Tag Archives: The Erwin Record

BRR!-ding: Couples tackle the deep freeze of northern Minnesota for hard-to-find species

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Jean Potter • A redpoll at a feeder in Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota.

Like postal carriers, birders endure the elements, including snow and cold. Elizabethton couple Brookie and Jean Potter took this up a notch during a sub-zero birding expedition to northern Minnesota back in January to expand their list of life birds.

They were accompanied by another Elizabethton couple, David and Connie Irick. While coping with temperatures far below zero with a recorded wind chill of -34 degrees Fahrenheit, the Potters managed to add five news species to their life lists. The Iricks saw nine new species.

They enjoyed three full days of birding from Jan. 19 to Jan. 22, but it took two days of driving each way. They left Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 17, and returned Jan. 24.

Photo by Jean Potter • Sax-Zim Bog offers specialty habitats for cold-weather species.

I’ve been friends with Brookie and Jean, and birded with them, since the late 1990s when I visited their home to observe a nesting great crested flycatcher. They’ve traveled the country to add species to their growing life lists.

They have long had a bucket list target of seeing 500 species, according to Jean. With their recent excursion to Sax-Zin Bog in northern Minnesota, they surpassed this goal.

Sax-Zin Bog is about an hour north of Duluth, Minnesota, and Lake Superior. It’s also about 100 miles north from Minneapolis.

“It’s a very popular winter destination for birders,” Jean said. “It offers cold weather habitats you can find anywhere else.”

Those habitats attract some specialty birds, including Northern finches, several owls and some other hard-to-find birds.

Their five new bird species were: Northern hawk-owl, boreal chickadee, Northern shrike, Canada jay and black-backed woodpecker.

Photo by Jean Potter • A black-backed woodpecker spotted in Minnesota by two visiting couples from Tennessee.

Some of their target birds failed to appear.

“We hoped to see a great gray owl and boreal owl, but this year they were not present,” Jean noted. “They had an irruption there last year.”

A bird irruption is a large-scale southward migration of northern-breeding birds (finches, nuthatches and owls) moving far beyond their typical winter range. Triggered by food scarcity in the boreal forest, these massive, sporadic movements often bring unusual species to unexpected locations.

Photo by Jean Potter • The trip to Sax-Zim Bog produced sightings of two individual Northern hawk-owls.

They did see short-eared owl and the Northern hawk-owls.

“We saw a total of 25 species, and we were very happy with it,” Jean said.

She added that most the birds were different than what they would normally see in Northeast Tennessee in winter.

They’re used to getting 100 species on some of their birding trips.

“It was quality over quantity,” Brookie said of their January trip to Minnesota.

Photo by Jean Potter • A ruffed grouse in the branches of a tree.

The same five species that were new for the Potters were also new to the Iricks. The Potters, however, had already seen in different locations four other birds that were new for the Iricks.

David and Connie also added Northern goshawk, black-capped chickadee, pine grosbeak and redpoll to their life list.

Birds that are rare in winter here were common there.

We had tons of evening grosbeaks,” Jean said. “People put out feeders in the bog. There are houses located in the bog. There is also a welcome center.”

Photo by Jean Potter • A Northern shrike spotted at Sax-Zim Bog.

At some stops, they saw as many as 75 evening grosbeaks at a time crowded around some of the feeders.

“The owners used big buckets to fill up feeders,” Brookie said.

They found all their birds in the 300-square-mile Sax-Zim Bog, except for the black-backed woodpecker.

The woodpecker they found in Superior National Forest in Duluth.

“We went looking for it on the boardwalks in the bog, but we met some other birders and a woman told me that she had got it the day before,” Jean said.

She wrote down the coordinates provided by the woman, who guaranteed they’d see the woodpecker.

“We drove snow-covered roads in big pine forests to find it,” Brookie said.

“A big truck had the road blocked with a module home,” Brookie added. From the backseat, Connie Irick actually saw the bird while their vehicle was stopped and alerted everyone to its presence.

Contributed • Brookie and Jean Potter on a snow-covered boardwalk at Sax-Zim Bog.

“It stayed there and we studied it for awhile,” Brookie said.

Birding in such extreme temperatures took some adjustment.

“The first day we were there, our endurance was tested,” Jean reported. “We got up well before sunrise. It was -16 degrees and a windchill of -34.”

Most of their birding was done from inside a vehicle.

She reported that they were prepared, clothing wise. “But it was still a shock,” she added.

“All the roads were white. No blacktop,” she explained. “We had a four-wheel drive. They had well-maintained roads. The land is flat, so that helps.”

The big challenge when driving was avoiding snow-covered ditches.

