[TN-Bird] An Excellent Afternoon at Hiwassee

From: Charles Murray <dro_1945@xxxxxxxxx>
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:49:30 -0800 (PST)
Tuesday afternoon visitors to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and the Cherokee 
Removal Memorial Park in Meigs Co. were from Athens, GA, Crossville, 
Madisonville, Bradley Co., and Hamilton Co. They were treated to a memorable 
afternoon and early evening. Over one thousand migrating sandhill cranes were 
heading north in flocks that sometimes approached 100 birds. (Migrating 
sandhills could still be heard after dark when I got home.)  From the viewing 
area at the HWR, a few sandhills were seen feeding in the fields. One immature 
bald eagle, one harrier hawk, some ring-necked ducks, some Canada geese, and a 
small flock of ? Bonaparte's gulls ? were also seen. The last couple of hours 
were spent at the CRMP. Several hundred sandhill cranes (migrants or winter 
residents ?) flew into the mudbars on and around Hiwassee Island to spend the 
night. One adult and one or two immature bald eagles were sighted. Several 
great blue herons were in the water around Hiwassee
 Island and in the trees and on nests in the rookery on the island. One osprey 
spent a few minutes on the osprey nesting platform on the 
mudbar nearest the CRMP overlook. Near dark, a lone whooping crane was 
spotted on a distant mudbar in the Tennessee River. Beyond all that, 
there was a beautiful sunset. Last, but not least, the wind was not 
blowing! Previous visitors to the HWR and the CRMP will understand that 
great blessing!
Charles Murray
Birchwood, TN



      
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
               --------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan
                        Clarksville, TN
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                       MAP RESOURCES
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________
[TN-Bird] An Excellent Afternoon at Hiwassee

Other related posts:
