Tag Archives: Carter County Compass

Great horned owls reign as ‘tigers of the night’

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/Dave Menke A Great Horned Owl surveys its woodland domain.

As I sit at my desk on Halloween night to make this blog post, I’ve just come indoors after listening to the resident pair of great horned owls. For much of October, I’ve been treated to dusk serenades by this pair of owls that have taken up residence in the woodlands around my home.

These large owls begin producing their low, deep hoots about a half hour before dusk and continue throughout the night. Activity usually increases again an hour or so before sunrise. The call of this owl has been described as a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots. It should come as no surprise that “hoot owl” is a common nickname for the very vocal great horned owl.
In addition to great horned owls, several other species of owls reside in the region, including Eastern screech-owl, barred owl, and barn owl. A fifth owl, the tiny Northern saw-whet owl, can be found at some high-elevation locations. A few other owls have made sporadic appearances in the region, including long-eared owl and short-eared owl.

Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes depicting a great horned owl with one of its primary prey species, a snowshoe hare.

I’ve heard some experts suggest that the smaller Eastern screech-owl will try to avoid the territory of its much larger relative. That does strike me as a sensible precaution, but I’ve been hearing the wailing, trembling calls of screech owls in addition to the hoots of the great horned owls. Perhaps they’ve struck up an uneasy truce.

The great horned owl is widespread in the Americas and is one of the more frequently encountered owls in the region. A fearsome nocturnal predator, the great horned owl has rightly earned this bird another nickname — “Tiger of the Night.”

Although rabbits are its most common prey, this large owl is not a finicky predator. The great horned owl has been known to capture and consume everything from armadillos and muskrats to geese and young American alligators. They will also prey on various amphibians, fish, crustaceans and even insects. The great horned owl is also known to prey on smaller owls, which includes almost all of the other owls found in the region.

Photo by Bryan Stevens This Great Horned Owl is a non-releasable bird that is part of a raptor program at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia.

All owls are extremely beneficial predators, and the great horned owl is no exception. If not for owls and other predators, prey species — whether rodents or insects — would multiply beyond the means of the environment to support them. Anyone facing the problem of mice and rats seeking an easier living inside a human home can appreciate the role played by predatory owls.

The great horned owl, known scientifically as Bubo virginianus, is an exceptional bird for many reasons. The great horned owl is about 25 inches long with an equally impressive wingspan of between three and five feet. The structure of an owl’s feathers are what enables these winged predators to fly silently through the shadows. Its eyes are extremely large, even for an owl, in relation to the size of the owl’s brain as well as overall body size. This owl’s eyes are just slightly smaller than the eyes of a human being and rank proportionately among the largest eyes of all terrestrial vertebrates. Great horned owls, and other owls in the Bubo genus, are know for their formidable talons. Once these talons close on prey, the owl is capable of exerting a pressure of about 300 pounds per square inch.

Early American naturalist and artist John James Audubon painted this part of Great Horned Owls.

In common with many hawks, the female great horned owl is larger than her male counterpart. These owls begin nesting early in the year, usually in February and March. Nest-building activity in January, however, is not unheard of. Great horned owls often take possession of a previous year’s nest built by such birds as red-tailed hawks, bald eagle nests, crows and herons. Some great horned owls will simply claim a cliff ledge for a nesting site.

Early naturalists in North America were duly impressed by the great horned owl. John James Audubon, the early American painter best known for his “Birds of America,” studied this owl around his frontier home in Kentucky. He also wrote about the great horned owl in a journal he kept during a boat trip on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in 1820-21.

For the average person the term “owl” is representative of what is actually an extremely diverse family of birds. Worldwide, there are about 220 species of owls varying in size and habits.

The genus of Bubo owls consists of some large, powerful species, including Eurasian eagle-owl, one of the largest species of owl in the world, as well as snowy owl, pharaoh eagle-owl, spot-bellied eagle-owl and the lesser horned owl of South America.

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, PA Photo: Susan Rachlin USFWS

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/Susan Rachlin A Great Horned Owl locks its fearsome stare onto something at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Pennsylvania.

Many species of owls have proven capable of thriving even in the face of human alteration of the environment. Both the great horned owl and the Eastern screech-owl are known to hunt in both rural and urban areas. They also can make a home in a suburban park. In fact, the great horned owl has proven extremely adaptable and can be found in such varied habitats as forests, swamps and deserts.

I’ve seen great horned owls in Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina and Utah in environments ranging from coastal wetlands to arid grasslands and wooded mountain slopes. I can personally confirm how eerily silent these large, powerful winged predators are as they glide through the air. I was once shocked when a large great horned owl materialized as if from thin air as I stood at the edge of an extensive wetlands in Shady Valley, Tennessee. Not a single feather rustled as the owl flew over my head and soon disappeared like a silent shadow into the vast wetland.

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Bryan Stevens lives near Roan Mountain, Tennessee. 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.

Edgar Allan Poe’s raven much like the real-world bird

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Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service A Common Raven turns a fallen log into a perch.

From the opening refrain of “once upon a midnight dreary” in his poem, “The Raven,” Edgar Allan Poe established a somber mood and also helped cement the dark reputation of one of North America’s most misunderstood birds.

The common raven seems an apt bird for this week’s column since we will be celebrating Halloween this coming Saturday. Poe’s poem offers a dramatic introduction to a bird that has once again become rather common in the region, particularly at higher elevations. This bird is well-known for nesting on inaccessible cliffs. However, this past year a pair of ravens chose a more unusual location when they built a nest beneath the grandstands at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ravens have nested annually at this location at least since the spring of 2013.

Poe’s well-known poem, first published in 1845, is often cited as evidence for Poe’s genius for rhyme and his ability to create a believable supernatural universe populated by dark forces and one particularly persistent raven.

Edgar Allan Poe, author of “The Raven.”

Poe describes the bird that provides the title of his famous poem with adjectives such as “grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous.” His raven also speaks, although it has the limited vocabulary of a single word, “Nevermore.”

How closely does the real common raven resemble the “bird of yore” in Poe’s classic poem?

Establishing the raven’s closest relatives is helpful. The raven is a member of the corvid family, which includes birds such as crows, magpies, nutcrackers and jackdaws. The common raven is the largest bird among the corvids. This bird can achieve a wingspan of almost four feet. The average raven weighs about two-and-a-half pounds. Large individuals have been recorded with a weight of slightly more than four pounds, making the raven a contender for the title of world’s largest songbird.

John James Audubon painted the Common Raven as part of his ground-breaking “Birds of America.”

It’s also an intelligent bird. Authors of a scientific study conducted about 10 years ago posited the claim that ravens and crows are just as intelligent as some of the great apes. Although parrots are more famous for the ability to mimic human speech, captive ravens have proven capable of learning more words than even the most impressive vocabulary-endowed parrots. So, Poe was not wide of the mark when he gave the gift of gab to the raven in his poem.

In the United States, the raven is quite common in Alaska. In the lower 48 states, raven populations are somewhat more sporadic. These large birds have established strongholds along the Appalachian Mountains and in the American Southwest. The raven is a cosmopolitan bird known to range from North America and Greenland to Europe and Asia, as well as North Africa and the Canary Islands.

The common raven is mainly a scavenger, but this bird is also an opportunistic predator and will prey on a wide variety of animals, including arthropods, amphibians, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and carrion. Ravens are attracted to carrion and are not finicky eaters. They adapt quickly and are known to even consume garbage.

Its black coloration has undoubtedly contributed to the raven’s sinister reputation and its affiliation with many dark superstitions. According to Laura C. Martin’s book, “The Folklore of Birds,” notes that the raven is “loathed throughout Europe as a symbol of impending death and war.” She explains that the raven probably acquired these connotations because these birds fed on battlefield corpses. As indicated earlier, the raven is not a picky eater.

Martin also points out that legend maintains that England will remain a powerful nation as long as ravens live in the infamous Tower of London.

Noah release a raven prior to setting free a dove.

The Bible offers a rich source of tales involving ravens. The prophet Elijah, after falling afoul of a wicked king, went into hiding and was provided food by cooperative ravens. In the story of the Biblical flood, Noah first released a raven to determine if the waters had receded. When the raven didn’t return to the ark, Noah next released a dove. This bird later returned to the ark clutching an olive leaf, which proved that the flood waters had subsided.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The Common Raven, like most other corvids, is known for intelligence.

Many cultures also consider the raven as a “bringer of magic,” and the bird is associated with many creation stories in Native American cultures. Unlike the European custom of designating black as an “evil” color, Native Americans teach that black can hold various meanings, including resting, healing and prophetic dreaming, but evil is not one of them.

Ravens and crows are similar, but ravens are much larger birds. In addition, ravens have wedge-shaped tails and crows have fan-shaped tails. The common raven also has a well-developed ruff of feathers on the throat, commonly called its “hackles.”
A “murder of crows” is a fairly well known collective noun for a flock of these birds. On the other hand, a group of ravens has many collective nouns, including a “bazaar,” “constable” and “rant” of ravens. For its alliteration, I am fond of “a rant of ravens” and think it’s a shame that Poe’s raven was apparently a solitary bird.

Other species of ravens found around the world include dwarf raven, thick-billed raven, fan-tailed raven, brown-necked raven, little raven and forest raven.

Doves, by virtue of their light plumage, are often associated with good, while dark-feathered ravens are associated with darkness and evil.

If you hear the guttural, low caw of a raven this Halloween, beware of this bird’s long history of association with the darker niches of the world. Here’s one final tidbit regarding this bird from Martin’s book. Cherokee tribes believed that ravens would visit villages to seek out ill or dying people. In the absence of a village shaman to drive away the bird, the raven would invariably snatch the life of the ailing individual. It’s something I wanted to make you aware of in advance of the year’s most spooky holiday.

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October brings bird walks and new arrivals

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Photo by Bryan Stevens An Eastern Phoebe perched on a barbed wire fence.

The end of October punctuates the annual spectacle of fall migration. By the end of the month, most of the summer residents — hummingbirds, vireos, tanagers, warblers —will have migrated out of the region to distant wintering grounds. In the waning days of October, winter residents — Brown Creepers, Winter Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos, Hermit Thrushes and much more — take up residence in our yards, where they will keep a low profile during the fewer hours of daylight during the long winter months.

So far, I have already welcomed a Marsh Wren and Winter Wren to my yard, and I am looking forward to the arrival of winter sparrows.

I have once again been leading bird walks every Saturday in October at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton. There are still two walks — Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 — for interested persons to attend and try to get a look at some of the late-fall migrants passing through the region. The walks begin at 8 a.m. Bring binoculars to increase your viewing enjoyment.

Photo by Bryan Stevens One of the lingering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds perches in branches near a hanging feeder.

The first two walks were cancelled due to rain, but on a very chilly morning on Oct. 18 the first walk finally commenced. Five participants joined me for a morning stroll on the park trails and along the Watauga River. We saw Wood Ducks, Mallards and Canada Geese, as well as several flocks of Cedar Waxwings, along with Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler and several woodpeckers, including Downy, Red-bellied, Pileated, Northern Flicker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

At home, the seasons are definitely shifting. Although a few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds lingered (as of Oct. 18), the first White-throated Sparrow put in an appearance on Oct. 14. Winter residents are gradually displacing departing summer visitors.

Last year’s bird walks at Sycamore Shoals produced some good birds, including a female Common Merganser that was discovered in the Watauga River. Other good finds have been found in past years.

On Sunday, Oct. 11, my mother and I enjoyed watching a female Common Merganser on the Watauga River.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Common Merganser on the Watauga River associated with Canada Geese and Mallards.

In Europe, the Common Merganser is called a Goosander, probably a nod to its large size that makes this bird superficially more similar to geese than ducks. Early naturalists such as John James Audubon also provided this bird with a different name, referring to it as the “Buff-breasted Merganser.”

For many years, the Common Merganser was one of my target birds. Finally, more than 10 years ago, I saw my first Common Mergansers during a visit to Middlebrook Lake in Bristol with Reece Jamerson, Gil Derouen and the late Howard Langridge.

Despite the word “common” in its name, this merganser isn’t particularly common in Northeast Tennessee. Its relatives, Hooded Merganser and Red-breasted Merganser, are much more regular visitors to the region.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service A male Common Merganser takes a swim.

The Common Merganser, particularly the males, are easily identified. Apart from their large size, which is about 26 inches long for males, males of this duck have a dark green head and upper neck. The lower neck, breast and underparts are creamy-white with a varying amounts of a pink or reddish wash. The back is black, while the bill, legs and feet are red. Females are similar to female Red-breasted Mergansers but show a clearly defined white chin patch lacking in their close relative.

According to the website Ducks Unlimited, Common Mergansers breed from Alaska, the southern Yukon, Labrador and Newfoundland south to central California, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Chihuahua and east of the Rockies to Minnesota, Michigan, New York, New England and Nova Scotia.

They are also one of the biggest of North America’s cavity-nesting birds, utilizing natural cavities in trees, as well as man-made nesting boxes. They will also nest on the ground.

Common Mergansers feed mainly on fish, amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks and other aquatic organisms.

The last extensive population surveys of Common Mergansers took place during the 1970s, when the population in North America was estimated at 1.5 million birds.

May population surveys during 1970-’79, suggested a continental population of 1.5 million birds. Population tracking has been lacking in recent decades, but experts believe that Common Mergansers have a stable population.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Common Yellowthroat hides in a tangle of brush during a migration stop.

When November arrives, I’ll be keeping watch for ducks making stops at the pond at Erwin Fishery Park or along the series of ponds located along the linear walking trail in Erwin. I’ll also make a journey to Wilbur Lake, one of my favorite destinations, to look for returning Buffleheads.

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To learn more about birds and other topics from the natural world, “friend” Bryan 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 Bryan Stevens Blooming Goldenrod looks splendid in fall sunshine.

Photo by Bryan Stevens The Autumn Meadowhawk, pictured, and Shadow Darners are some of the final dragonflies flying around the fish pond as cooler weather arrives.

Photo by Bryan Stevens Some Ruby-crowned Kinglets, such as this individual, may overwinter in Northeast Tennessee.

Fall Bird Count finds above-average total of 129 species

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Photo by Bryan Stevens A flock of Canada Geese in a field near the Watauga River in Elizabethton on the day of the Fall Bird Count.

The 46th annual Elizabethton Fall Count was held on Saturday, Sept. 26.

A total of 37 observers in nine parties covered Carter County and parts of adjacent Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties in this yearly count conducted by the Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society, or the Elizabethton Bird Club. This year’s count included new territory around Kingsport that has not traditionally been a part of this annual fall survey.

A total of 129 species were found, which is slightly above the average of 125 over the last 30 years. The all-time high of 137 species was achieved in 1993.
The most numerous bird on the count was the European Starling (1,347) followed closely by Canada Goose (1,182) and American Crow (896).

Photo by Bryan Stevens Mourning Doves were one of the more abundant birds on this year’s Fall Bird Count.

Other numerous birds included Mourning Dove (529), Chimney Swift (490), Blue Jay (432) and Rock Pigeon (375).

Of course, some birds were represented by only one individual, such as Northern Harrier, Great Egret, American Wigeon, Ruffed Grouse, Peregrine Falcon, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Nashville Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A flock of Wild Turkeys near the Elizabethton Municipal Airport.

The total follows:
Canada Goose, 1,182; Wood Duck, 90; American Wigeon, 1; Mallard, 254; Blue-winged Teal, 13; Ruffed Grouse, 1; Wild Turkey, 161; Pied-billed Grebe, 9; and Double-crested Cormorant, 31.

Great Blue Heron, 39; Great Egret, 1; Green Heron, 7; Black-crowned Night-heron, 4; Black Vulture, 172; and Turkey Vulture, 189.
Osprey, 19; Northern Harrier, 1; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 5; Cooper’s Hawk, 10; Bald Eagle, 8; Red-shouldered Hawk, 3; and Red-tailed Hawk, 16.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A curious Gray Catbird peeks from dense cover.

Sora, 4; American Coot, 2; Killdeer, 87; Spotted Sandpiper, 3; Solitary Sandpiper, 5; Willet, 1; Sanderling, 2; Least Sandpiper, 1; and American Woodcock, 1.

Ring-billed Gull, 4; Forster’s Tern, 1; Rock Pigeon, 375; Eurasian Collared-Dove, 5; Mourning Dove, 529; and Black-billed Cuckoo, 1.

Eastern Screech-owl, 27; Great Horned Owl, 3; Barred Owl, 1; Northern Saw-whet Owl, 1; Chimney Swift, 490; Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 36; and Belted Kingfisher, 33.

Red-headed Woodpecker, 1; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 73; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 53; Hairy Woodpecker, 7; Northern Flicker, 54; and Pileated Woodpecker, 28.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The European Starling ranked as the most common species on the count.

American Kestrel, 24; Merlin, 2; Peregrine Falcon, 1; Olive-sided Flycatcher, 1; Eastern Wood-Pewee, 14; Acadian Flycatcher, 2; Eastern Phoebe, 71; and Eastern Kingbird, 1.

White-eyed Vireo, 3; Yellow-throated Vireo, 1; Blue-headed Vireo, 6; Red-eyed Vireo, 4; Blue Jay, 432; American Crow, 896; and Common Raven, 8.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 1; Tree Swallow, 231; Cliff Swallow, 2; Carolina Chickadee, 128; Tufted Titmouse, 111; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; and White-breasted Nuthatch, 43.

