Tag Archives: Northeast Tennessee

Scissor-tailed flycatchers making Jonesborough a summer home

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Photo Courtesy of Lowell Christian • The female scissor-tailed flycatcher in Jonesborough shows the namesake tail feathers and some colorful plumage while in flight.

It’s been a good while since I’ve seen a new life bird to add to my species list.

“Life birds” are simply a new species that a birder has never encountered. Many birders list their “lifers,” which I do in a casual manner. My “lifers” are always documented in my weekly birding column.

I encountered my last life bird back in May 2020 during the pandemic when I observed my first-ever Mississippi Kite at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton.

Now, after a trip to Jonesborough, I’ve added scissor-tailed flycatcher. It’s a bird that I’ve wanted to see since I began birding back in the 1990s. I figured I’d have to make a trip to Texas or Oklahoma to add this to my list, however. I never imagined seeing this bird so close to home.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The tail of the scissor-tailed flycatcher makes it difficult to confuse this bird with any other.

I actually saw two birds, a mated pair, tending their nest in Tennessee’s oldest town. The scissor-tailed flycatcher is the official state bird of Oklahoma, where this species would normally be expected.

This is the third consecutive summer season that this flycatcher’s been confirmed in Washington County. This streak of annual sightings started in 2023 when Dan Huffine, a sharp-eyed birder, saw one while baling hay.

A profile of the species on the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency website observes that the scissor-tailed flycatcher has significantly expanded its breeding range in the past several decades and now nests in Tennessee.

The first scissor-tailed flycatcher was reported in the state in 1964, the first nesting attempt was discovered in 1978 and the first successful nest was documented in 1983 in Rutherford County, according to the TWRA website.

I want to thank fellow birder Lowell Christian for providing great directions for finding the parents and their nest. He’s also a fantastic bird photographer. Check out his photos on his Facebook page.

The scissor-tailed flycatcher feeds largely on winged insects, earning its place within the flycatcher family. However, this species will also eat fruit when its available.

Photo Courtesy of Lowell Christian • The female scissor-tailed flycatcher forages in a parking lot.

This flycatcher is placed by experts within the genus Tyrannus, which includes the kingbirds. Other relatives in North America include Eastern kingbird, Western kingbird, tropical kingbird, Couch’s kingbird and Cassin’s kingbird. There’s also a giant kingbird native to Cuba and a loggerhead kingbird that is found throughout the Caribbean and on rare occasions in Florida.

Kingbirds are famous for their pugnacious behavior, not hesitating to attack larger birds such as hawks, vultures and crows in defense of their territory. Scissor-tailed flycatchers are also considered aggressive toward a variety of other birds.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • An Eastern kingbird perches on a fence post.

According to the website All About Birds, scissor-tailed flycatcher numbers declined by about 31% between 1966 and 2014. The estimate comes from statistics gathered by the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

The website also noted that Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 9.5 million scissor-tailed flycatchers, with 92% breeding in the United States, and 50% spending some part of the year in Mexico.

A scissor-tailed flycatcher is unlikely to be confused with any other bird. Adult males are pale gray birds with blackish wings and black tails with white edges. Adults show salmon-pink flanks that extend to underwing patches that are very conspicuous in flight.

As is the case with so many species of birds, males are more colorful than females. The bird’s body is about the size of an American robin, but it looks bigger due to the long tail that gives this species its common name.

The All About Birds website notes that the scissor-tailed flycatcher isn’t always content to stay within its expected range. As I’ve mention on previous occasions in this column, birds have wings and will fly where they wish to fly.

The species tends “to wander widely on their way to and from the wintering grounds, a habit they share with relatives like the fork-tailed flycatcher and tropical kingbirds,” according to a profile of the species on the website.

Scissor-tailed flycatchers may makes appearances almost anywhere in North America, according to the website. I’m delighted to report that evidently also holds true for Northeast Tennessee.

One place that the bird is definitely expected is Oklahoma. Since May 26, 1951, the scissor-tailed flycatcher has been the officially designated Oklahoma state bird.

Jonesborough is known for storytelling, and I hope you agree that these Oklahoma migrants making a new home for themselves and their young in Tennessee’s oldest town is a terrific tale.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds and birding since 1995. To ask a question, make a comment or share a sighting, email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Bald eagles, always impressive, not an uncommon sight in region

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Photo by Jean Potter • A sighting of a bald eagle in the wild is always a memorable moment for the lucky observer.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July filled with plenty of red, white and blue. For those who ventured onto area lakes and rivers, I’m hopeful that they perhaps got to glimpse the nation’s official bird.

The bald eagle been recognized as the penultimate bird in the United States of America since the latter decades of the 18th century. I’ve seen many bald eagles in my lifetime, and a sighting of one of these magnificent raptors never disappoints. The resurgence of the once-endangered bald eagle in the lower 48 states has been a laudable accomplishment that all Americans should view with pride.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The Endangered Species Act has helped save birds like the Bald Eagle from possible extinction.

While the recent Independence Day remains fresh in memory, I thought it might be a good time to share some interesting information on our national bird, the American bald eagle, which officially became the national emblem in 1782 when the great seal of the United States was adopted. Although Benjamin Franklin famously expressed reservations about making the bald eagle our national bird, in hindsight it’s clear that Americans made the right choice.

Despite elevating this native bird to such lofty status, we have not always been kind to the bald eagle. We allowed habitat destruction and toxic pesticides to bring this eagle to the brink of extinction. With well-deserved protection, however, the bald eagle rebounded, and the Department of Interior finally took the eagle off the threatened species list on June 28, 2007.

