[tn-bird] American Bittern/Prairie Warbler/Great birding today More Spring first.
- From: Jimi Moore <jimimoore@xxxxxxxx>
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 21:04:48 -0500
Cove Lake State Park/Caryville, TN Campbell County, TN
4-3-02 8:15-1:00 Cool front blowing through. Temps
dropping/Cloudy
*Long BUT birds of interest /Spring "firsts" highlighted and underlined.
After a warm ,very slow day for birds yesterday in Royal Blue WMA
here in Campbell County, today was fabulous! Not that I had that many
species, but
those I did see were excellent up close looks and several "First Spring"
arrivals. I almost did not go due to the weather, but knowing a front
came through about daylight and having not birded the park in about a
week, I could not resist. I took time today to check several areas. As I
entered the park on the left near the
tennis courts I saw a huge flock of Chipping Sparrows. Nothing unusual
there, with the exception that I counted 117 on the ground feeding on
Dandelion seed heads, and the fact that I have NEVER seen a flock of
Chippies that large.
After checking through for about 10 minutes for something different,
there they were. 3 VESPER SPARROWS. There were also 12 SAVANNAH SPARROWS
in the park today. These are not seen there often. About this time, I
saw an OSPREY overhead for the first one for Cove this year. A few
minutes after this a BROAD-WINGED HAWK soared over! Another Spring
first! He began to call and immediately the crows and jays went after
him as he soared over the lake Southwest towards Cross Mt.
If this weren't exciting enough to have 3 "old friends" arrive in a
row, my next treat in the back parking lot (near the tower) were 2
handsome PRAIRIE WARBLERS apx. 3 feet off the ground sitting in a Privet
bush. They were obviously tired and
cold and just sat as I approached to about 10 ft. I left them to rest.
Very close looks at 2 BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS / 4 BLACK-THROATED GREENS
along with BlueGrayGnatcatchers were next in a little flock as I started
walking the back trail. It was cold, and windy and I did not think I
would see much else, but I was wrong. I rounded a curve in the trail
about 300 ft. from the parking lot where I always pause for awhile to
look back into the beaver pond wetlands areas and a WHITE-EYED VIREO
sang. Another arrival. But then came my prize. A state bird. I spished at
the Vireo hoping he would come closer and no more than 15 ft. from me
just over some brush in the edge of the water and weeds an AMERICAN
BITTERN flew up!!!
Yipeee! State bird and really a thrill to see since I have not seen one
in 4 years!
I've never "spished" up a Bittern before.
He even gave a couple whooop-woo calls as he flew up. This is only the
second sighting of one at Cove Lake, Jimi seeing the last one on April
18th, 1999. By now, my day and week were much better, especially because
I was actually hoping to see one there this Spring and had just checked
the date of the 99 sighting last night to be more aware the time to watch
for one. Maybe he will stay around awhile, but it will take patient
waiting to find him again, I'm sure.
No more spring firsts after this, but I encountered 2 more flocks of
warblers/mix consisting of Black and Whites/ Blk. Th. Green/ Prairie /
Kinglets and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. A Louisiana Waterthrush was on the
Beaver Trail along Cove Creek. I checked all the popular areas for a
Prothonotary whistling their song, but none were found.
Other things of note: TREE SWALLOWS numbered over 100 with 1
ROUGH-WINGED Swallow mixed in. (Spring first for here)
1 Red-Breasted Nuthatch was still about. Ducks were 0 with the
exception of 1 BLACK DUCK in the swamp and Wood Ducks (8).
No Juncos. A few Golden_Crowned Kinglets still there and lots of
Yellow-Rump Warblers.
I had a total of 57 species for the morning. This was the first time
in weeks I have taken time to thoroughly bird the entire park area.
I'm ready for more!
Nell Moore
jimimoore@xxxxxxxx
Caryville, TN
CampbellCounty, TN
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