House Wren, 6; Marsh Wren, 1; Carolina Wren, 152; Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 2; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2; and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A total of 21 species of warblers, such as this Northern Waterthrush, were counted during the Fall Bird Count.

Eastern Bluebird, 230; Veery, 1; Gray-cheeked Thrush, 1; Swainson’s Thrush, 23; Wood Thrush, 12; American Robin, 312; Gray Catbird, 60; Brown Thrasher, 19; Northern Mockingbird, 76; European Starling, 1,347; and Cedar Waxwing, 132.

Ovenbird, 2; Worm-eating Warbler, 1; Northern Waterthrush, 1; Black-and-white Warbler, 6; Tennessee Warbler, 12; Nashville Warbler, 1; Common Yellowthroat, 25; Hooded Warbler, 4; American Redstart, 51; Cape May Warbler, 8; Northern Parula, 2; Magnolia Warbler, 24; Bay-breasted Warbler, 8; Blackburnian Warbler, 7; Chestnut-sided Warbler, 7; Black-throated Blue Warbler, 2; Palm Warbler, 54; Pine Warbler, 2; Yellow-throated Warbler, 1; Black-throated Green Warbler, 4; and Yellow-breasted Chat, 1.

Photo by Bryan Stevens Scarlet Tanagers were still present in good numbers for the Fall Bird Count on Sept. 26.

Eastern Towhee, 59; Chipping Sparrow, 37; Field Sparrow, 14; Song Sparrow, 99; Dark-eyed Junco, 31; Scarlet Tanager, 16; Northern Cardinal, 188; Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 28; Blue Grosbeak, 1; and Indigo Bunting.

Red-winged Blackbird, 60; Eastern Meadowlark, 41; Common Grackle, 67; Brown-headed Cowbird, 15; Baltimore Oriole, 3; House Finch, 55; American Goldfinch, 188; and House Sparrow, 56.

Double-crested cormorants not unexpected visitors to region

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Photo courtesy of Jean Potter Double-crested cormorants are quite at home in the water, where they hunt for fish using their hooked bills.

In the waning days of summer and these early days of fall, I’ve been seeing a welcome diversity of birds, including warblers, flycatchers, tanagers and even some unusual waterfowl.

The ponds along the linear walking trails in Erwin are good locations for seeking migrating double-crested cormorants. These large, fish-eating birds also show up occasionally at the large pond at Erwin Fishery Park. Some people mistake these aquatic birds for anhingas, or “snake birds,” which are named for their habits of swimming with only their necks and heads above the surface of the water. The anhinga, a bird of southern wetlands and swamps, is not all that closely related to cormorants. These two species merely share a superficial appearance, differing mostly in the shape of their bills. Cormorants have a serrated, hooked bill good for grasping slippery fish while anhingas have a sharp bill similar to a herons that is useful for spearing fish.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Double-crested Cormorant perches on a fallen log in a pond.

The double-crested cormorant is widely distributed across North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. These fish-eating birds are also abundant on inland lakes across the United States.

The double-crested cormorant can reach a body length of almost three feet and is a dark bird. Adults have black plumage, but young birds are brownish or gray in coloration. The bird gets its common name from the double crest of black and white feathers displayed during the breeding season.

Photo Courtesy of Jean Potter The double-crested cormorant is a fish-eating bird perfectly adapted to its aquatic lifestyle.

Cormorants lead a mostly aquatic lifestyle. Unlike many types of waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, cormorants do not have waterproof feathers. After a dive into the water for a fish, all cormorants have to spend time out of the water to dry their feathers. Fish compose the majority of a cormorant’s diet, but these birds may also take an occasional amphibian or crustacean. While the double-crested cormorant can be found on local lakes and rivers at almost any time of the year, these birds are most often encountered during migration in the spring and fall. In recent years, instances of nesting have been increasing in the area. I have even observed double-crested cormorants at large ponds and small lakes at city parks.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service A double-crested cormorant takes time to dry its feathers after spending time in the water searching for fish.

Worldwide, there are about 40 different species of cormorants, which are also known by the common name “shag,” which refers to the crest of feathers evident on many of these waterfowl. Experts have not had an easy time defining relatives of the cormorants. Many experts include gannets, anhingas, pelicans and even penguins as possible close relatives of the cormorants.

The flightless cormorant, also known as the Galapagos cormorant, is native to the Galapagos Islands. It is a unique member of the cormorant family in that it is the only one that has lost the ability to fly. Other species of cormorants include spectacled cormorant, reed cormorant, white-breasted cormorant, king shag, red-footed shag, crowned cormorant and pygmy cormorant.

Early naturalist and artist John James Audubon painted this double-crested cormorant.

North America is home to a few other species of cormorants, but none are as widespread as the double-crested cormorant. Others include the great cormorant, pelagic cormorant, Brandt’s cormorant, red-faced Cormorant and the Neotropic cormorant, which is found along the southeast areas of Texas down into Mexico.

20090819-Cormorant_fishing_by_Eisen in Japan

A painting of humans using cormorants to catch fish.

In some parts of the world — Japan, China and Macedonia — humans have trained cormorants to capture fish for them. A cord or ring around the cormorant’s neck prevents the bird from swallowing anything other than small fish. Larger specimens captured by the cormorants are retrieved by the human angler.

In Japan, fishing with cormorants is a tradition dating back 1,300 years. Even today, Japanese cormorant fishermen are important as a tourist attraction. Elsewhere, fishing with cormorants has become less common as more modern means of catching fish have become readily available.

I don’t expect we will see people using cormorants to catch fish from Holston Lake, but you can probably visit the lake with at least a likelihood of seeing these unusual birds catch fish for their own consumption.

September brings more lawn chair birding opportunities

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Photos by Bryan Stevens A Northern Waterthrush perches in a tree growing along Simerly Creek.

The following post represents my second compilation of Facebook posts about my annual lawn chair birding experiences. My mom and I have made lawn chair birding an annual tradition every fall. It’s a great way to enjoy the warblers and other migrants that stream through the yard in September and October. For the most part, you can even avoid the neck sprain that comes with long period of scanning the treetops for glimpses of energetic and evasive warblers.

A young American Goldfinch perches on a twig.

Sept. 9
Some clouds and drizzle made for a very productive evening of lawn chair birding, bring a bonanza of warblers and other migrants. I added four new birds, all warblers, to my 2015 yard list. Bird No. 73 for the year was a Golden-winged Warbler. This makes two consecutive falls I have seen this warbler at home. Bird No. 74 turned out to be a dazzling male Prairie Warbler, as opposed to the more drab female Black-throated Blue Warbler that became Bird No. 75 for the year.

A Pine Warbler also made the list as Bird No. 76. Other warblers included Tennessee, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Cape May, Hooded, Black-and-white and Black-throated Green. The rest of the migrant parade consisted of Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood-pewee, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Towhee, as well as the usual residents such as House Finch, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Cardinal and lots of Tufted Titmice. Most of the warblers refused to stay in place long enough for photos, but at one point the Pine Warbler actually landed on the roof of the house and allowed a few photos which provided nice documentation for a fun evening that ended when the rain began to come down harder.

A Pine Warbler takes a break on the roof of the house.

Sept. 10
No new birds this evening during lawn chair birding with mom. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have some fun observations, including a baby Song Sparrow screaming his head off for a morsel from mom or dad. We also saw Indigo Buntings, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Towhee, Scarlet Tanager, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, as well as several warblers,including male Hooded, female American Redstart, young Chestnut-sided and a female Magnolia.

Cedar Waxwing at Erwin Fishery Park.

Sept. 11
Saw this Cedar Waxwing, part of a large flock, at Erwin Fishery Park on Friday afternoon.

Sept. 13
Warblers on Saturday evening included Black-throated Green, Tennessee and Magnolia, as well as an American Redstart. We also had a Broad-winged Hawk hanging around the fish pond. We startled him several times on Saturday. My mom and I extended birding to a visit to Limestone Cove and the Bell Cemetery, where we spotted a Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by around 50 American Crows. No new yard birds, though.

A noisy Carolina Wren scolds from a Blue Spruce.

Sept. 16
Had a good day of migrants in the yard, including a lot of male warblers — Black-throated Green, Hooded, American Redstart — and some other migrants. Some young or female warblers included Cape May, Chestnut-sided, Tennessee and Magnolia. There was also a family of noisy young American Goldfinches hanging around. No new species this evening, but I managed this photo of a Carolina Wren to stay in practice.

A Yellow-throated Vireo makes a migration stop along Simerly Creek.

Sept. 18
“Yellow throats” was the evening’s theme for lawn chair birding. I added two new species to the yard list for the year. First came the Yellow-throated Vireo as Bird No. 77. Next came the young Common Yellowthroat for Bird No. 78. The day has also included observations of Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Eastern Phoebe, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and noisy young American Goldfinches.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds continue to compete for their claims to the sugar water feeders.

Sept. 20
No new birds in the yard this evening, but lawn chair birding produced lots of good looks at warbler like Magnolia, Northern Parula, Tennessee, Black-throated Green Warbler, Hooded, Chestnut-sided and a adult male Cape May in very vibrant plumage. Other observations included Wood Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and lots of the usual feeder birds. I managed a photo of the Eastern Wood-Pewee.

A Northern Waterthrush in the branches of a hawthorn tree along Simerly Creek.

Sept. 21
An overcast day brought plenty of migrants for the show during multiple sessions of lawn chair birding with my mom. The new species for the yard in 2015 included a Northern Waterthrush, pictured, and Bay-breasted Warblers. The waterthrush becomes Bird No. 79 and the Bay-breasted Warblers represent Bird No. 80, helping me move into another stretch in my Big Yard Year. We also saw Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbirds, Magnolia Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart and Pine Warbler, as well as Yellow-throated Vireo and Red-eyed Vireo. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are also active at the feeders. The usual birds are visiting the feeders for sunflower seeds.

Sept. 22
Before leaving for work this morning, I heard a duet by Great Horned Owls from the surrounding woodlands. It was an extremely foggy morning, which might have made a difference since the owls were calling about an hour after sunrise.

A Scarlet Tanager without the red feathers that provide the birds its common name.

An Eastern Phoebe perches on top of a weed stalk.

A katydid perched atop a zinnia bloom.

Bald cardinals a temporary late summer phenomenon

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Photo by Bryan Stevens A female Northern Cardinal brings a young bird to a feeder.

I received an email recently from Dick Abrams, a resident of Bristol, Tennessee.

“We love our birds and other local critters,”

Dick wrote. “I have a question for you. Why are so many cardinals this year bald headed?”

Dick noted that some of these beloved backyard birds “are bald as buzzards!”

Many people compare cardinals afflicted with the loss of their head feathers with the look of vultures, such as this painting by John James Audubon of a California Condor.

He concluded his email by asking if anyone else had mentioned the strange phenomenon of bald cardinals.

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In addition, Gail Adler of Johnson City, Tennessee, sent me a message on Facebook on the same subject of “bald cardinals.”

“I love gardening and birdwatching,” Gail wrote in her message. “I have noticed this summer that many of my cardinals have lost the feathers on their head. Some of my other ones look a little rough, as well. I tried to look up causes but was unable to find a definite reason. Have you experienced this? Any thoughts?”

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First, I let Dick and Gail know that I’ve heard of these strange instances for many years. Bald-headed cardinals seem to be a summer occurrence. I usually get some emails or calls this time of year about people surprised by visits from “weird bald-headed” cardinals. I first began to get calls and email from readers in the late 1990s about this unusual phenomenon, although I have also seen blue jays suffering from this same ailment.

A “bald cardinal” featured on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website.

I have studied the opinions of various bird experts. Some speculate that the condition is caused by an infestation of mites, which are small relatives of spiders and other arachnids. Others believe that the loss of feathers around the head is a part of a normal molting process. This theory is supported by the fact this is the time of year when cardinals are molting.

The process of molting removes old feathers, which simply drop from the body as new feathers emerge to take their place. For some reason, some cardinals and jays lose all their head feathers at one time before new feathers are ready to take their place. That’s why the condition is typically observed in the summer months. Both male and female cardinals can be afflicted with “bald” heads. It’s strange that the condition primarily affects these two birds, cardinals and jays, both with feather crests, while cedar waxwings are also crested birds, but I have never observed or received a report on a “bald-headed” cedar waxwing.

Whatever the cause, a “bald-headed” cardinal is an ugly bird. Without feathers, a cardinal is transformed from a popular favorite among bird enthusiasts to a rather grotesque oddity. Dick got his description right when he described the bird as resembling a buzzard. Buzzards, better known as vultures, have heads bare of feathers for a very important reason. As scavengers, a feathered head would become quickly fouled as the bird reaches into the carcasses of dead animals to feed.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A male Northern Cardinal escorts a young bird to the area around a feeder to teach it to fend for itself.

Those cardinals I have seen with “bald” heads have been visiting feeders stocked with sunflower seeds or perhaps a holder offering a suet cake. So, the absence of feathers is not a hygienic adaptation on the part of cardinals and jays similar to the hygienic necessity of bald heads among vultures. The good news is that the condition lasts only a couple of weeks. The feathers on the head do emerge eventually, which is probably very fortunate for the afflicted birds. Feathers serve as insulation during cold weather. A “bald-headed” cardinal would probably not survive winter cold spells.

••••••

We’re all accustomed to seeing cardinals at our feeders. You may be surprised by how much food they obtain away from our well-stocked feeders. During the summer months, cardinals eat a variety of wild seeds, fruit and insects. Some of the fruit consumed by cardinals include elderberry, dogwood, blackberry and wild grapes. Young cardinals still in the nest (and fledglings for some time after leaving the nest) are fed mostly insects, including crickets, spiders, moths and flies.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A female Northern Cardinal perches on a log with one of young, which recently left the nest.

To make cardinals comfortable in spring, summer and fall, as well as winter, offer plenty of thick vegetation, such as a hedge or row of shrubs, and consider planting some of the fruit trees and shrubs that will help these beautiful birds supplement their diet.

••••••

Lawn chair birding entries

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Photo by Bryan Stevens A young Chestnut-sided Warbler conceals itself in a holly tree.

The following are all Facebook posts about my annual lawn chair birding experiences. My mom and I have made lawn chair birding an annual tradition every fall. It’s a great way to enjoy the warblers and other migrants that stream through the yard in late August, September and October. For the most part, you can even avoid the neck sprain that comes with long period of scanning the treetops for glimpses of energetic and evasive warblers.

Aug. 20

Photo by Bryan Stevens A young American Redstart selects a perch.

It’s been almost three months since I added a new species to my 2015 yard list. I had last added Chimney Swift back on May 29 and Yellow-billed Cuckoo on June 2. This evening I added White-eyed Vireo as Bird No. 60 for the year. I also saw a pair of Indigo Buntings, two Black-throated Green Warblers, three Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. I think fall migration must be underway.

Aug. 26

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Ruby-throated Hummingbird perches on a feeder.

Two new birds for the yard list made appearances today. I have heard a Common Raven calling several times today. Around 7 p.m. my mom called and alerted me to a flock of Wild Turkeys (two adults and eight young birds) in the field. The raven and turkeys are No. 62 and No. 63, respectively, on the list for Yard Birds in 2015.

Aug. 28

The first fall warbler — a young American redstart — showed up this evening, and it’s also a new bird for my 2015 Yard List. The redstart is No. 64 for the year. I also saw Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chimney Swifts and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

Aug. 29

Photo by Jean Potter A Tennessee Warbler makes a fall migration stop.

Just got in from lawn chair birding with my mom. We enjoyed several warbler sightings, including some new yard birds for 2015. A gorgeous male Canada Warbler treated us to some great views and became Bird No. 65 in the yard this year. Three young Chestnut-sided Warblers will represent Bird No. 66. Finally, a Cape May Warbler is Bird No. 67 for the yard this year. We also saw Black-throated Green Warblers, American Redstarts, Red-eyed Vireos, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and an Eastern Phoebe. I managed photos of the Cape May and the American Redstart.

Aug. 30

Photo by Bryan Stevens Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are common during fall migration.

I’m closing in on 70 yard birds for the year. This evening, while lawn chair birding with my mom, I added two more new ones. The Magnolia Warbler was Bird No. 68, while the Eastern Wood-Pewee was Bird No. 69 for 2015. I didn’t get photos of the new birds, but I did photograph a young Chestnut-sided Warbler, a young Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a Chipping Sparrow.

Sept. 2

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Cape May Warbler perches in a spruce tree.

No new yard birds this evening, but lawn chair birding with mom wasn’t entirely uneventful. We got a look at a Scarlet Tanager, saw several hummingbirds, including an adult male, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Earlier today, mom said she spotted a yellowish warbler but the bird didn’t make a second appearance.

Sept. 5

Lawn chair birding today has produced three new birds for the 2015 yard list. They’re all warblers! Bird No. 70 for the year is a Blackburnian Warbler. Bird No. 71 was a Tennessee Warbler, while Bird No. 72 was an impressive Yellow-throated Warbler. Evening’s still young, so may be some others show up. I also saw a Scarlet Tanager, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and a Red-eyed Vireo.

Photo by Jean Potter A Yellow-throated Warbler sits on a twig perch.

Annual rally will feature programs by educators from Cornell, ETSU

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A Common Wood-Nymph photographed in late August in Roan Mountain State Park.

For many naturalists in Northeast Tennessee, heading to Roan Mountain has become an annual trek every September.

Gary Barrigar, long-time director of the Roan Mountain Fall Naturalists Rally, knows that after more than half a century the annual event has become a tradition for many people. For 53 years the Fall Naturalists’ Rally has drawn nature enthusiasts from far and wide to Roan Mountain on the weekend after Labor Day.Top naturalists volunteer their time and energy to make the event both enjoyable and educational for people of all ages.

Charles Smith

Barrigar said this year’s fall rally will continue to celebrate the natural world by providing two top speakers, retired Cornell naturalist and educator Charles R. Smith and T.J. Jones, an ETSU Behavioral Ecology, Neuroethology and Science educator.

Because of the continued support of the Friends of Roan Mountain, all the Naturalists’ Rallies have the resources they need to prosper and grow and the FORM provides support for research and restoration projects on the Roan. Consider joining the Friends of Roan Mountain, if you are not a member. Members get free admission to all Naturalists’ Rally events and our newsletter, “Friends of Roan Mountain.”

An Eastern Comma suns near a picnic shelter in Roan Mountain State Park.

Barrigar added that many thanks are due to Roan Mountain State Park for its long standing support of the Naturalists’ Rallies, as well as the speakers and the trip leaders who donate their time and expertise.

Evening and lunch programs will take place in Roan Mountain State Park’s Conference Center and field trips will leave from the field on the left before the cabins in the park.

Charles R. Smith will present “This View of Life,” the program for Friday evening. Charles R. “Charlie” Smith was born and raised in Carter County, near Milligan College. He is a naturalist, educator, and conservationist who lives with his wife, Claudia Melin, and their Border Terrier, Brodie, near Ithaca, N.Y. His serious study of natural history did not begin until he was 15 years old, when he joined the Tennessee Ornithological Society, after studying birds on his own for several years.

Fall rallies offer hikes on a variety of topics from salamanders and mushrooms to butterflies and birds.

About that time, he decided he wanted to attend Cornell University. He earned his undergraduate degree at East Tennessee State University, with a double major in botany and zoology and minor studies in geology, meteorology, physical geography, and photography. Graduate studies at Cornell University concluded with his Ph.D. in wildlife ecology. He retired in 2012 from Cornell University, where he served in various administrative, research, and teaching capacities, including Executive Director of the Laboratory of Ornithology, for nearly 40 years. As an advisor and collaborator on science-based conservation, Smith has worked with a number of state and federal agencies. Though an ornithologist for most of his career, his current interests as a naturalist include studying dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, and vascular plants; and nature photography. Some of his photographs of butterflies were published in Smokies Life magazine in 2012. Currently he is working with a former student on a field guide to the butterflies of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the southern Appalachians.

Smith offered his own description for the yearly brochure put out by organizers of the rally to promote his Friday evening program. “A naturalist can be described as a person whose curiosity about nature is boundless,” he said. “This presentation will examine the history, philosophy, and practice of natural history studies from a number of perspectives.”

Now is a great time to be a naturalist, according to Smith.

“Today, we have more good field guides to help us identify plants and animals than ever before,” he added. “With time, persistence, and self-discipline, detailed knowledge of a group of plants or animals is possible for most of us.”

In addition to the personal satisfaction they provide, Smith noted that natural history studies can guide conservation.

Cape May atop a spruce tree in Hampton, Tennessee, during fall migration.

“Unless we know what a plant or animal is, where it is found, and how much of it we have, preserving and protecting it can be difficult, if not impossible,” he explained. “We can go beyond just knowing what it is, however, to understanding how plants and animals live, what are their needs, and how we might contribute to their long-term conservation for future generations to enjoy and appreciate.”

He is disappointed by one recent trend in the field of science.

“Ironically, at a time when knowledge and understanding of the needs of plants and animals is more important than ever, it is disappointing that colleges and universities are abandoning the teaching of natural history in the field, and few real field biologists are being schooled,” he said.

Smith said his talk will offer suggestions to help attendees become better naturalists or even be inspired to become a new naturalist. Some of Smith’s photographs will be used to illustrate the talk, and the origin of the title, “This View of Life,” will be revealed at the end of the presentation.

Thomas “T.J.” Jones

Thomas “T.J.” Jones will present “Elegance and Efficiency: Spiders of Southern Appalachia” as the Saturday evening program. Jones also elaborated on his program for the annual brochure on the rally.

“When I was very young I remember my mother carefully catching a spider that had gotten into the house and tossing it onto the back patio, only to have a bird immediately fly down and carry it off.”

The incident was traumatic for a young boy. “My mother comforted me by explaining that the bird was probably going to use it to feed its babies,” he remembered. “Perhaps that was foreshadowing of my future career studying how spiders negotiate the challenges of world in which they are both predators and prey. I have always been fascinated by animal behavior, and through high school and college worked at zoos, aquariums, and even Sea World.”

Jones has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cleveland State University, where he did research on the morphology of ciliated protists and physiological ecology of garter snakes.

“From there I went on to get a PhD from Ohio State University studying the evolution of social behavior in spiders. I continued that work as a post-doc at The University of Tennessee which is where I fell in love with the southern Appalachians, and I am now on the faculty at East Tennessee State University.”

Jones said his research group takes an integrated approach to studying aggression-related behaviors in spiders.
“We are studying how brain chemistry and circulating hormones regulate behaviors, and how these behaviors affect the spider’s success in nature,” he explained. “We currently have projects exploring social behavior, circadian rhythm, and the effect of environmental contaminates on behavior.

Spiders will provide the focus for the Saturday evening program by T.J. Jones.

He offered a brief description of his program, which is admittedly about a creature that gives some people the shivers.
“Some say they are beautiful, some say they are terrifying, but most would agree that spiders are fascinating,” Jones said. “Spiders are among the oldest and most diverse group of predators; this is because they are extremely good at what they do.”

His evening program will provide general information on the biology and ecology of spiders including how they use their key adaptations of silk and venom. He will discuss species commonly found in southern Appalachia, including some interesting species which are only found here. Along with photos, there will be live specimens on hand and a guided night hike to follow.

