The Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society held its annual Summer Bird Counts in the counties of Carter and Unicoi in June, adding to the data  that exists for regional bird populations during the summer nesting season.

Photos by Bryan Stevens                                                Red-shoulder Hawks, such as this captive individual that is part of an educational program at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, are relatively rare birds in Northeast Tennessee.

Although its hasn’t been conducted for a long time, the Unicoi County Summer Bird Count established a new record this year with a total of 112 species reported, in contrast to the 110 and 111 species tallied during the first two Summer Counts conducted in 2014 and 2015.
A total of 21 observers in five parties counted birds in Unicoi County on Sunday, June 12, from Flag Pond and Erwin to Unicoi and Limestone Cove, as well as other strategic locations. A total of 20 species of nesting warblers made the count, including Blackburnian, Swainson’s and Magnolia. Other highlights from the count include a single Northern Bobwhite, four Bald Eagles, a Red-shouldered Hawk (a scarce bird in Northeast Tennessee) and three Red Crossbills.
Although I participated in the first two Unicoi County Summer Bird Count, I was in South Carolina at the time of this year’s survey. I hate to miss any count, and I was excited to learn that this year’s survey set a new record for most species to date.

Young American Robins, such as this bird, helped provide sizable numbers for this bird on the Summer Counts.

The American Robin took the prize as the most common bird with 417 robins observed by count participants. The robin was closely followed by European Starling (317); Song Sparrow (186); and Indigo Bunting (129). The 85 Hooded Warblers found on count day made this species the most common warbler on this year’s survey.

The total follows:
Canada Goose, 76; Wood Duck, 12; Mallard, 21; Northern Bobwhite, 1; Ruffed Grouse, 3; and Wild Turkey, 16.
Great Blue Heron, 22; Green Heron, 2; Black Vulture, 7; Turkey Vulture, 43; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Cooper’s Hawk, 3; Bald Eagle, 4; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Broad-winged Hawk, 5; and Red-tailed Hawk, 8.
Killdeer, 10; Rock Pigeon, 52; Mourning Dove, 108; Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 2; Eastern Screech-owl, 1; Great Horned Owl, 3; Barred Owl, 2; Chuck-Will’s-Widow, 3; Whip-poor-will, 11; and Chimney Swift, 35.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 7; Belted Kingfisher, 4; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 26; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 16; Hairy Woodpecker, 7; Northern Flicker, 8; and Pileated Woodpecker, 14.
American Kestrel, 3; Eastern Wood-Pewee, 7; Acadian Flycatcher, 43; Least Flycatcher, 6; Eastern Phoebe, 54; Great Crested Flycatcher, 1; and Eastern Kingbird, 13.

Counts focused on Unicoi County and adjacent Carter County.

White-eyed Vireo, 6; Yellow-throated Vireo, 1; Blue-headed Vireo, 41; Warbling Vireo, 1; and Red-eyed Vireo, 140.
Blue Jay, 52; American Crow, 156; Common Raven, 6; Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 33; Purple Martin, 14; Tree Swallow, 108; Barn Swallow, 69; and Cliff Swallow, 70.
Carolina Chickadee, 65; Tufted Titmouse, 43; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 9; White-breasted Nuthatch, 15; Brown Creeper, 2; House Wren, 27; Winter Wren, 1; and Carolina Wren, 78.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 22; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 13; Eastern Bluebird, 67; Veery, 23; Hermit Thrush, 3; Wood Thrush, 35; American Robin, 417; Gray Catbird, 40; Brown Thrasher, 23; Northern Mockingbird, 27; European Starling, 377; and Cedar Waxwing, 51.
Ovenbird, 70; Worm-eating Warbler, 18; Louisiana Waterthrush, 6; Black-and-white Warbler, 19; Swainson’s Warbler, 4; Kentucky Warbler, 2; Common Yellowthroat, 4; Hooded Warbler, 85; American Redstart, 9; Northern Parula, 15; Magnolia Warbler, 2; Blackburnian Warbler, 1; Yellow Warbler, 3; Chestnut-sided Warbler, 10; Black-throated Blue Warbler, 25; Yellow-throated Warbler, 18; Prairie Warbler, 6; Black-throated Green Warbler, 53; Canada Warbler, 16; and Yellow-breasted Chat, 3.
Eastern Towhee, 68; Chipping Sparrow, 40; Field Sparrow, 19; Song Sparrow, 186; and Dark-eyed Junco, 49.

Red Crossbills were found on the Unicoi County Summer Count.

Scarlet Tanager, 29; Northern Cardinal, 97; Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 9; Blue Grosbeak, 3; Indigo Bunting, 129; Red-winged Blackbird, 120; Eastern Meadowlark, 11; Common Grackle, 50; and Brown-headed Cowbird, 46.
House Finch, 29; Red Crossbill, 3; American Goldfinch, 76; and House Sparrow, 26.