“We saw a truck stuck in a deep ditch,” Jean said. “People in trouble got into ditches at turn-offs.”

They did venture outside of the car occasionally.

“We walked half-mile on the boardwalk in sub-zero weather,” Jean said. “That was about the longest we were outdoors.”

They also birded outside of Sax-Zin Bog.

“We drove through the North Woods of Wisconsin and saw Rough-legged Hawks,” Jean said.

“We could see Lake Superior, but it was frozen,” Jean said. “It just looked like a big white field.”

They might have seen more, but they had to cut the trip short.

“We had to come home a day early to get ahead of Winter Storm Vern,” Jean said.

They stayed in Hibbing, Minnesota, a town northwest of the bog.

They ate their meals in Cotton, Minnesota.

“It just had gas station and a restaurant called Wilbert Cafe,” Brookie said. “It had a good variety of home-cooked food.”

Jean added, “We met other birders from all over. Everyone comes here at the coldest time of the year.”

Brookie added, “The manager said birders keep the restaurant going in winter.”

Brookie also noted one other pertinent fact. “Bob Dylan was raised in Hibbing, Minnesota,” he said.

Sax-Zin Bog has no bathroom facilities, other than Port-o-johns, so the restaurant also provided restrooms.

Dealing with the cold was simple.

“We had Arctic coats and boots, and we dressed in many layers,” Jean said. “It was a challenge just to use a camera in my heavy gloves. I didn’t take as many pics as I normally do.”

They did most of their birding in daylight hours, but they did venture out after dark to look for owls.

“We were so proud to get Northern hawk-owl on our first day,” Jean said.

They also spotted a second of these owls in another part of the bog.

“We saw ruffed grouse in the trees,” she said.

Spruce grouse and sharp-tailed grouse had been target birds, but like the great gray owl they never showed themselves.

“We missed Bohemian waxwings,” Brookie said. “We might have gone looking for them if we’d had one more day. There was a report of them near Lake Erie.”

They found the landscape of northern Minnesota interesting.

“I saw enough windmills to last me a lifetime,” Brookie said.

“I added four new states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota,” Jean said, noting she has now visited 35 states.

Brookie has visited 36 states. He was stationed in San Diego, California, during his time in the U.S. Marine Corps in the Vietnam Era, which gives him one more state than his wife.

Jean, who likes lighthouses, did see one from the car near Lake Superior.

They would have liked to have seen a couple of mammals that reside in that region.

Brookie wanted to see pine martens while Jean hoped to see a snowshoe hare, but those will have to wait for a future trip.

They also traveled past Monoquet, Indiana. “We passed hundreds of sandhill cranes in that area, but we didn’t stop,” Jean said.

By the time they departed, they were handling the cold like pros.

“On that first day, I wondered what in the world am I doing here?” Jean said. “But by the time we left, I figured we can do it again some time.”

 

Move over robins: Red-winged blackbird is the real sign of sprinfg

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male red-winged blackbird sings to attract mates and ward off rivals.

When the red-winged blackbirds put in their first appearance this year, they picked a really bad day to make their return.

I heard the instantly recognizable “konk-ka-ree” vocalization as I walked from the house to my car on the morning of Feb. 22. It didn’t take long to spot the birds making the sound: four male red-winged blackbirds perched atop a cypress tree at the fish pond. The temperature hovered around 21 degrees, snow covered the ground, and a brisk breeze made everything feel even colder.

Despite the miserable weather, I gladly welcomed back the red-winged blackbirds. I imagine that the day improved for the birds as temperatures gradually rose. By the time I got home, the snow that had fallen the previous night had almost melted, but the blackbirds had departed.

Spring is getting closer. The red-winged blackbirds are proof, one that I’m greedily grasping as I continue wishing for warmer weather and more spring arrivals among our feathered friends. Everyone thinks the first American robin is the herald of spring. I’ve always depended on red-winged blackbirds as spring harbingers.

After posting about my sighting of the blackbirds on Facebook, Erwin resident Amy Tipton commented on my post.

“We spotted some in our backyard over the weekend and then again today,” she wrote. “A very welcome sight!”

Bryan Stevens • The male red-winged blackbird has an apt common name.

I’ve long associated red-winged blackbirds as a sign indicating progress toward spring. The visitors I saw recently are probably the vanguard of large numbers of red-winged blackbirds that return in impressive numbers every March.

The showy and loud red-winged blackbirds make themselves at home at my fish pond and adjacent stands of cattails, producing quite a commotion. “The kon-ke-ree song of the male red-winged blackbird is a sure indication that spring is on the way,” according to a profile of the species located at the Tennessee Watchable Wildlife website. At this time of year, the male red-winged blackbirds seek elevated perches to display and vocalize.

Red-winged blackbirds are tied to the rhythms of wetlands. In these environments, they are common birds. In Northeast Tennessee, any stands of cattails in a marshy area is likely to attract at least a few members of this species.

The male red-winged blackbird is a very aptly named. Glossy black males sport red wing patches that are often trimmed with a narrow band of yellow feathers. By contrast, female red-winged blackbirds are mostly brown birds that could easily be mistaken for large sparrows. Both sexes have sharply pointed bills.

Bryan Stevens • A male red-winged blackbird sings from a post.

At my home, red-winged blackbirds are fond of visiting my feeders. They will feast on sunflower, suet cakes, or both when they’re available.

These active, noisy birds apparently love company. Red-winged blackbirds roost in flocks throughout the year, according to the website All About Birds. The website also noted that winter flocks can be especially impressive, consisting of congregations of several million birds, including other blackbird species and starlings.

All About Birds also noted that the oldest red-winged blackbird on record lived to be at least 15 years and nine months old. The bird, originally banded in New Jersey in 1967, was found alive, but injured in 1983. The good news? The bird recovered from its injuries and, in all likelihood, continued to live in U.S. wetlands, adding some more longevity to its lengthy lifespan.

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

 

Welcoming the blues: Inviting bluebirds into your life

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The Eastern bluebird is one of the most beloved American songbirds.

As we turn the calendar page from February to March, it’s usually cause for optimism. After some serious wintry weather in January and February, I’m getting my hopes up that winter’s worst is waning.

Regardless, some of our feather friends are already acting like spring has sprung. Perhaps it’s simply confusion caused by days that can veer from sunny, short-sleeve conditions to frigid snowstorms, but I tend to trust the instincts of our fine feathered friends.

One prominent bird in recent days has been the Eastern bluebird. I’ve heard male bluebirds singing whenever I venture outdoors. It’s no surprise. Bluebirds begin to scout for nesting locations as early as February, if not sooner. Especially on sunny mornings, male Eastern bluebirds produce their enthusiastic, warbling song even if there’s been a touch of frost overnight.

The Eastern bluebird is one of North America’s best-known cavity-nesting birds. About 85 species of North American birds use cavities in trees for nesting purposes. Cavity-nesting birds include ducks, such as buffleheads and wood ducks, as well as birds of prey such as Eastern screech-owls and American kestrels. Woodpeckers and nuthatches can excavate their own cavity in a dead or decaying tree.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A male Eastern Bluebird perched on playground equipment at Winged Deer Park in Johnson City.

Due to compassion on the part of human landlords, bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds don’t have to rely solely on natural cavities, which can be scarce real estate subject to some intense competition.

It’s easy to provide a nest box for bluebirds. When it comes to choosing a nesting cavity or a manmade bird box, male bluebirds take the lead, investigating and exploring potential sites before introducing females to the chosen real estate. If she accepts his choice, she will build the nest.

Tree cavities and bird boxes can also find use by bluebirds for secure locations for roosting overnight. According to the website Tennessee Watchable Wildlife, observers have documented bluebirds using nest boxes to stay warm during cold winter nights, packing eight to 12 individuals into one box. With the generated body heat from all those birds, I imagine that was one cozy box!

The website also noted that the oldest known Eastern bluebird in the wild reached an age of 10 years and six months. Given that most songbird live fairly short lives, that was quite an achievement.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A female Eastern Bluebird is shown with a beakful of pine needles gathered for nest construction.

For those interested in becoming bluebird landlords, check out nest box designs at the Tennessee Watchable Wildlife website. Several different nest box designs are available at the profile for the Eastern bluebird at tnwatchablewildlife.org.

If you’re not a do-it-yourself individuals, most lawn and garden centers, farm supply stores and speciality bird shops carry readymade bluebird boxes for purchase.

In addition to housing, food and water can be used to lure Eastern bluebirds closer. This bird doesn’t eat seeds, but it can be attracted with an offering of mealworms — live or freeze-dried – or commercially prepared peanut butter nuggets or suet cakes. A water feature in a yard is also a magnet for bluebirds and a variety of other bird species.

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

Photo by Bryan Stevens
Eastern Bluebirds are year-round residents in Northeast Tennessee.

Nuthatches live topsy-turvy existence among fellow backyard birds

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The power of flight gives most birds a perfectly valid reason to disregard the law

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A white-breasted nuthatch clings to the bark of a tree.

of gravity. A tree-clinging family of birds known as nuthatches live an even more topsy-turvy lifestyle than many other of their winged kin. Nuthatches often prefer a headfirst stance as they search for food in the nooks and crannies of tree trunks and branches.

The United States is home to four species of nuthatches: white-breasted, red-breasted, brown-headed and pygmy. White-breasted nuthatches are probably the most familiar nuthatch to backyard birders in this area.

These birds are named “nuthatch” for the habit of some species to wedge a large seed in a crack and hack at it with their strong bills. I like to refer to them as “upside-down birds” because gravity doesn’t seem much of a factor in their daily lives. They are content to walk headfirst down a tree trunk or probe the underside of a large branch. It must give them an interesting perspective on the world around them.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A white-breasted nuthatch grabs a single seed from a feeder.

Because of their gravity-defying antics, the white-breasted nuthatch and other members of the family can provide hours of entertainment at our bird feeders. That was certainly the case during the recent bouts of snow, ice and cold temperatures inflicted on our region by successive winter storms.

White-breasted nuthatches will follow a single-minded path along the trunk of a tree or a branch on the way to a feeder. An individual nuthatch rarely varies from this path. It’s amusing to watch the jerky progress along the trunk as this bird prepares for a flight to a feeder holding sunflower seeds or a hanging wire basket of suet.

At my home, nuthatches typically remain aloof from the rivalry always ongoing between the chickadees and titmice. The white-breasted nuthatch is mostly a no-nonsense visitor. Rarely distracted by disturbances among other birds, this nuthatch is content to grab a seed and go or hang on to the wire frame of a suet basket and peck off chunks of suet.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A window strike left this white-breasted nuthatch temporarily grounded.

The stubby red-breasted nuthatch is another member of the family that occasionally finds its way to our yards. Smaller than the related white-breasted nuthatch and, as far as I can tell, complacent in the company of chickadees and titmice, the red-breasted nuthatch is always a welcome visitor. It has a tell-tale “yank yank” call that it produces when excited that sounds very much like tiny tin horns. The red-breasted nuthatch, perhaps because it spends so much of the year in more remote areas, can also be amazingly tame when it pays a winter visit.

Both of these nuthatches can be attracted to feeders by offering peanuts, sunflower seeds and suet. They are also cavity-nesting birds, but are more reluctant about accepting a nesting box as a place to rear young. They will gladly accept an old woodpecker hole or other natural cavity in a tree.

The brown-headed nuthatch is a specialist of pine woodlands throughout the southeastern United States, favoring loblolly-shortleaf pines and longleaf-slash pines. This nuthatch requires standing dead trees for nesting and roosting. They forage for food, however, on live pines. The birds are more abundant in older pine stands. This small nuthatch is not at all common in the region, but there are some records. I’ve had much better luck finding the brown-headed nuthatch during visits to coastal South Carolina or suburban Atlanta in Georgia. In these southern locations, it can be a quite common bird.

I also want to complete my list of North American nuthatches by adding the fourth species — pygmy nuthatch — to my life list. I have made two trips to western North America, where this species ranges, but haven’t managed to find this bird. Both the pygmy and brown-headed are among the smallest members of the nuthatch family.

On the other end of the size scale is the appropriately named giant nuthatch, which reaches a length of almost eight inches. The giant nuthatch ranges through China, Thailand and Burma. This nuthatch is bigger than a downy woodpecker, another common visitor at backyard feeders in our region.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • White-breasted nuthatches are faithful feeder visitors.

Worldwide, there are about 25 species of nuthatches, some of which have surprisingly descriptive names for birds that spend most of their lives creeping in obscurity along the trunks and branches of trees. Some of the more creative common names for these little birds include beautiful nuthatch, blue nuthatch, velvet-fronted nuthatch, sulphur-billed nuthatch, chestnut-bellied nuthatch, snowy-browed nuthatch and chestnut-vented nuthatch.

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

Canvasback visits often correspond with frigid temperatures

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Clayton Ferrell/USFWS • Male canvasbacks cut a regal profile that makes them quite distinct from other species of ducks. Several of these impressive ducks made a recent winter stopover at the pond at Erwin Fishery Park.

The one-two punch of recent winter storms that slammed through the region appears to have brought some unusual ducks with them.

At an online meeting of the Elizabethton Bird Club, Rick Knight noted that a species of duck know as a canvasback has turned up in numerous locations throughout the region.

Erwin resident Joe McGuiness, a fellow member of the Elizabethton Bird Club, called me on Feb. 10 to let me know that some of those visiting canvasbacks have made a stopover at the large pond at Erwin Fishery Park. These majestic ducks remained at the pond long enough for me to see them for myself on Feb. 11.

Over the years this pond had been a magnet for waterfowl. I’ve seen numerous ducks, including bufflehead, ring-necked duck, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, redhead, American wigeon, Northern pintail, scaup and gadwall, as well as several species of geese, including Canada goose, cackling goose, snow goose and Ross’s goose. I’ve also observed pied-billed grebe, horned grebe, double-crested cormorant, belted kingfisher and other birds that are associated with water.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Canvasbacks on the Watauga River during a previous winter season.

Canvasbacks can fairly be described as rare visitors.The last time I saw canvasbacks at this pond was in February of 2024. I recall a small flock of canvasbacks and redheads also spent several weeks at this pond in January and February of 2014.

Some birds hold special meaning with me. Although it is a natural question for a bird lover to be asked, I have difficulty pinpointing a single bird as my favorite. One of my overall favorite birds is the Northern cardinal. Among the summer-visiting warblers, the hooded warbler has long been my favorite. With shorebirds, the marbled godwit has long been at the top of my rankings. My favorite bird of prey is the American kestrel or, as I first learned of this raptor in the little “Golden Guide to Birds,” the sparrow hawk. Among owls, I have a soft spot for Eastern screech-owls. I have a favorite duck, too. It’s the canvasback.

I think several factors make canvasbacks special. First and foremost, they don’t show up every winter. It often takes some seriously cold weather to force them into landlocked Tennessee. A male canvasback is also one of our more regal birds. The male has a distinctive profile enhanced by a sloping bill that instantly distinguishes it from other ducks. Males, or drakes, have chestnut-red heads, white bodies, black breasts and rears and bright red eyes. The distinctive bill is also black. Females, like many other ducks, are drab and brown but they share the male’s distinctive sloping bill, helping to separate them from such relatives as female redheads.

I saw my first canvasback in the mid 1990s during a winter visit with my parents to Wilbur Lake near Elizabethton, Tennessee. We always liked visiting this small reservoir during the colder months to view the buffleheads and any other ducks that happened to visit this small mountain lake. On this particular occasion, a flock of redheads had also arrived. While viewing these ducks, we noticed a member of the flock that looked different from the others. Specifically, it was larger and whiter than the redheads. After a brief consultation with my copy of Roger Tory Peterson’s “A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America,” I identified my very first canvasback.

Since that time, I’ve observed canvasbacks at other locations in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. It’s been awhile, but I have observed these ducks at Osceola Island Recreation Area below Holston Dam and at Musick’s Campground at South Holston Lake. I’ve also observed canvasbacks on the Watauga River in Elizabethton and on the Holston River in Kingsport. I saw eight canvasbacks on Feb. 22, 2015, on the Watauga River, not very far from where I saw my very first one back in the 1990s. The flock, which consisted of all males, represented a rather high number for this duck in the region.

Donna A. Dewhurst/USFWS • While lacking a male’s distinctive coloration, a female canvasback does bear the dark sloping bill.

Canvasback nest in North American prairie potholes across the United States, including Alaska, as well as Canada. I encountered canvasbacks during a visit to Utah in 2008. A rainy season in the state had produced an abundance of flooded fields and temporary ponds that attracted these ducks and other waterfowl.

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

Chasing Zunzun: Bahamas cruise resulted in sightings of flying gems

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Photo by Pixabay • A Cuban emerald, a species of hummingbird native to Cuba and the Bahamas, perches and surveys its surroundings.

Continuing to bring you some vintage columns, I dug deep into my archives. I’ve traveled outside the United States on only one occasion from Jan. 22-24, 1999, during a family vacation. Sightseeing and shopping took a backseat to birding during a three-day cruise in the Bahamas. I fully documented my sightings in a “Feathered Friends” column published Feb. 14, 1999.

Two scheduled shore excursions during the cruise gave me opportunities to search for birds.

Two hummingbird species can be found in the Bahamas. The Cuban emerald, as its name suggests, is found in Cuba. It’s also found on several islands in the Bahamas. These dazzling birds are found in thickets and woodlands, as well as parks and gardens.

Another hummingbird species, the Bahama woodstar, is found nowhere else in the world.

Without much difficulty, I observed both species during my visit to the Bahamas. My observation of Cuban emeralds took place on Castaway Cay, a small island owned by Disney and reserved for use by those traveling aboard its cruise ships. Much of the island had been kept in a natural state with walking trails perfect for looking for birds. While others enjoyed the beach, I set off with my binoculars on the trails.

My mother and I observed a pair of Cuban emeralds that appeared to be a mother and her male offspring. On two occasions, we watched the female approach the young male for a feeding session. The young bird opened his bill in a wide gape and the female plunged her own long bill into his throat. The spectacle looked rather fearsome, but that’s how hummingbirds feed their young. I’ve observed one of our native ruby-throated hummingbird feeding her young in the same manner. Experts who have researched hummers insist there’s no danger that a mother hummingbird will skewer her offspring.