“My hope is that the program will foster appreciation, and perhaps love, for this amazing group of animals,” Jones said.

An American Redstart photographed in Hampton, Tennessee, during fall migration.

Buffet meals will be served on Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m., followed by the evening programs. Reservations are necessary for the meals, which cost $9.50 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Deadline for reservations is Tuesday, Sept. 8. For more information, call Barrigar at 423-543-7576 or email him at gbarrigar@friendsofroanmtn.org.

Mail prepaid meal reservations to: Nancy Barrigar, Treasurer, 708 Allen Avenue, Elizabethton, TN 37643.

For a detailed schedule of hikes, programs and other rally activities, visit http://www.friendsofroanmtn.org/Fall%20Rally%20Brochure%20web%202015.pdf

Vireo sighting helps kick off fall migration

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If pressed to give a date to the start of this year’s fall migration, I would choose Aug. 20. It’s the day I finally added a new bird to my 2015 yard list after being stuck at No. 59 since June 2 when I heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling from the woods behind my house. Needless to say, the months of June and July had not been very productive for adding new species to my list.

Yard Bird No. 60 turned out to be a White-eyed Vireo, which is not a summer nesting bird in my yard. Migrating White-eyed Vireos have often made visits in the past, so I was glad to welcome this species and add it to my list.

Photo Courtesy of Roy Knispel The White-eyed Vireo gets its name from the white iris of its eye.

On the same evening I observed the vireo, I also watched Ruby-throated Hummingbirds chase Blue-gray Gnatcatchers through the thin branches of a dead spruce tree. I also took delight in observing a family of Northern Cardinals — father, mother and two young birds — visit the feeders.

Known by the scientific name, Vireo griseus, the White-eyed Vireo is a member of a family of songbirds with several species that make their home in the region. This vireo gets its common name from the fact that it does indeed have white eyes.

Unlike some of its treetop-dwelling relatives, the White-eyed Vireo prefers to stay close to the ground in thickets and dense shrubbery. I often find these birds in the same habitats favored by such birds as Yellow-breasted Chat and Brown Thrasher. Like these larger birds, the White-eyed Vireo is a very vocal bird. The security of thick, inaccessible brushy habitats must give these birds, which are only a little more than five inches long, the confidence to go about their lives in a brash, noisy manner.

The term “vireo,” originating in Latin, can be translated into English as “green bird.” It’s an apt description, as many of these small birds are primarily dull green in coloration. The White-eyed Vireo adds some dull yellow, gray and white feathers to the mix in a distinctive pattern that should easily separate this bird from other vireos.

White-eyed Vireos spend the summer nesting season in the eastern United States south of a line extending from eastern Nebraska across Indiana and New York. Each fall, they retreat to spend the winter in locales ranging from the extreme southeastern United States through Central America. Some of these vireos also winter on Caribbean islands such as Cuba.

There is an endangered vireo, the black-capped vireo, a bird with a limited breeding range in Texas. Black-capped vireos numbers have dwindled to perilous levels due to the loss of low growing woody cover these birds need for breeding purposes. The cause of the loss of habitat varies, but includes the clearance of land for livestock as well as overgrazing by livestock and deer. In the past, fires regularly opened up such habitats. Due to modern fire control practices, such fires are no longer a natural occurrence. Since this species is already endangered, brown-headed cowbirds have also contributed to the problem since the cowbirds slip their own eggs into the nests of black-capped vireos.

When early naturalist John James Audubon painted the White-eyed Vireo, he knew it by the name “White-eyed Flycatcher.”

Two others, Bell’s vireo and gray vireo, are identified as species of concern on the Audubon Watchlist. This listing spotlights species that may bear intense scrutiny to make certain they don’t become endangered.

Other vireos that can be found in the United States, for at least part of the year, include Philadelphia vireo, plumbeous vireo and Cassin’s vireo. A specialty of Florida is the black-whiskered vireo.

Many species of vireo are also found in the islands of the Caribbean, including Jamaican vireo, Cuban vireo and Puerto Rican vireo. Some of the more colorful common names for vireos include the yellow-green vireo, golden vireo and yellow-winged vireo.

In Central and South America, the vireo family expands to include many birds with common names such as “Shrike-Vireo,” “Greenlet” and “Peppershrike.” Some of the varied species include the lemon-chested greenlet, green shrike-vireo and the black-bellied peppershrike.

Many vireos construct deep cup- or basket-shaped nests, often in the higher branches of tall trees. Male and female share incubation duties and work together to feed their young.

Photo by Bryan Stevens Blue-gray Gnatcatcher have been abundant again, another sign of the approaching fall migration.

Most vireos feed on insects during their summer stay north of the border. However, during migration they often feed on berries and continue to do so on their wintering grounds. Experts have noted that the White-throated Vireo is particularly fond of gumbo-limbo seeds. This tropical tree can be found from southern Florida and Mexico, as well as throughout the Caribbean and in South America in Brazil and Venezuela.

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To learn more about birds, birding and other topics from the natural world, be sure to friend Bryan 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 him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A dragonfly sighting that turned out to be a Ruby Meadowhawk is another sign that the fall migration season is at hand.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Common Buckeye seeks nutrients in damp mud on a recent August afternoon.

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Our Fine Feathered Friends

A weekly look by Bryan Stevens at birds and birding in Northeast Tennessee

Tag Archives: Carter County Compass

Great horned owls reign as ‘tigers of the night’

Edgar Allan Poe’s raven much like the real-world bird

October brings bird walks and new arrivals

Fall Bird Count finds above-average total of 129 species

Double-crested cormorants not unexpected visitors to region

September brings more lawn chair birding opportunities

Bald cardinals a temporary late summer phenomenon

Lawn chair birding entries

Annual rally will feature programs by educators from Cornell, ETSU

Vireo sighting helps kick off fall migration

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