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The 23rd annual Summer Bird Count for Carter County was held Saturday, June 18, with 18 observers in seven parties. Strong winds were a problem for most of the day, causing a few missed species and reduced numbers for others. Still, this year’s count managed 108 species, just below the average of 112 for the previous 22 years. The range for this count has varied from 105 species to a high of 121 species. Interesting finds included a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Eurasian Collared-Dove, a Warbling Vireo, a Brown Creeper and a Hermit Thrush, as well as 18 species of warblers.

The total follows:
Canada Goose, 315; Wood Duck, 4; Mallard, 145; Ruffed Grouse, 2; Wild Turkey, 18; Great Blue Heron, 20; Green Heron, 3; and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, 1.
Black Vulture, 16; Turkey Vulture, 38; Cooper’s Hawk, 4; Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Broad-winged Hawk, 2; and Red-tailed Hawk, 5.
Killdeer, 6; Rock Pigeon, 55; Eurasian Collared Dove, 1; Mourning Dove, 110; Barred Owl, 4; Common Nighthawk, 1; Chuck-Will’s-Widow, 2; and Whip-poor-will, 17.
Chimney Swift, 42; Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 25; Belted Kingfisher, 3; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 16; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Hairy Woodpecker, 4; Northern Flicker, 14; and Pileated Woodpecker, 12.
American Kestrel, 1; Eastern Wood-Pewee, 6; Acadian Flycatcher, 14; Alder Flycatcher, 2; Least Flycatcher, 2; Eastern Phoebe, 36; Great Crested Flycatcher, 3; and Eastern Kingbird, 16.
White-eyed Vireo, 4; Yellow-throated Vireo, 3; Blue-headed Vireo, 21; Warbling Vireo, 1; and Red-eyed Vireo, 91.

Cedar Waxwings were found on both counts.

Blue Jay, 40; American Crow, 237; Common Raven, 3; Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 64; Purple Martin, 43; Tree Swallow, 72; Barn Swallow, 70; and Cliff Swallow, 341.
Carolina Chickadee, 43; Tufted Titmouse, 44; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 7; White-breasted Nuthatch, 7; and Brown Creeper, 1.
House Wren, 31; Winter Wren, 6; Carolina Wren, 51; Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 12; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 8; Eastern Bluebird, 52; Veery, 20; Hermit Thrush, 1; Wood Thrush, 34; American Robin, 332; Gray Catbird, 24; Brown Thrasher, 16; Northern Mockingbird, 32; Eurasian Starling, 244; Cedar Waxwing, 17.
Ovenbird, 45; Worm-eating Warbler, 7; Louisiana Waterthrush, 6; Black-and-white Warbler, 21; Swainson’s Warbler, 2; Common Yellowthroat, 8; Hooded Warbler, 67; American Redstart, 5; Northern Parula, 6; Magnolia Warbler, 1; Blackburnian Warbler, 1; Chestnut-sided Warbler, 7; Black-throated Blue Warbler, 23; Pine Warbler, 1; Yellow-throated Warbler, 7; Black-throated Green Warbler, 18; Canada Warbler, 16; and Yellow-breasted Chat, 7.

House Sparrows were present for both counts.

Eastern Towhee, 87; Chipping Sparrow, 59; Field Sparrow, 23; Song Sparrow, 121; Dark-eyed Junco, 62; Scarlet Tanager, 19; Northern Cardinal, 80; Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 11; Blue Grosbeak, 5; and Indigo Bunting, 90.
Red-winged Blackbird, 41; Eastern Meadowlark, 14; Common Grackle, 95; Brown-headed Cowbird, 43; Orchard Oriole, 8; and Baltimore Oriole, 2.
House Finch, 40; American Goldfinch, 81; and House Sparrow, 47.

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To learn more about birds and other topics from the natural world, friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler. He is always posting about local birds, wildlife, flowers, insects and much more. If you have a question, wish to make a comment or share a sighting, email ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Thomas Defriece of Damascus, Virginia, exchanged some Facebook messages with me in the spring about a mystery bird at his home.
He said he heard a bird song he had not previously heard outside a window at his home. When he looked out, he said that he saw “the prettiest bird” that he had ever seen. “It was orange and black, and when it took flight, the tail feathers were yellow,” he shared. “I assume it was a Batlimore oriole. Man, it was so pretty.”

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service                                       A male Baltimore Oriole will seek out elevated perches for the purpose of singing their songs.

He noted that he is originally from Maryland, where the Baltimore oriole has long served as the state’s official bird. “I’ve never seen an oriole, so I was excited,” he wrote in his Facebook message. I believe that he was correct in his identification of a bird that I’ve found rather uncommon in most parts of southwest Virginia, northeast Tennessee and western North Carolina.

 
The Baltimore oriole, despite its bright plumage, is a member of one of the blackbird clans, known in scientific circles as the Icterus genus. In his book, “Birds of Forest, Yard, and Thicket,” John Eastman notes that there are 26 species in the genus, eight of which nest in the United States. In the eastern United States, there are only two orioles — the Baltimore oriole and its smaller relative, the orchard oriole. The western half of the nation is home to a half dozen orioles, including Bullock’s oriole, Scott’s oriole, Audubon’s oriole, hooded oriole and Altamira oriole. I saw several gaudy, noisy Bullock’s orioles during a trip to Utah in May of 2006.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                        A migrating orchard oriole explore a blooming forsythia.

I actually have better luck finding the orchard oriole closer to home. I have learned that tall trees are an essential part of the Baltimore oriole’s favored habitat. Baltimore orioles are well-known for their colorful appearance, but their fame also rests with a sack-like nest that Eastman describes as a “durable marvel of tight-woven plant fibers” in his informational book. Eastman also notes that during another era in America, the Baltimore oriole often built its marvelous nests in American elms before Dutch elm disease almost eradicated these trees from the landscape. He reports that maples, willows and apples have served as nesting trees in the absence of elms. Once the hard-working female oriole sets to work, she may spend eight days or longer weaving plant fibers into a strong pouch suspended from the outer ends of drooping branches. The durability of the nest means that other birds, including house finches, may occupy the old nest once abandoned by the original inhabitant.

Early naturalist and artist painted the Baltimore Oriole with the birds unusual nest.

Orioles are present in the region from April to October, generally retreating to the American tropics for the cold months of winter. There they may live on plantations that produce such much-coveted crops as bananas, coffee and cacao, which is the essential ingredient for chocolate.
The Baltimore oriole is named in honor of one of the founding fathers of the state of Maryland. George Calvert, or Baron Baltimore, was an influential English colonist instrumental in establishing the colony of Maryland. His servants wore orange and black uniforms, which inspired early American naturalist Mark Catesby to name the bird the Baltimore oriole. The bird’s association with the the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland have continued to this day. The bird is also famous as the namesake of one of America’s professional baseball teams.

 
Baltimore orioles eat insects and fruit, but these adaptive birds have also developed a fondness for sweet nectar. Orioles no longer have to raid sugar water feeders meant for hummingbirds. Many manufacturers of bird-feeding equipment now produce affordable sugar water feeders specifically designed for use by orioles. Many bird enthusiasts also use orange slices and grape jelly to lure orioles into their yards. I’ve tried these tricks, but I’ve attracted more gray catbirds and scarlet tanager than I have orioles.
Close relatives of the orioles are the oropendolas of South and Central America. Oropendolas are large birds with pointed bills and long tails. They are usually also at least partially bright yellow in their coloration. The oropendolas put the oriole to shame, however, when it comes to building nests. Although of the same basic design of an oriole’s nest, the oropendolas construct pendulous nests that may hand down more than three feet. These birds, unlike orioles, nest in colonies. So these huge, hanging nests are multiplied, with a single tree sometimes holding dozens of nests.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The Baltimore oriole is a bird known for its bright plumage.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a Baltimore oriole as a neighbor, it isn’t only their bright coloration and elaborate nest building that recommend these birds. They’re also one of the few birds willing to eat the hairy tent caterpillars that are often a blight on the landscape. Back in the late 1990s, I observed a male Baltimore oriole visiting a large caterpillar tent in the branches of a cherry tree. The bird methodically plucked the caterpillars from the silken tent, eating them one after the other. While many birds avoid some of the spiny and hairy caterpillars, orioles actively seek them out and do a great service of reducing the damage these hungry caterpillars can inflict on the environment.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                                   Baltimore orioles often perch in the tree canopy, making them difficult to observe.

Orioles must have found the Defriece home in Damascus to their liking. In subsequent Facebook messages, Thomas informed me that he has seen the male oriole again, as well as a female. Perhaps the birds decided the location was a good one for nesting.

For most of our birds, the nesting season is winding down. A few species, like cedar waxwing and American goldfinch, are just now starting to think about nesting, but most birds have already finished with the work of ensuring a new generation of their species. At my home, I’ve been seeing young birds join their parents at my feeders. Northern cardinals, Carolina chickadees, song sparrows, and white-breasted nuthatches have all introduced their offspring to the supplemental food provided by my feeders.
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To learn more about birds and other topics from the natural world, friend Stevens on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler. He is always posting about local birds, wildlife, flowers, insects and much more. If you have a question, wish to make a comment or share a sighting, email ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Dan Sudia/USFWS                                                          The Worm-eating Warbler’s subtle plumage sets it apart from more colorful members of the warbler family.

When I am asked why the warblers are one of my favorite families of birds, I often tell the questioner I enjoy warblers for the splash of bright colors many of them bring to our local woodlands. Strictly speaking, however, that’s not true for every warbler. In fact, some of them are little brown birds lacking any brights colors such as orange, red, yellow or green.

One of my favorite brown warblers is the Worm-eating Warbler. I suppose I have a sentimental attachment because it is one of the first warblers I ever saw. Sadly, Worm-eating Warblers have disappeared or declined in some areas due to habitat loss. They are also vulnerable to nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirda. A few of these warblers routinely made their home each summer in the woodlands around my home for many years. Unfortunately, they do not seem as common as they were a decade ago. I’m not sure if the habitat has changed or if this subtly understated warbler has simply become less common. The Worm-eating Warbler favors steep slopes with dense understory.

Photo by Jean Potter                                                                              The Worm-eating Warbler nests during the summer months throughout the eastern United States.

The Worm-eating Warbler’s breeding range stretches from southeastern Iowa, Ohio, New York and southern New England south to northeastern Texas, central Gulf Coast states and eastern North Carolina. This warbler, like most of its kin, winters in the tropics, migrating each autumn as far as southern Mexico and Central America.

This warbler’s appearance is not at all flashy, especially compared to warblers with much brighter plumage such as the American Redstart, Blackburnian Warbler and Chestnut-sided Warbler. The Worm-eating Warbler’s head and underparts are buffy, and the bird has a unique head pattern consisting of black crown stripes and a dark stripe through the eye. The Swainson’s Warbler is similar, but larger and warm brown rather than buffy in coloration.

At a glance, the Worm-eating Warbler might also be mistaken for a wren or small sparrow. Known by the scientific name of Helmitheros vermivora, the Worm-eating Warbler is the sole member of the genus Helmitheros.

At first, this bird would be seem to be one of the misnamed warblers. On closer examination, however, its name is quite appropriate. While it does not feed on earthworms, this warbler is quite fond of caterpillars, which are often referred to — mistakenly — as worms. They also feed on insects and spiders.

This painting of Worm-eating Warblers by John James Audubon shows the birds probing in dry leaves for small caterpillars.

The Worm-eating Warbler does have a distinctive feeding behavior that I have observed on numerous occasions. These birds like to hang upside-down beneath a cluster of dry or dead leaves. They use a relatively long bill to probe for insects or caterpillars concealed within the mass of leaves. More often than not, their search is rewarded with some sort of prey item.

The male and female Worm-eating Warbler are identical. The female builds a nest on the ground, which she attempts to hide among dead leaves. She lays four or five eggs, which she incubates herself. Once the young hatch, her mate does help feed them. The parents also guard the nest and are known to try to distract potential predators by feigning injury.

In the spring, when the males are singing persistently, these birds can easily be located by their song. The male sings a short, high-pitched trill that is similar to the song of the Chipping Sparrow.

Photo by Jean Potter                                                                                The Ovenbird is another of the brown warblers that nest in North America.

Other brown warblers include Ovenbird, Swainson’s Warbler, Northern Waterthrush and Louisiana Waterthrush. Like these four species, the Worm-eating Warbler is a summer nesting bird in Northeast Tennessee.

This fall has been a good time to see warblers. Some of the more common ones I have noticed in the yard so far have included Tennessee Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler.

Here’s some trivia for you should you ever find yourself competing on the game show “Jeopardy” and the category is “Warblers.” Four of our warblers — Kentucky Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Connecticut Warbler and Tennessee Warbler — bear common names that honor states. The Kentucky Warbler and Tennessee Warbler are named for the states where they were first found and described by ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1811. Neither the Tennessee Warbler or Kentucky Warbler are particularly affiliated with the states for which they were named. In fact, the Tennessee Warbler passes through the Volunteer State only for a few weeks each year during spring and fall migration. Its closest breeding range is in Michigan and these warblers spend the winter in Mexico or farther south.

Here’s something that might also come in handy in a test of your knowledge of trivia some day. Not only is the Tennessee Warbler named for the state, but the capital city of Nashville also has its name linked another member of the warbler clan, the Nashville Warbler.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                                                            The Northern Mockingbird has served as the state bird of Tennessee since 1933.

Should we ever decide to drop the Northern Mockingbird as state bird, the Tennessee Warbler would already pay tribute to our state with its common name. Of course, there is that inconvenient truth that the warbler is only a brief visitor to the state each year. I don’t foresee any plan to remove the mockingbird from its official designation. The Northern Mockingbird was selected in 1933 as the official bird for the Tennessee. This relative of the Brown Thrasher and Gray Catbird also serves as the state bird for Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi and Texas. At my home, Northern Mockingbirds are usually evident only during the winter months. I haven’t seen one at home so far this year.