Photo by Daniel Stuhlpfarrer/Pixabay • The Cuban emerald is a vibrant hummingbird of the Caribbean.

The young male being fed put on quite a show. He appeared almost completely lacking in fear and allowed me to approach within inches of his perch. At times, he also exhibited his own curiosity and buzzed around my head and face for a better look of his own.

His mother, not quite as confiding, kept her distance. She perched on branches about 15 feet off the ground. She observed us, but she never descended to feed the young male unless we withdrew to a comfortable distance.

I learned later that my brother and sister-in-law saw some Cuban emeralds at another location on the island, leading me to suspect that the Cuban emerald may be quite common on Castaway Cay in the Bahamas.

Male Cuban emeralds sport an iridescent green throat and breast with a long forked tail, white undertail feathers, and a long thin bill that is black on top and reddish-pink on the underside. Females look similar to males except with green upperparts along with a grayish throat and breast, and a slightly shorter and less forked tail.

The term “emerald” describes many different species of hummingbirds. In the Caribbean, this family includes Hispaniolan emerald and Puerto Rican emerald. These hummingbirds belong to the genus Chlorostilbon, which is Greek for “green glitter,” a perfect description of the metallic green appearance of their feathers. Since my writing of the original column, experts have reconsidered the classification of the Cuban emerald. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 and a 2017 publication, the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society moved the species to the resurrected genus Riccordia. The Cuban emerald’s scientific name is now Riccordia ricordii.

Prior to seeing the Cuban emeralds I got a brief but close look at a male Bahama woodstar visiting hibiscus and other flowers in a garden surrounding a swimming pool at a resort in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas located on New Providence Island.

The Bahama woodstar bears a resemblance to our own ruby-throated hummingbird. Male Bahama wood stars boast a reddish-purple throat, green upperparts and a white breast bordered by a tinge of rufous. The bird’s forked tail feathers are also trimmed with rufous color. Males and females have a white spot behind each eye. They also have black bills that curved downward slightly at the tip.

The Bahama woodstar, which is roughly the same size as a ruby-throated hummingbird, is a member of the genus Calliphlox, which is Greek for “beautiful flame.” Since my original writing of this column, the classification of the Bahama woodstar changed after a 2014 study.

A former subspecies of the Bahama woodstar has been made its own species. The Bahama woodstar itself was moved into a new genus and given the scientific name Nesophlox evelynae. That former subspecies was upgraded to full species status and is known as the Inagua woodstar (Nesophlox lyrura), also called the lyre-tailed hummingbird. The species is endemic to the two islands of the Inagua district of the Bahamas.

It’s the Bahama woodstar that occurs in Nassau, so the species I saw in 1999 was truly the Bahama woodstar. The good news is that if I ever travel to the Great or Little Inagua islands in the Bahama archipelago I will have a chance to add a third species of Bahama hummingbird to my life list.

There are many other species of woodstars, including the little woodstar of South America, the purple-throated woodstar restricted to the west slope of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador, and the endangered Chilean woodstar.

There are about 360 species of hummingbirds, all found in the New World and reaching their greatest diversity in Central and South America.

Both Cuban emeralds and Bahama Woodstars have strayed into nearby Florida, so it is possible to observe these two species outside of the Bahamas. Experts have speculated that the Inagua woodstar had very likely also strayed into Florida.

I’ll always remember my trip to the Bahamas and the opportunity to chase after zunzún, which is a Spanish word, particularly used in the Caribbean, for hummingbird. I greatly enjoyed my observations of the two hummingbird species I observed in the Bahamas. These sightings remain among my most memorable in my nearly four decades of birding.

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

 

Use autumn to get ready for bird-feeding season

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Bryan Stevens • A female Northern cardinal visits a hanging platform feeder for a winter meal of sunflower seeds.

I’ve enjoyed a decent amount of activity in my yard this fall, enjoying visits from ruby-throated hummingbirds and American goldfinches as well as brown thrashers and gray catbirds. I’ve also glimpsed a few warblers. As much as I enjoy fall, crowding into my awareness is the fact that cold weather will soon be with us again.

Even that fact, however, is not totally unwelcome. Winter’s a fine season for peering through the windows at the birds that flock to feeders. So, with the winter season looming just around the corner, now might be a good time to take some steps to make your yard and feeders more attractive and welcoming to our feathered friends.

Photo Courtesy of Byron Tucker
A Rose-breasted Grosbeak joins a Red-bellied Woodpecker at a feeder in Atlanta.

Seeing all the activity in my yard during fall migration made me want to ensure that it remains attractive for those birds that choose to eke out a living during the colder months of the year in our region.

