasher - 2 Northern Mockingbird - 1 European Starling -160 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 3 Field Sparrow - 1 Fox Sparrow - 2 Song Sparrow - 5 Swamp Sparrow - 3 White-throated Sparrow - 6 Northern Cardinal - 9 American Goldfinch - 13

Herring Gull
Photo by Chloe Walker

Horned Grebes
Photo by Chloe Walker

Chloe Walker - NTOS Field Trip Coordinator
www.chloesbirdingblog.blogspot.com