The bald eagle has been more frequently observed by birders in Northeast Tennessee in recent years. Some of the region’s rivers and lakes are good places to look for bald eagles, particularly in the fall and winter. A few lakes even regularly host nesting bald eagles. I’ve observed bald eagles in Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Virginia.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of a genus known as Haliaeetus, or sea eagles. There are seven other living species in the genus: the white-bellied sea eagle, Sanford’s sea eagle, African fish eagle, Madagascar fish eagle, Pallas’s fish eagle, white-tailed eagle and Steller’s sea eagle. The eagles are incredibly majestic birds and important symbols of the value of natural places and creatures.

Steller’s sea eagle is named for the German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who is renowned for his work as a pioneer in the natural history of Alaska. The 49th state to join the union is also the stronghold for the bald eagle. On occasion, Steller’s sea eagle has strayed into U.S. territory at Alaskan locations including the Pribilof Islands and Kodiak Island. Steller’s sea eagle is bigger than the bald eagle. In fact, it is the largest member of the Haliaeetus genus of eagles, making this bird one of the largest raptors in the entire world.

Ben Franklin wasn’t enthusiastic about the bald eagle as the national bird, but perhaps, considering he favored the Wild Turkey, it’s best we don’t eat our national bird every Thanksgiving.

The naturalist for which this eagle is named has also been honored by the naming of other creatures, including Steller’s sea lion and the now-extinct Steller’s sea cow, as well as several birds, including Steller’s jay and Steller’s eider. He was the first naturalist to describe several creatures native to Alaska, although two of these, the sea cow (a relative of the manatees) and the spectacled cormorant, are now extinct. The latter, which was the largest cormorant to ever live, is a particularly sad story. These cormorants were basically eaten into extinction, exploited as a food source by sailors and fur traders. The last spectacled cormorants perished around 1850 on a Russian island off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Fortunately, we have proven a little more far-sighted in our treatment of the bald eagle, which was removed from the U.S. government’s list of endangered species on July 12, 1995, and transferred to the list of threatened species. In 2007, bald eagle numbers had rebounded enough in the Lower 48 states to also allow for the bald eagle to be removed from the list of threatened species.

Male and female adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck and tail; and yellow feet and bill. Juvenile bald eagles are a mixture of brown and white and reach full maturity in four to five years. The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches in length, slightly larger than the male, with a wingspan that ranges from 72 to 90 inches. Bald eagles weigh from 10 to 14 pounds. The bald eagle’s diet consists mostly of fish, some of which are scavenged, but these large raptors are also capable of preying on everything from muskrats and ducks to rabbits and snakes. The bald eagle will also feed on carrion.

More than 240 years after it was declared an official emblem of the United States, the bald eagle has become an instantly recognizable American symbol. Long may the eagles fly.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds and birding since 1995. To ask a question, make a comment or share a sighting, email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Unicoi County Summer Bird Count finds 107 species

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Ken Silvers • A great blue heron wades in a wetland along Erwin Linear Trail.

The 12th annual Unicoi County Summer Count took place Saturday, June 14, with 15 observers in six parties. Sharp-eyed counters tallied 107 species, which is near the average of 108 species.

Conducted by members of the Elizabethton Bird Club, the survey gives a summer snapshot of the bird life present in the county. The organization also conducts a Carter County Summer Bird Count. I’ll discuss the results of that count in an upcoming column.

Notable sightings, according to count compiler Rick Knight, included black-billed cuckoo, red crossbill, pine siskin, Savannah sparrow and yellow-rumped warbler. The count also found 19 species of warblers.

The list:

Canada goose, 37; mallard, 34; wild turkey, 21; and ruffed grouse, 1.

Rock pigeon, 19; mourning dove, 53; black-billed cuckoo, 1; chuck-will’s-widow. 1; Eastern whip-poor-will, 7; chimney swift, 17; and ruby-throated hummingbird, 8.

Killdeer, 3; green heron, 1; and great blue heron, 4.

Bryan Stevens • A małe downy woodpecker visits a feeder for peanuts.

Black vulture, 3; turkey vulture, 47; red-shouldered hawk, 1; broad-winged hawk, 2; red-tailed hawk, 1; Eastern screech owl, 2; and barred owl, 1.

Belted kingfisher, 3; red-bellied woodpecker, 10; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 3; downy woodpecker, 9; hairy woodpecker, 4; Northern flicker, 6; and pileated woodpecker, 10.

Great crested flycatcher, 6; Eastern kingbird, 6; Eastern wood-pewee, 6; Acadian flycatcher, 52; least flycatcher, 3; and Eastern phoebe, 39.

White-eyed vireo, 1; blue-headed vireo, 25; warbling vireo, 2; red-eyed vireo, 135; blue jay, 48; American crow, 89; fish crow, 3; and common raven, 2.

Carolina chickadee, 37; tufted titmouse, 51; tree swallow, 34; N. rough-winged swallow, 16; purple martin, 16; barn swallow, 46; and cliff swallow, 48.

Golden-crowned kinglet, 1; cedar waxwing, 28; red-breasted nuthatch, 9; white-breasted nuthatch, 9; and blue-gray gnatcatcher, 16.

Jean Potter • A Carolina wren creeps along a fence.

Carolina wren, 50; house wren, 20; and winter wren, 3.

Gray catbird, 15; brown thrasher, 8; Northern mockingbird, 10; European starling, 347; Eastern bluebird, 26; veery, 24; hermit thrush, 5; wood thrush, 46; and Amercian robin, 195.

House sparrow, 17; house finch, 2; red crossbill, 5; pine siskin, 3; and American goldfinch, 37.

Chipping sparrow, 44; field sparrow, 6; dark-eyed junco, 28; Savannah sparrow, 1; song sparrow, 81; and Eastern towhee, 5.