Here are a few suggestions of things to do this fall to make your winter bird feeding more productive. It’s better to do these outdoor chores now before winter truly put a nip in the air.

• Plant native trees that bear fruit. Autumn’s a recommended planting time for many trees, so consider checking with a local nursery about the selection of such native trees as American holly, serviceberry and red mulberry. It’s always good to select trees that provide fruit at different seasons to maximize the appeal of your plantings to birds. A flock of American robins or cedar waxwings, or even a pair of Northern mockingbirds, can quickly strip berries from a holly tree when conditions turn snowy and icy.

• Build or refurbish a brush pile. Fall’s a season for pruning, so take those discarded limbs and twigs to construct a protective shelter for songbirds. Shy birds that naturally avoid open spaces can be coaxed closer to feeders by having access to a tangle of sticks and brush. A brush pile offers a degree of protection should songbirds at your feeder need to find a quick hiding place when a hawk or other predator makes an unexpected appearance.

• Evaluate feeders. The winter season brings snow, ice and a flurry of renewed interest in bird feeders, so now is the time to clean and replace feeders. The elements are not always kind on feeders, so when it becomes apparent that a feeder is in poor condition, consider replacing it with a new one. It’s also important to give feeders a thorough cleaning. Using a mild bleach solution will help disinfect them and make feeding from them safe for our feathered friends. Just be sure to rinse throughly and then dry the feeder before hanging it back out.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Field guides are an essential tool for bird identification.

• Take some steps to increase your enjoyment of the birds coming to your feeders. Invest in a good bird identification guide or app. I am a fan of a good field guide that I can hold in my hands while thumbing through the pages, but I know that many people prefer the convenience of an app that’s accessible through their smartphone. Some popular apps would include the Audubon Bird Guide, eBird and Merlin Bird ID. Some of my recommended field guides include Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America and The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. Identifying birds congregated in the winter at a feeder is often easier than trying to track them through the green canopy during the other seasons. Of course, you’ll want to be aware that some birds wear different plumages during the winter months. The guides and apps can help with these identification challenges.

• Upgrade your optics. Place a pair of binoculars on your Christmas list. Bring the birds closer to you with a reliable pair of binoculars. It will make all the difference.

• Don’t take down the sugar water feeders just yet. Although ruby-throated hummingbirds almost all depart in early October, other species of hummingbirds normally found in the western United States have reliably made appearances in the region in October, November and other winter months. Through the years, I have seen several of these seemingly out-of-place hummingbirds. Some of them remain at their host’s feeders for a brief stay of a few days or a couple of weeks, but some of these hummingbirds have extended their stay for several months, lingering throughout the winter months before eventually departing in February or March. The big question concerns whether these hummingbirds are truly lost and out of place. The answer, based on everything I have managed to learn, is that these hummingbirds are precisely where they want to be. For still unknown reasons, some of these western hummingbirds make a migration swing through the eastern United States. One thing is certain: You won’t see one of these “strays” unless you keep out a feeder with fresh sugar water. It’s not that difficult. After all, the ants and wasps that made a nuisance of themselves during warmer temperatures are no longer active. If it gets too cold, you can always move your feeders inside at night and put back outdoors at daylight. If you do happen to attract a winter hummingbird, please let me know. I love helping to document these rare visitors.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birders and birding since 1995. Share sightings, ask questions or make a comment by emailing him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Male and female purple finches share space at a feeder.

Late summer offers interesting birding opportunities for birders

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Photo by Steven Arnold/Pixabay • A great blue heron attempts to get a handle on a snake in preparation for swallowing its serpentine prey.

A pair of Carolina wrens has taken advantage of what was meant to be the temporary storage of some boxes on the front porch to claim the interior of one of the cardboard containers as a nesting location.

In the latter days of summer, usually a lackluster period for birdwatching, there are still some interesting behaviors or actions on the part of our feathered friends to provide some points of interest.

Wrens already have a reputation for nesting in some unusual locations. My introduction to the Carolina wren took place in my childhood when a pair of these wrens nested in an old apron my grandmother used as a bag for her clothespins. Other unusual locations for wren nests that I have found over the years included the interior of a plastic shopping bag hanging from a nail in my garage and an attempt to nest in the exhaust vent for my clothes dryer. I’ve also seen them nest in hanging flower baskets.

Photo by Jean Potter • A Carolina wren creeps along a fence.

The world’s 88 species of wrens are, for the most part, the quintessential “little brown birds,” but that hasn’t kept them from acquiring some interesting and descriptive common names. Some examples include the tooth-billed wren, flutist wren, riverside wren, whiskered wren, happy wren, musician wren, timberline wren, speckle-breasted wren, white-breasted wood wren and giant wren. The last species on the list resides in Mexico and is indeed a “giant” among a family of tiny birds, reaching a length of almost nine inches and weighing all of 1.8 ounces.

