Nashville Christmas Bird Count
Dec. 19, 2015

The Nashville CBC was held on Saturday and totaled 74 species, the lowest since 2006. With clear, cold weather and 43 observers, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. Some of the highlights included 1 Northern Pintail and 2 Green-winged Teal at Radnor Lake, 1 Northern Harrier, 5 American Woodcock, and 1 House Wren at Bells Bend, 6 Bald Eagles (4 at Harpeth East and 2 at Poplar Creek),1 Red-headed Woodpecker at Poplar Creek, 4 Winter Wrens at Harpeth East, Warner Park and West Meade, 21 Hermit Thrushes, 1 Savannah Sparrow at Harpeth West, 3 Fox Sparrows at Bells Bend and Harpeth West, 1 Lincoln's Sparrow at Warner Park, and 2 Purple Finches at Warner Park and Poplar Creek. The 6 Bald Eagles was the highest count ever for this CBC.  It was only the fifth time a Lincoln's Sparrow has been seen, and the sixth time for a House Wren. Some of the misses were Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Northern Bobwhite, American Coot, and Wilson's Snipe. Thank you so much to all who participated.

To view the full results click on the Bird Count Results in the right side menu.

Jan Shaw, Compiler

Nashville, TN
Dec. 12, 2015

We birded the Metro Center and West Meade areas. Weather was mild, in the 70s most of the day with cloudy overcast skies. Most birding was done from the car. We got out on the Richland Creek Greenway at 22 White Bridge Rd. and walked.

Nothing exciting but a nice morning to be outside.

Here is the list of species:

Pied-billed Grebe Great Blue Heron Mallard Hooded Merganser Red-tailed Hawk Black Vulture American Coot Ring-billed Gull Morning Dove Rock pigeon Northern Flicker Downy Woodpecker American Crow Blue Jay

Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren Eastern Bluebird American Robin Northern Mockingbird European Starling Northern Cardinal Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Common Grackle House Finch House Sparrow

Tarcila Fox

Percy Priest Lake
Davidson County, TN
Nov. 21, 2015

It started out frosty, breezy and clear, but as the day progressed it warmed up to comfortably cool, windy and cloudy. Richard Connors guided our group of six around From Percy Priest Dam to points of interest at Cook, Seven Points, Anderson and Smith Springs Parks.

The greatest number of bird species was the Common Loon, which were in great rafts in several locations. Highlights of the day were a Bald Eagle which flew over and around the dam as the participants arrived for the field trip, and later a pair of female Purple Finches. It was a pleasant morning and the fellowship was very enjoyable.

Thanks to Richard Connors for guiding us and to those who showed up for the fun!


36 Species:

Horned Grebe Pied-billed Grebe Common Loon Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Ring-necked Duck Canada Goose Mallard Redhead Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Black Vulture Turkey Vulture American Coot Ring-billed Gull Mourning Dove Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker American Crow Blue Jay Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird American Robin Hermit Thrush European Starling Cedar Waxwing Yellow-Romped Warbler Northern Cardinal Dark-eyed Junco Purple Finch American Goldfinch

Tarcila Fox

Davidson County
October 17, 2015

There was a change of plans about where we were going this morning. We birded around the Stone Hall property and around the Greenway to Stone’s River Greenway. We then drove to the Lytle farm and birded on the old farm property. To get onto the property we had to get through a locked fence. When we left it was locked again, so it is not open to the public at this time.

We started out frosty cold, with the temp around 39f. By noon it had warmed up but was still only in the high 40s. Everyone had a great time. Best bird of the day (my opinion) was the White-crowned Sparrow. Also fun to watch, were a couple of male Kestrels doing aerial acrobatics and then a female appeared nearby. A couple of Coopers Hawks were circling the thermals, with small birds around them. I couldn’t decide if the Coopers were chasing the small birds for a meal, or if the small birds were mobbing the Coopers.

Thanks to Aaron T. for sharing his Birds-Eye list with me for this report!