Eastern meadowlark, 5; orchard oriole, 4; Baltimore oriole, 1; red-winged blackbird, 43; brown-headed cowbird, 8; and common grackle, 30.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male brown-headed cowbird displays the brown head that gives this bird its common name.

Ovenbird, 46; worm-eating warbler, 7; Louisiana waterthrush, 10; black-and-white warbler, 22; Swainson’s warbler, 16; Kentucky warbler, 1; Common yellowthroat, 9; hooded warbler, 52; American redstart, 1; Northern parula, 32; magnolia warbler, 1; Blackburnian warbler, 2; yellow warbler, 1; chestnut-sided warbler, 12; black-throated blue warbler, 29; yellow-rumped, 1; yellow-throated warbler, 21; black-throated green warbler, 40; and Canada warbler, 18.

Scarlet tanager, 16; Northern cardinal, 63; rose-breasted grosbeak, 3; blue grosbeak, 3; and indigo bunting, 64.

Knight noted that some species, as always happens, were missed by counters. These included wood duck, yellow-billed cuckoo, the accipiter hawks, bald eagle, great horned owl, American kestrel, yellow-throated vireo, brown creeper and yellow-breasted chat.

I counted with Chris Soto from the Limestone Cove area to the top of Iron Mountain Gap along Highway 107. This was my first observation of the blow Hurricane Helene dealt Iron Mountain Gap. The scenery at the top of the mountain on the line between North Carolina and Tennessee has been changed radically. So many trees were toppled by the storm’s passage. But the birds appeared unaffected by the changes, with an assortment of warblers, indigo buntings and yellow-bellied sapsuckers.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds and birding since 1995. To send him a question, make a comment or share a sighting, email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A young Chipping Sparrow perches on a barbed wire fence at the Bell Cemetery in Limestone Cove.

Cedar waxwings provide entertainment as they feast on mulberries

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Photo by Jack Bulmer/Pixabay • A cedar waxwings strikes a stately pose on a branch.

Spring turned out to be a rainy season in Northeast Tennessee. As we move into the official summer season as of Friday, June 20, summer’s also looking like it might be wetter than usual.

Rainfall hasn’t stopped the rhythms of the seasons. For instance, two mulberry trees at home have produced a bonanza of ripening berries for our fruit-loving feathered friends.

So far, the main beneficiaries of all this bounty has been the local cedar waxwings. These sleek and distinctive birds have a brown and gray silky plumage, a black mask and a perky crest. Some of the wing feathers show red tips. The similarity of these wing tips to melted drops of wax gives these birds the common name of waxwing.

There’s no absolute explanation of the purpose for these waxy tips. Experts have theorized that the colorful wingtips might help attract mates.

Other birds have competed for access to the berries, including American robins, gray catbirds and at least one scarlet tanager.

Cedar waxwings love their fruit. They’re not quite a frugivore, which is a scientific term for animals that depend mostly on raw fruits for sustenance. The website All About Bird recommends planting native trees and shrubs that bear small fruits, including such species as mulberry, dogwood, serviceberry, cedar, juniper, hawthorn and winterberry, to attract cedar waxwings.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A cedar waxwing perches in the upper branches of a tree.

The cedar waxwing has few relatives. Worldwide, there are only two other species: the Bohemian waxwing, of the northern forests of Eurasia and North America; and the Japanese waxwing, found in such northeast Asian countries as Japan, Korea and China.

Although it’s classified as a songbird, the cedar waxwing does’t truly produce a vocalization that anyone would contend qualifies as a song. They are, however, very vocal birds, producing shrill, high-pitched notes as they pass through the upper branches of tall trees.

Early American naturalist and artist John James Audubon painted this pair of cedar waxwings.

As much as the waxwing has a fondness for fruit, it’s also a bird that would have made an excellent flycatcher. Flocks of these birds will often congregate in trees near the edge of a pond, garden or yard — anywhere winged insects might be found in good numbers — in order to hawk insects on the wing. A waxwing will sally forth from a branch, snatch its prey in mid-air, and return to its perch for a quick snack. Dragonflies often feed on mayflies and dragonflies but they will also forage on a wide array of other winged insects.

Waxwings are rather nomadic, coming and going with a maddening unpredictability. They often follow the available sources of food, whether that’s the multitude of flying insects attracted by pond and rivers or a particularly bountiful crop of fruit.

They can form large flocks. I once observed a flock that probably consisted of 100 individuals as they stripped berries in early winter from a holly tree. Adding some comic relief to the scene were two Northern mockingbirds making a futile attempt to disperse the waxwings and thus claim all the berries for themselves. The mockingbirds would chase off a dozen or so birds only for twice that number to descend on the vacated spot in the tree’s branches. It was a losing battle, but I am confident that once they settled down, the mockingbirds managed to enjoy the supply of berries alongside the overwhelming numbers of waxwings.

I’ve enjoyed the friendly flock of waxwings as they’ve feasted on mulberries. The only drawback has been that I am usually observing their antics in late evening when the sun is behind these birds. Fortunately, even a waxwing’s sleek silhouette is still a sight to behold and enjoy.

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To share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment, send me an email to ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A pair of cedar waxwings hawk for insects near a pond.

Regional spring bird count finds 148 species

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • Ruby-throated hummingbirds have settled into a comfortable summer routine throughout the Northeast Tennessee region.

The 82nd consecutive spring bird count was held Saturday, May 3, with 44 observers in 15 parties. The survey tallied 148 species, which is slightly below the recent 30 year average of 150 species. The count is conducted by the Elizabehton Bird Club, which will also conduct two summer counts this month. One of these counts is held in Carter County and the other in Unicoi County.

The spring count is a regional survey that includes all Northeast Tennessee counties: Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington.

Compiler Rick Knight shared some observations. Noteworthy sightings included common merganser, black-billed cuckoo, willow flycatcher, vesper sparrow and bobolink, as well as prothonotary and cerulean warblers. A total of 31 species of warblers made this year’s count. A record number (24) for Swainson’s warbler provided an indication that this species is locally abundant during the nesting season.

The 17 fish crows reported by six parties provided a good example of the local expansion of this species. The 17 common ravens, once not so common in the region, were reported by eight of the count parties.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Young wood ducks share a perch on a submerged log.

The list:

Canada goose, 208; wood duck, 31; blue-winged teal, 2; mallard, 86; and common merganser, 7.

Wild turkey, 16; ruffed grouse, 1; rock pigeon, 92; Eurasian collared-dove, 1; mourning dove, 176; yellow-billed cuckoo, 3; and black-billed cuckoo, 2.

Photo by Hans Toom/Pixabay • A male yellow warbler is aptly named.

Chuck-will’s-widow, 9; Eastern whip-poor-will, 32; Chimney swift, 149; ruby-throated hummingbird, 18.

Killdeer, 32; least sandpiper, 16; pectoral sandpiper; 1; spotted sandpiper, 42; solitary sandpiper, 39; and lesser yellowlegs, 6.

 

Double-crested cormorant 28; green heron 8; great egret, 1; and great blue heron, 50.

Black vulture, 38; turkey vulture, 96; osprey, 4; Cooper’s hawk, 6; bald eagle, 1; red-shouldered hawk, 4; broad-winged hawk, 7; red-tailed hawk, 14; Eastern screech owl, 15; great horned owl, 2; and barred owl, 4;

Belted kingfisher, 15; red-headed woodpecker, 2; red-bellied woodpecker, 68; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 7; downy woodpecker, 33; hairy woodpecker, 6; Northern flicker, 37; and pileated woodpecker, 36.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Downy woodpeckers will visit feeders in any season.

American kestrel, 5; great crested flycatcher, 28; Eastern kingbird, 42; Eastern wood-pewee, 16; Acadian flycatcher, 27; willow flycatcher, 1; least flycatcher, 10; and Eastern phoebe, 64.

White-eyed vireo, 19; yellow-throated vireo, 12; blue-headed vireo, 42; warbling vireo, 10; and red-eyed vireo, 364.

Blue jay, 175; American crow, 218; fish crow, 17; and common raven,17.

Tree swallow, 107; Northern rough-winged swallow, 81; purple martin, 29; barn swallow, 144; and cliff swallow, 482.

Carolina chickadee, 144; tufted titmouse, 189; ruby-crowned kinglet, 1; golden-crowned kinglet, 2; red-breasted nuthatch, 9; and white-breasted nuthatch, 26.

Brown creeper, 6; blue-gray gnatcatcher, 62; Carolina wren, 159; house wren, 39; and winter wren, 1.

Gray catbird, 68; brown thrasher, 43; Northern mockingbird, 97; cedar waxwing, 122; Eurasian starling, 539; Eastern bluebird, 97; veery, 15; Swainson’s thrush, 8; wood thrush, 116; and American robin, 654.

House sparrow, 55; house finch, 78; pine siskin, 7; and American goldfinch, 252.

Chipping sparrow, 139; field sparrow, 34; dark-eyed junco, 48; white-crowned sparrow, 3; white-throated sparrow, 4; vesper sparrow, 1; Savannah sparrow, 4; song sparrow, 287; swamp sparrow, 1; and Eastern towhee, 203.

Early American naturalist and painter John James Audubon painting this scene depicting nesting meadowlarks.

Yellow-breasted chat, 9; bobolink, 6; Eastern meadowlark, 108; orchard oriole, 28; Baltimore oriole, 26; red-winged blackbird, 211; brown-headed cowbird, 65; and common grackle, 195.

Ovenbird, 169; worm-eating warbler, 42; Louisiana waterthrush, 45; Northern waterthrush, 4; golden-winged warbler, 2; blue-winged warbler, 1; black-and-white warbler, 104; prothonotary warbler, 1; Swainson’s warbler, 24; Tennessee warbler, 13; Kentucky warbler, 4; common yellowthroat, 25; hooded warbler, 234; American Redstart 27; Cape May warbler, 14; cerulean warbler, 2; Northern parula, 88; magnolia warbler, 4; bay-breasted warbler, 6; Blackburnian warbler, 16; yellow warbler, 10; chestnut-sided warbler, 32; blackpoll warbler, 6; black-throated blue warbler, 97; palm warbler, 5; pine warbler, 7; yellow-rumped warbler, 17; yellow-throated warbler, 52; prairie warbler, 1; black-throated green warbler, 100; and Canada warbler, 50.

Summer tanager, 2; scarlet tanager, 92; Northern cardinal, 284; Rose-breasted grosbeak, 30; blue grosbeak, 11; indigo bunting, 164; and dickcissel, 1.

I counted with Chris Soto and Brookie and Jean Potter around Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, on the greenbelt along the Watauga River and on Holston Mountain.

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To share a sighting, make a comment or ask a question, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Hans Toom/Pixabay • A male Blackburnian warbler looks splendid in the dappled sunlight that appears to make his orange throat patch almost glow.

Noisy killdeer parents have mastered the art of deception

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A killdeer stands near the edge of a stream.

In last week’s column, I focused on the black-necked stilt, an oddity in the shorebird family that few non-birders would have ever heard of. This week, my focus will be on the killdeer, which is probably the shorebird most people know. Even non-birders have probably encountered this wide ranging bird that resides across much of North America.

While killdeers are considered shorebirds, they are certainly not confined to shorelines but can be found in a variety of habitats from school yards to golf courses to prairies and fields.

About 11 inches in length, the killdeer is brown above and white below with two black bands across the white chest. Males and females look alike.

These birds, despite their common name, are not antagonistic toward deer. The name killdeer refers to the loud, strident vocalization these birds produce when alarmed or disturbed. Early naturalists also noticed the noisy nature of killdeer, giving them names such as chattering plover and noisy plover, according to the website All About Birds.

The female killdeer usually lays up to four eggs on a spot on the bare ground that she may or may not have lined with some grass. Both parents attempt to guard the nest from predators. They are reliably zealous in their duties. In fact, the killdeer is famous for faking a display of injury whenever intruders draw too close. The display is meant to lure potential predators away from the location of the nest.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A killdeer stands sentry duty near its nest in a gravel parking lot.

The predator, thinking the “injured” killdeer will be easy prey, follows the bird away from the nest’s vicinity. Killdeer will also put on the show for humans who venture too close to the nest. They drag their wings in a convincing display of serious injury. Of course, once the ruse has worked, the killdeer miraculously recovers and returns to its nest.

I learned about the killdeer early in life. I had a wise teacher for my first grade year. When a nesting killdeer built its home in the school yard, the teacher turned the discovery of this feathered neighbor into a teaching event.

I remember the bird performing the broken wing display and our teacher patiently explaining the rationale for the bird’s antics. The teacher must have been protective of the bird. I do recall that my fellow students and I were forbidden to approach the nest. Considering the natures of first-grade students, that was probably a smart precaution.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A killdeer stands at the edge of a large pond at Fishery Park in Erwin, Tennessee.

The class followed the progress of the killdeer family as the eggs hatched and the school grounds became the home turf for the pair of killdeers and their young. I don’t recall a conclusion to the story. Since killdeer nest in spring, I suspect that the school year came to an end ahead of the nesting season.

The killdeer is a member of the plover family, which includes shorebirds distinctly different from related sandpipers.

There are more than 60 species of plovers worldwide, with several different species spending at least part of the year in North America. Close relatives of the killdeer include Wilson’s plover, semipalmated plover, snowy plover, mountain plover and the endangered piping plover.

Killdeers utilize some unusual nesting locations, including gravel parking lots and building rooftops covered with gravel or pebbles. Young killdeers can leave the nest site soon after hatching and follow their parents as they forage for food. They look like fuzzy golf balls with toothpick legs.

 

I’ll always remember my first encounters with this large, loud plover while a student at Hampton Elementary School many years ago. Observing that killdeer family no doubt planted the seed that eventually sprouted into my enthusiasm for watching birds. Witnessing the trickery the birds deployed to foil predators — and curious kids — away from their nests remains fresh in the memory.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The killdeer is a plover, placing it within the family of shorebirds. They are more often found on open fields instead of along coastal shores.

Somewhat more recently, I encountered another fuzzy golf ball at rest on the ground toward the back of Erwin Fishery Park. Thinking the tiny bird was dead, I picked it up for a closer look. Even as I handled the bird, it remained motionless in my hand. When I returned the tiny “body” to the ground, however, the bird performed an amazing resurrection and fled the vicinity as quick at those toothpick legs could carry it.

Numerous people have called or written me throughout the years to report unusual nesting locations used by killdeers. I’ve seen nests in hotel parking lots, local parks and construction sites. As I mentioned earlier, the female killdeer is content to lay her eggs directly on bare soil, although she will occasionally line the nest.

These birds are opportunists. The nest lining often consists of what is most readily available. I once inspected a killdeer nest lined with discarded cigarette butts. I’m hopeful the babies didn’t hatch with instant nicotine addictions.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds since 1995. Share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment by emailing him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A killdeer covers its egg during a light rain.

Yellow-breasted chat is a songbird that stands apart

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A yellow-breasted chat sings from the top of a tree.

I’ve always been a warbler fan, celebrating every opportunity that comes my way for seeing these colorful, energetic feathered sprites.

On May 9, the first indigo bunting (a male) showed up on at my home. A day later, I hosted a Baltimore oriole (a rare visitor at my home) and an even rarer visitor with a singing (more like caterwauling) male yellow-breasted chat.

I’ve had only one of these birds in the yard since I began birding in the mid-1990s. That one was a passing fall migrant that showed up in 2000 and then disappeared as soon as it came.

I had hopes that the persistently singing yellow-breasted chat that showed up May 10 might stay longer, and it did. For five days, he sang from dawn to dusk. Then the daily serendades ended. I assume he moved on, but it was fun hosting this bird, even for such a brief span.

Hans Toom/Pixabay • Yellow-breasted chats spend a great deal of their time skulking in thick tangles of vegetation.

According to the website All About Birds, male chats give display flights in the presence of females, other males or human intruders. According to the website, this behaviour entails descending from a high perch while singing, often with exaggerated wingbeats and a drooping tail. At the end of the flight they make a thumping sound, presumably with their wings.

While the yellow-breasted chat is no longer considered a member of the warbler family, my sentimental attachment to this oddball bird will always recall when this species was considered the largest member of the warbler family.

The chat’s declassification as a warbler took place back in 2017. I’ve always been a warbler fan, celebrating every opportunity that comes my way for seeking out these colorful, energetic feathered sprites.

The yellow-breasted chat, although no longer considered closely related to the New World wood-warblers, is still a bit of an oddity. Many experts always harbored doubts about whether chat is truly a warbler. Personally, I felt some disappointment at the reclassification. After all, what family doesn’t need its big, goofy oddball? If nothing else, the yellow-breasted chat is truly an the odd bird out among the little birds known as warblers that spend most of their time constantly on the move, flitting from branch to branch in hyperactive bursts of activity.

Yellow-breasted chats aren’t more sedate than other warblers, but they don’t dart about in the treetops in the same way as might a Northern parula or blackpoll warbler. During the spring ritual of attracting a mate, the males are obsessed with constant singing and performing. The performance portion of the program consists of awkward, drooping flights into the open before plunging back into thick cover. Males will also select an elevated perch in the open to proclaim their availability through song for any listening females.

There are many other ways they stand out on from other birds. For instance, yellow-breasted chats are bigger than all other warblers, as well as many of our songbirds. The chat reaches a length of 7.5 inches with a wingspan of almost 10 inches. The two sexes look alike, which is something else that separates them from many, but not all, warblers, which are generally known for the differences in appearance between males and females. The yellow-breasted chat has olive-green upperparts with white bellies and bright yellow throats and breasts. These chats also have long tails and heavy bills. A prominent characteristic is a spectacle-shaped white eye-ring.

Although only two have visited my home over the years, I have observed yellow-breasted chats in many locations in the region, but during my early years birding this was a very elusive bird for me. It took me a couple of years to get my first satisfactory look at this interesting bird in a tangle of vegetation along a walking trail at Persimmon Ridge Park in Jonesborough. I have also found chats in Unicoi County in the Sciota community. Some fields that comprise a part of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton have also been a reliable location for observing this species.

Chats prefer habitats such as dense thickets and other underbrush, which offers remarkable concealment from prying eyes. Chats are loud birds at most times, producing a variety of odd vocalizations, which means they are often heard before they are seen. The online Audubon Guide to North American Birds describes these sounds as “a bizarre series of hoots, whistles and clucks, coming from the briar tangles” and labels them a reliable means for determining the presence of a yellow-breasted chat. By learning these vocalizations, you’ll increase the chances of finding one of these birds during time spent outdoors.

The chat’s habitat preferences and its repertoire of vocalizations makes it easy to associate these birds with others that share the same dense, brushy habitats and a penchant for making unusual vocalizations. Birds often found in proximity to chats include brown thrashers, gray catbirds, white-eyed vireos and Eastern towhees.

Habitat loss has resulted in a steady decline of yellow-breasted chats in some parts of their range. It is a widely distributed bird, spending the nesting season from southern Canada to Mexico. Most chats retreat to Mexico and Central America for the winter months. This chat mostly feeds on insects, supplementing its diet with berries that ripen during the summer months.

Female chats usually lay three to four eggs, but both parents care for the young. Young chats are usually ready to leave the nest only eight days after hatching, but they will remain dependent on their parents for food for a couple of weeks. Chats usually nest twice each during the nesting season.

The yellow-breasted chat is usually a bird that I have to make a special effort to find. It’s worth the effort to gain a good look at this big, brash songbird.

Three other chats, all birds of tropical regions, were moved out of the warbler clan in 2009 by the American Ornithologists’ Union. Experts now believe that the rose-breasted chat of South America, the gray-throated chat of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize and the red-breasted chat of the Pacific slope of Mexico are more closely related to cardinals and tanagers than warblers. The yellow-breasted chat has been stuck in its own family, Icteriidae, not to be confused with New World blackbirds in the family Icteridae.

Even if we can no longer consider the yellow-breasted chat a warbler, the bird still remains unique enough to warrant its own family.

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To share a sighting, make a comment or ask a question, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

 

Cardinals have long been considered feathered messengers

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • Perhaps due to their vibrant appearance, cardinals have become symbols of certain aspects of the spiritual realm.

Watching birds offers a variety of benefits to the watcher. The activity offers solace and therapy, hope and optimism. There’s just something about our feathered friends that can be therapeutic and healing. I can’t begin to count the times a sighting of an unexpected bird has put a smile on my face. The website http://www.caringcardinals.com is dedicated to the spiritual symbolism that has come to be associated with a common bird known as the Northern cardinal.

The website identifies cardinals as spiritual messengers. Although many aspects of nature can deliver symbolic signs, the red cardinal has long been embraced as one of the most notable spiritual messengers, according to the website.

According to some theories, loved ones in Heaven send cardinals to watch over loved ones. Cardinals are one of the most common spiritual signs that people receive from Heaven. Cardinals are also thought to have a deep connection with departed souls. People have often reported that after the death of loved ones, they begin to see cardinals frequently. Seeing a cardinal for the first time or more frequently than usual can be an indication from a loved one that they will always feel your love and will be near you, according to the website.

This bird even got the name cardinal because its bright red feathers reminded some of the red garments worn by cardinals in the Catholic Church. The cardinal’s red plumage is definitely one of the driving forces that has helped these beliefs expand. The website notes that when a cardinal appears in nature, it serves as a gentle reminder that love never ends. These so-called “cardinal experiences” are defined as the moment a red cardinal appears unexpectedly after a loss. Quite often the soul needs more care and sometimes all it takes is a visit from one of God’s most adored creatures, the cardinal.

Jana Steward, one of my coworkers at The Erwin Record, recently lost her husband, Matt. She posted to Facebook on May 3 that her husband died peacefully right after his son got home from work the previous evening.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Northern cardinals will visit feeders stocked with sunflower seeds at any season.

About midnight a cardinal entered the house as representatives from the funeral home arrived to take Matt out of the house.

“The cardinal sat on Matt’s chest, circled the staircase, came back and sat on his chest again and then went in Elliot’s cage,” Jana explained.

“Elliot is our dog, who loved Matt and he loved him,” Jana added.

CJ, Matt’s stepson, took the cage outside and released the cardinal. The bird, according to Jana, took Matt to his new home.

“My whole life my mom has always said a bird in the house means someone is going to die,” Jana said. “I always took that as a bad omen or something, so I hated when she said it.”

She added, “Little did I know it was actually an angel who helped Matt transition to a new phase of life.”

Even after the events of that day, the family has continued to see the cardinal around at times throughout the week. “I am sure Matt is watching over us,” Jana shared.

I can certainly attest to the fact that birds and simply watching them, observing their actions, can be immensely therapeutic. Call it feathered therapy, if you will.

In some Native American cultures, cardinals are considered harbingers of everything from rain and sun to good fortune and change. These birds have also come to represent such concepts as devotion, love and monogamy, most likely based on the strong pair bonds that develop between mated cardinal pairs. Although cardinals certainly look brilliant in muted winter conditions, males look their best in the spring, the season of courtship when the most vibrant plumage can capture a female cardinal’s attention.

Male cardinals also sing to attract and impress potential mates, but with this species, duets are possible. Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern cardinal is quite the songstress, according to the website, All About Birds. She will often sing even while sitting on the nest. A profile of the species on All About Birds suggests her singing may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest.

Photo by Skeeze/Pixabay.com • A female Northern cardinal lands on a deck railing. Female cardinals are not as brightly colorful as males, but they do have their own subtle beauty.

Cardinals eat a variety of insects, including crickets, beetles and moths, as well as fruit such as blackberries, wild grapes and mulberries. They’re also fond of seeds and wild about sunflower seeds, making them easy to attract to backyard feeders. If you’re having trouble attracting cardinals, provide some cover in the form of shrubs or hedges. These birds feel more secure if they can dart into a thick tangle of vegetation should a threat, real or imagined, surface suddenly.

Most songbirds are short-lived creatures, but a female Northern cardinal documented in Pennsylvania lived to the age of 15 years and nine months, according to All About Birds.

Over the years, cardinals have had many other common names. The name “redbird” is still widely used for this species, but other names for the Northern cardinal include Eastern cardinal, cardinal grosbeak, cardinal redbird and Virginia nightingale.

I enjoy watching cardinals at my feeders and getting glimpses into their lives away from those feeders. Seeing one of these beautiful and friendly birds can certainly brighten any day. The fact that they are rooted in so much of our lore is evidence that many other people feel the same way about cardinals.

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Share a sighting, make a comment or ask a question by emailing me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A pair of Northern cardinals.

Tiny songbird’s collision with window leaves gap in spring soundscape

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Hans Toom/Pixabay • Male Northern paroles are a member of the warbler family. They are amazing vocalists producing an easily recognised trill of a song.

The male Northern parula is a persistent songster once arriving on its nesting territory each spring.

Since arriving in early April, a male Northern parula had been a tireless singer. I often heard the bird as I departed for work each weekday morning and was welcomed home in early evening by the bird’s song.

On April 29, I returned home. I followed my usual routine and dropped off my mother’s newspaper and mail at her home. Unfortunately, on her porch was the lifeless form of the Northern parula. I know it was “my” parula because the bird had been so faithful in its singing. I have not heard the song of a Northern parula in the days following the sad discovery.

Northern parulas sing two different types of songs, according to the website All About Birds. The most common is a rising buzzy trill with a final sharp note. This song rises up and pinches off sharply at the end. The second song has distinct pauses in between bouts of the rising buzzy trill. My parula had mostly sang the song best described as a rising buzzy trill, but it had also practiced at the second version, as well.

The tragic end for this little songster has really put a damper on my enjoyment of the spring season. Unlike many of our birds, this species of warbler has been thriving. Northern parulas are common, and their populations have actually increased by over 1% per year from 1966 to 2019 for a cumulative increase of about 47% according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

Bryan Stevens • This Northern parula died after a collision with a glass window.

But the incident is a reminder of the perils that our feathered friends face daily. An article titled “Getting Clear on Birds and Glass,” first published January 14, 2023, by Christine Sheppard and Bryan Lenz brings the detrimental impact glass has had on birds into focus.

The article noted that Smithsonian researches in 2014 attempted to determined how many birds are killed annually due to hitting windows. The study estimated, conservatively, that collisions with glass likely kill between 365 million and 1 billion birds annually in the United States. The authors of the article emphasized that they believe the number is closer to a billion birds, if not more, that die each year from hitting windows and other glass surfaces.

That’s a scary number, but also a testament to the resilience of birds. Of course, all living things have their limits, and we should try to do something to bring down this gruesome toll.

The little parula had struck a large picture window. We have placed decals in the window in an effort to break up the reflection, but the sun has bleached these over the years, and now it is evident they should be replaced. Clouds, sky or vegetation reflected in a window are perceived by birds as the real deal. A screen over a window or hanging strips or other items to break up the reflection will help birds avoid collision.

To examine a database with various possible solutions, please visit https://abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/products-database/

I am hopeful that another Northern parula will visit and find my yard to its liking. I’ve had Northern parulas residing consistently around my home from April to September for many years. The absence of this bird’s song from the daily soundscape has been distressing.

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Readers have continued to share their spring hummingbird sightings.

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Joe McGuiness in Erwin saw his first hummingbird back on April 9 at 5:45 p.m. Joe texted me that the bird came back to feed again around 7 p.m.

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Charlotte Carter, who resides in the Bloomingdale community in Kingsport, emailed me on Friday, April 25. “First hummingbird sighted at my home today at 12:45,” she wrote.

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Mack Hayes sent me a message on Facebook to report his first hummingbird arrived on Friday, April 25. “Saw first hummingbird this morning,” he wrote. He noted that he lives on the corner of Oakland Road and Bowmantown Road in Washington County.

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Hummingbirds are now back throughout the region. In the past couple of weeks the numbers have increased at my home. I have now seen as many as four hummingbirds at one time, and they duel all day long with each other, chasing each other from one corner of the yard to another. It’s good to have them back.

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Share sightings, ask questions or make comments by emailing me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Birder with ties to Northeast Tennessee plans Global Big Day

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • Brayden Paulk introduces Rufous, a surprisingly tame ruffed grouse that lived on his grandfather’s farm for several years.

Brayden Paulk recently sent me an email to share some recent bird sightings he has made in Georgia.

As background, I’ve known Brayden since the summer of 2016. At the time, he was 17 years old and visiting with his grandparents in Flag Pond for the summer. We got acquainted thanks to an amazing ruffed grouse hanging out at a barn.

Brayden named the grouse Rufous who, as it turned out, was a remarkable bird. Ruffed grouse are, as a rule, shy and retiring birds. Not Rufous. He was an in-your-face sort of grouse. Getting to meet and observe this amazing bird was a privilege.

After we met so that I could make acquaintance with Rufous, Brayden and I did some birding at Rock Creek Recreation Area and then some stops on U.S. Forest Service lands along Highway 107 between Limestone Cove and the North Carolina line. Brayden wanted very much to add a black-throated blue warbler to his life list, and I very much wanted to help him find it.

We did manage to locate a singing veery, a scarlet tanager and a dark-eyed junco. We also found several warblers, including black-and-white warbler, worm-eating warbler and black-throated green warbler, but I began to fear we wouldn’t manage to locate his target bird.

But I am happy to report that we managed to find a male black-throated blue warbler. So, that productive morning back in 2016 resulted in my meeting with a grouse with a lot of personality and Brayden getting a new species for his life list of birds.

When we first met, Brayden was living with his family in Oxford, Alabama. During our first in-person meeting he made a point to tell me that his grandparents, Leon and Janice Rhodes, mailed him every one of my bird columns.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The late Leon Rhodes teases Rufous the ruffed grouse.

These days he is living in Georgia, which is also providing the focus for most of his birding. He returns often to Tennessee. In fact, he has given a couple of talks to the Elizabethton Bird Club over the years, impressing his audience with his enthusiasm and engaging way of presenting information.

His talk were, surprisingly, not about birds. He spoke about his other passion, fishing, but still managed to make a few mentions of birds in the process.

Brayden has also worked for a couple of summers at Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park in Flag Pond as a seasonal interpretive ranger.

Anyway, enough with the background and back to his recent email.

“I hope everything is going well with you and the bird club,” he wrote. “I wanted to contact you about some interesting recent sightings I have had that I thought you would be interested in. I have been able to put a lot of effort into birding so far this spring and it has turned up some fantastic finds.”

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Rufous, a rather tame ruffed grouse, who made his home in Unicoi County for several years.

His finds have even established some records in Laurens County in Georgia where he now lives.

His local birding loop in his home county has been very productive.

On April 7, his observations of common loons resulted in a county high count for the species. He found 14 loons on one lake and six on another nearby lake. The next highest count before his sighting had stood at two birds.

“That loop has also been very productive for shorebirds, as there are some flooded areas in nearby fields where I have seen lots of greater and lesser yellowlegs and snipe,” he wrote.

“I also got excellent views of a Swainson’s warbler within feet of me at an area on the loop with some swamp and cane thicket habitat,” Brayden added.

On April 7 while running his llocal birding loop in Laurens County, Georgia, Brayden Paulk saw the county high count for common loons with 14 on one lake and 6 on another nearby.

That sighting alone is something that would make many birders envious. I have been birding since 1993 and I can count on one hand the number of looks I’ve had of Swainson’s warbler. The species is often localized, meaning it takes some effort to locate. It’s easy to hear them. The Swainson’s warbler has a loud, ringing song similar to a Louisiana waterthrush. I’ve heard Swainson’s warblers much more frequently than I have seen them.

Brayden also shared his excitement about seeing his first first Horned Lark in the county. He saw the lark, a bird of open fields, at a different location. “It seems to be one of those birds you have to try to find by going to a sod farm or open country,” he noted.

“The Laurens County Loop has also been great for me in the past, and one particular pond turned up the first eBird county records for American avocet, white-rumped sandpiper and long billed dowitcher,” he wrote. “I have also found breeding painted buntings on the loop as well and had an excellent view of them with my dad.”

Brayden also wanted to share some more exciting news.

“I will be moving to Gulf Shores in coastal Alabama in a few weeks, which is one of my favorite places to go birding,” he wrote. “I plan on going to Dauphin Island on the Global Big Day because it is an incredible place to see migrants, and my goal is to find 150 species on that day.”

This year’s Global Big Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 10. Global Big Day is an annual birdwatching event hosted by eBird and Cornell Lab of Ornithology to celebrate and document bird migration. The event was created as a fun and engaging way for bird enthusiasts of all levels to contribute to science and conservation by reporting their bird sightings.

Brayden also hopes to visit Unicoi County again soon to do some birding there and look for some of the species he missed last Summer.

“Thank you for writing your bird articles,” he wrote at the conclusion of his email. “They have inspired me since I was young!”

It’s not easy to put into words how much that unexpected praise made me feel. I am incredibly gratified that I could have provide some inspiration to get such a gifted young man into the field looking for birds.

Readers may recall that I’ve had some deterioration of vision in recent years. With a pair of binoculars, I can still bring birds close enough to enjoy and appreciate their beauty and vivacity. Spotting birds, which is a skill that takes some practice to achieve, is no longer easy for me. Ah, the things we take for granted…

My hearing remains unimpaired. I have enjoyed making note of returning warblers and other birds simply by hearing their familiar songs ringing through the woodlands at my home for yet another spring.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve also had the pleasure of watching daily as a feisty male ruby-throated hummingbird visits the feeders arranged around my front porch.

In closing, I invite everyone to wish Brayden luck with his upcoming Global Big Day. I hope to update everyone with how he does.

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To share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.