3/6/08
Johnson City, TN
Washington County

I made it over to Rick Knight's house today to see the American Tree Sparrow coming to his feeders. 

Beautiful Sparrow!

Absolutely the BEST look I have ever had at a A. Tree Sparrow.  Never really realized how striking that bird is.....

For all of those who have listened to me whine and complain wondering where
"my" backyard Nighthawks are - well it pleases me greatly to report that for
the last hour I have been listening to a Common Nighthawk *peent* as it flies by my apartment window in downtown Elizabethton.

Highlight birds in this report include: Dickcissel, Grasshopper Sparrow, Least - Western - Solitary Sandpipers, Redheaded Woodpecker, and Blue Grosbeaks.

Yesterday, 5-9-05, I wandered down to Keebler Road where I found a Dickcissel singing in the lone tree about halfway down the road. This was at about 5:30pm.

Unknowingly and simultaneously Fred Alsop with his the TWRA group he is giving a birding refresher course to had Dickcissels at the intersection of Old SR 34 and Taylor Mill. On up the road from there around the edges of West View Pond (next to West View School) Fred and group had Least Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpiper, and Western Sandpipers.

Back on Keebler Road, I had a few other good birds...Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Redheaded Woodpecker, Least Sandpiper (2), Solitary Sandpiper (5), Killdeer (2), and a Turkey Vulture lazily tilting back and forth on a thermal or two.

Then it was off to Davey Crockett Birthplace State Park where I found a Yellow-breasted Chat in field in the back. Other birds found included - Spotted Sandpiper (1), Field Sparrow (~6), Chipping Sparrow (~5), Blue Grosbeak (1), Indigo Bunting (6), Common Grackles, Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and Eastern Kingbirds (6 and 1 nest found). These birds should be recorded in Greene County.

As I was leaving the park, newly married Alan Trently called to return my Sibley's Guide he borrowed over his honeymoon weekend. I told him about my day thus far and talked him into meeting me at the Exxon in Limestone and go back to relocate the Dickcissels.

We picked up another good bird at our first stop back at Keebler - a Blue Grosbeak for Washington County. Then we headed to the Old SR 34 and Taylor Mill intersection to find ~3-4 Dickcissels singing (~8:00pm) along with a Northern Bobwhite, and 2-3 Grasshopper Sparrows singing here as well. We ended the day inbetween Keebler Rd and Davey Crockett Birthplace State Park with more Grasshopper Sparrows singing and many Chimney Swifts.

Today (5/6/05) Allen Trently was married at 5:30pm. We birded most this day to celebrate Allen's last day as a bachelor. We dubbed this event Allen's Bachelor Birding Extravaganza.

We were joined by Larry McDaniel for the early morning at Winged Deer Park. Our list here is as follows:

Killdeer 1
Mourning Dove 3
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Great-crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 3
C. Chickadee 7
T. Titmouse 4
Carolina Wren 6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
E. Bluebird 1
Swainson's Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 1
Starling 6
MAGNOLIA WARBLER 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Black and White Warbler 1
Worm-eating Warbler 2
Kentucky Warbler 1
Hooded Warbler 2
Scarlet Tanager 1
E. Towhee 8
Field Sparrow 1
N. Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 3
Eastern Meadowlark 1
C. Grackle 4
B.h. Cowbird 2
Orchard Oriole 2
Goldfinch 2

From there, Allen and I headed over to Austin Springs where we are joined by Fred Alsop and the group from TWRA that are taking a birding refresher course. The following are highlights from Austin Springs:

Canada Goose 7
Mallard 5
Double-crested Cormorant 18
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Killdeer 2
Solitary Sandpiper 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Purple Martin 5
Tree Swallow ~40
N. Rough-winged Swallow 10
BANK SWALLOW 4
Cliff Swallow ~30
Barn Swallow 2
House Wren 1
B-g Gnatcatcher 2
E. Bluebird 4
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 1
Starling 1
AMERICAN PIPIT 9
Common Yellowthroat 1
Field Sparrow 3
Savannah Sparrow 7
Song Sparrow 6
BLUE GROSBEAK 1
Red-winged Blackbird 8
B-h Cowbird 2
Orchard Oriole 1
Purple Finch 1
House Finch 1

Our last stop before ending the day at a restaurant the features owls on the menu, we stopped in Elizabethton (Carter County) to Blackbottom Shoals and picked up a few good birds here as well:

Green Heron 1
Yellow-crowned Night Heron 3 (2 on nest)
[there are more nest but with the foliage full I couldn't relocate them all]
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
White-eyed Vireo 4
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Cedar Waxwing ~10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Yellow-throated Warbler 3
Indigo Bunting 2

After a nice meal of Hot Wings Allen took the plunge deep into marriage even borrowing my Sibley's book for the honeymoon weekend. Now that's dedication.

Congratulation to Allen and Jennifer Trently (and Jane too!)

Today I headed into the mountains of Carter County over the back forest service road of Pond Mountain.

I had a good number of Warblers, Vireos, and other good birds. Even at the highest elevations of Pond Mountain there were numerous Black-throated Green Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos, and a surprise visit by a Red-breated Nuthatch.

I was amazed to hear the chatter, mews, and other such neat sounds coming from the Blue-headed Vireos present. I stayed and hunted these birds down to make sure that they were indeed Blue-headed Vireos. This is the first year that I can remember observing such chatter from these vireos in the field.

I also had many FOY birds. The birds in all CAPS are FOY (first of year).

The Warbler lilst:

Northen Parula
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black and White Warbler
WORM-EATING WARLBER
OVENBIRD
Louisana Waterthrush
HOODED WARBLER

Other Neotropical Migrants:

Blue-headed Vireo
RED-EYED VIREO
SCARLET TANAGER

Other good birds:

Ruffed Grouse (strutting across service road)
BARRED OWL (singing during the day)
Northen Flicker (I believe near nest, but couldn't locate it)
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Eastern Phoebe
American Crow
Chickadee and Titmouse
Red-breated Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (singing)
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (singing)
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (singing)
Northen Cardinal
American Goldfinch