Here are the lists:

At the grounds of Stone Hall and the Stones River Greenway. (Davidson County, Nashville TN)

Killdeer 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5   Mourning Dove 8   Belted Kingfisher 1   Downy Woodpecker 1   Northern Flicker 1   Blue Jay 3   Carolina Chickadee  3   Tufted Titmouse 1   Carolina Wren 1   Golden-crowned Kinglet 1

American Robin 75   Brown Thrasher 1   Northern Mockingbird  3   European Starling 12   Tennessee Warbler 1   Pine Warbler 1   Yellow-rumped Warbler 3   White-throated Sparrow 6   Northern Cardinal 15   House Finch 1 Great Blue Heron 1

   

At the Stones River Farm/Lytle Farm Metro Parks property (Davidson County, Nashville TN)

Wild Turkey  1   Black Vulture 9   Turkey Vulture 1   Cooper's Hawk   2 Red-tailed Hawk  1 Mourning Dove 13   Belted Kingfisher  1   Red-bellied Woodpecker  1   American Kestrel 3   Eastern Phoebe 1   Blue Jay 6 American Crow 3

Carolina Chickadee 2   Brown Thrasher 1   Northern Mockingbird 3   European Starling 1   Palm Warbler 3   Yellow-rumped Warbler  1   White-crowned Sparrow  1 White-throated Sparrow 7   Song Sparrow  2 Northern Cardinal 2   Eastern Meadowlark 1   House Finch 3

Tarcila Fox
NTOS Field Trip Coordinator

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville-Davidson Co. TN
October 14, 2015

7 birders attended the last Wednesday walk of 2015 at Radnor Lake State Park, Davidson County. It was a beautiful day to get out and enjoy migration. Here are the results:

Canada Goose  15 Mallard  12 Pied-billed Grebe 14 Great Blue Heron 3 Black Vulture 1 Barred Owl 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 5 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4 Northern Flicker 2 Downy Woodpecker 8 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Blue Jay 5 Carolina Chickadee  8

Tufted Titmouse  5 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 4 Golden-crown Kinglet 1 Eastern Bluebird 3 (heard) Cedar Waxwing 15 or more Tennessee Warbler 5 American Redstart 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 22 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 Song Sparrow 1 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 1 American Goldfinch 1

Danny Shelton

Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Nashville-Davidson Co. TN
October 7, 2015

This morning during the NTOS Radnor Walk, sixteen enthusiastic birders enjoyed fabulous weather and a healthy variety of birds. We also enjoyed the company of Ken Tucker and camera crew from Tennessee Wildside who completed their video work (which they started at the spring meeting) on an upcoming episode highlighting TOS. We are expecting the episode to be aired around Thanksgiving depending on where you live, so stay tuned.

Highlights included 47 species and 1 taxa:

Canada Goose - 3 Wood Duck - 14 Mallard - 1 Wild Turkey -6 DC Cormorant -2 Great Blue Heron -2 Black Vulture -12 Broad-winged Hawk -1 Red -tailed Hawk -1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo -1 Chimney Swift -20 Ruby-throated Hummingbird -1 Belted Kingfisher -1 Red-bellied Woodpecker -13 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -2 Downy Woodpecker -5 Hairy Woodpecker -1 Northern Flicker -1 Pleated Woodpecker -1 Eastern Pewee -4 Empid -1 Eastern Phoebe -3 White-eyed Vireo -1 Philadelphia Vireo -3

Red-eyed Vireo -1 Blue Jay-8 American Crow -2 Carolina Chickadee -24 Tufted Titmouse -17 White-breasted Nuthatch -5 Carolina Wren - 9 Golden-crowned  Kinglet -1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet -1 Gray -cheeked Thrush -1 American Robin -1 Gray  Catbird -1 Cedar Waxwing -15 Black and White Warbler -3 Tennessee Warbler -4 American Redstart-1 Magnolia Warbler -9 Bay-breasted Warbler -5 Blackburnian Warbler -1 Chestnut -sided Warbler -3 Yellow-rumpled Warbler -7 Black -throated Green Warbler -5 Summer Tanager -1 Northern Cardinal -11

Thanks to all who came out today. It was a wonderful time!

Steve Routledge

NTOS Fall Count
Nashville Area
Sep 26, 2015

The Nashville Fall Bird Count was held on Sept. 26 and totaled 115 species, much better than the 108 we had last year, but still a little below average for the last 10 years. Some birds of interest included one Northern Harrier at Radnor Lake, one American Golden-Plover at Shelby Bottoms, 2 Common and 1 Forster's tern at Percy Priest, 35 Eurasian Collared-Doves with 30 in one tree on the Percy Priest route, one Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Harpeth West, 2 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers at Shelby Bottoms and Harpeth West, one lingering Eastern Kingbird at Harpeth West, 3 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers at Percy Priest, 3 singing Marsh Wrens at Bells Bend, and 2 Veeries at Harpeth East. There were 21 warbler species seen with 72 Magnolias being the most common. This count takes in parts of several counties which requires lots of dedicated birders. Thank you so much to each of the leaders and to all who participated once again.

Click on Bird Count Result on the right to view the results.

Jan Shaw