[tn-bird] Annual birds in ET

From: James Brooks <comeback@xxxxxxxx>
To: Tennessee Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 20:01:27 -0400
This weekend Audrey Hoff and I set off late Saturday afternoon for 
Musick's Campground and were quite surprised at how high the water has 
come up. Our normal parking area was now at least 50 feet from the 
shore. We arrived about 5:30 p.m. and immediately pickup up a 
Double-crested Cormorant (later joined by another) and a single 
Ring-billed Gull. The Purple Martins were back at the gourds, however, 
and their twitters reminded us we had come to a birdy place.
After awhile an Osprey appeared and hunted up and down the reservoir, 
later joined by a female, her necklace clearly visible as they soared 
over us in formation, landing gear down for a water landing.
We saw a grebe flying up into Painter's Creek, but it set down out of 
sight. Later three Pied-billed Grebes came swimming around the point, 
finally joined by an Eared Grebe in full breeding plummage. It was 
pretty plain why this is called a Black-necked Grebe in Northern Europe.
More swallows appeared and we added Barn and Northern Rough-winged to 
the total. Back at my house a Red-eyed Vireo was singing, and Wood 
Thrushes called from the woods, and across the road a Yellow-throated 
Vireo called. Hopefully it will nest there again this year. Earlier in 
the week I had a White-eyed Vireo from my front porch. Doing well on 
vireos, not so well on warblers.
Sunday morning we set off for Buffalo Mountain Park, but the gate was 
locked, and hours were listed as 8-dusk, Mon-through Friday. Johnson 
City 's solution to keeping this park from being a meeting ground for 
gay assignations is to simply close it to everyone, except during the 
hours we all are at work during the week. Yes, the term bureaucratic 
mind IS an oxymoron.
While heading for Unicoi County we picked up the first Eastern Kingbird 
of the year. We drove from Unicoi up to near the top of the forest 
service road to Stamping Ground Ridge, but most of the birds were at 
lower elevations where the trees were beginning to leaf out. At first it 
was amok with Wood Thrush, Hooded and Black-throated Green warblers 
singing, followed, as we moved up, by Ovenbird, Black-throated Blue and 
Canada. Near the top we were beset by Blue-headed Vireos, with a 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet warbling counterpoint. Red-breasted Nuthatches, 
juncos and a Hairy Woodpecker were also at this altitude.
A final stop was the city park in Erwin for Chipping Sparrow. Migratory 
ducks were gone, but the woodies were already off the nest with hatchlings.
After Audrey departed for Knoxville I polished off the day listening to 
a Yellow-billed Cuckoo gulping across the road from my house.
Spring for sure!
James Brooks
Jonesborough, TN

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[tn-bird] Annual birds in ET

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