Birding in East Tennessee

4-27-05

Between works today I wandered down towards western Washington County to bird between the breaks of rain and hail (cold air aloft with the cold front passing through brought periods of hail with the rain).

I first checked down past Washington College with not much more than good numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Meadowlarks.

On down at Keebler Road I saw a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a good number of Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Meadowlarks. Other common birds: Mourning Doves, Rock Pigeons, Starlings, and 5 Mallards.

As I crossed the bridge into Greene County going into Davey Crockett Birthplace State Park I noticed a smorgasbord of swallows sitting on the powerlines over the bridge and many more flying over the large creek. Every swallow we have in Tennessee (save Bank) was identified:

Purple Martin (many)
Tree Swallow (many)
Barn Swallow (many)
Northen-rough Winged Swallow (many)
Cliff Swallow (2)

Total Swallows was well over 200. It is always amazing to see that many swallows flying over, under, and sitting above one bridge in such a confined area.

As I talked with State Park Ranger Leslie Burrell I heard a Bobwhite and Yellow Warbler. Both should be recorded in Greene County.

With the weather acting and feeling like March (in late April) it should be interesting weekend ahead birding (AKA the 5 county spring count surrounding and including Carter County).