I’ve also been monitoring a great blue heron lurking along the creek that flows past my home. A collapsed foot bridge (thanks to Helene) still spans the creek and provided, at least from the heron’s perspective, a means of concealment from my prying eyes when I stepped onto the front porch. The heron ducked under the bridge and slowly stepped downstream, out of sight and presumably what the bird thought would be out of mind. But I tricked the heron, stepping back inside the house and waiting for It to reappear. I stepped into view again and the heron, instead of taking flight, repeated its earlier actions, skirting beneath the bridge and wading downstream. I could probably have continued this game of peek-a-boo, but I felt that I had imposed on the heron long enough. The bird evidently desired to try its luck fishing upstream beneath a shady overhang of branches from trees growing along the creek banks. I stepped back inside, peeked out a window and watched the heron move in a slow, stately manner, but this time the bird headed up the creek.

All herons are skillful anglers, so I am confident that the bird probably managed to catch an unwary frog or fish. As the tallest heron in North America, the great blue heron boasts a diverse diet. These birds, armed with a dagger-shaped bill, excellent vision and quick reflexed, prey on rodents, amphibians, snakes, fish and even small alligators. Basically, a great blue heron will eat anything it can swallow.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A great blue heron’s quick reflexed and dagger-like bill make it a formidable predator.

Other herons around the world with descriptive names include purple heron, white-bellied heron, black-headed heron, great-billed heron, whistling heron, pied heron and Goliath heron. The latter, as its name suggests, is a giant among herons.

There’s more to report on the birding front. Hummingbird numbers are on the rise again. After the usual summer lull, the resident ruby-throated hummingbirds have raised their profile, visiting daily at feeders as well as blooming flowers. Female hummingbirds have had time to raise their young. In fact, many of the hummingbirds visiting your yards and gardens at this time of year are probably birds born earlier in the season. In a couple of months these young birds will make their inaugural migration across the Gulf of Mexico to reach winter grounds in Central America. Until that time, hang a sugar water feeder, grab a lawn chain and enjoy the hours of no-cost entertainment provided by these feisty, flying gems.

So, although the summer doldrums do make birds scarce at times, just know that they’re still out there. In the meantime, nature offers plenty of other engaing wildlife. During the day, it’s fun to look for butterflies and dragonflies. After dark, there’s always moths and lightning bugs.

Keep in mind, it’s not always the visuals. For instance, the past couple of nights I’ve enjoyed listening to an Eastern screech-owl’s nocturnal serenade with its trembling wailing call that gives this small owl its name.

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Bryan Stevens has been writing about birds and birding since 1995. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com to share a sighting, make a comment or ask a question.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A ruby-throated hummingbird visits a feeder for a sip of sugar water.

 

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.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds stage their spring return to region

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Bryan Stevens • A male ruby-throated hummingbird perches on a sugar water feeder.

In an article posted on March 27, Journey North, an organization and website that tracks migrating hummingbirds, announced that so far this spring, bird-watchers in 12 states had reported ruby-throated hummingbirds, but it’s still early in the season.

“So far, we have one sighting each in Kentucky and Tennessee and two in Arkansas, but we’re expecting more in the coming weeks,” noted the blog post by Journey North.

One week later, hummingbirds arrived in locations in Unicoi County, Carter County and Washington County in Northeast Tennessee.

Journey North is a citizen science project that engages citizen scientists in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. It’s a fun way to track the migration of everything from hummingbirds to butterflies like monarchs.

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“Hummingbirds are here!” Beverly King, a resident on Marbleton Road in Unicoi, wrote in an email. “We saw our first hummingbird today, Saturday, April 5.”

Beverly noted that she was excited to see hummingbirds slightly early this year.

“We usually see them about the 15th of the month,” she added. “Well, my feeders are now up. We could not tell if it was a female or a male.”

Bryan Stevens • A female ruby-throated hummingbird perches on a feeder.

 

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Erwin resident Amy Tipton sent me a Facebook message announcing that her parents had enjoyed a visit from a returning hummingbird.

“My parents, Edison and Emma Jean Wallin, had their first hummingbird of the season visit today, Saturday, April 5 at 4:30,” Amy wrote. “They live about a mile up Limestone Cove in Unicoi.”

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Dianne Draper in Jonesborough shared on my Facebook page about her first hummingbirds of the season.

“Our first ones showed up on April 5,” she noted. “We had two.”

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I’ve already seen my first hummingbird, as well. I have a bed of tulips blooming at my home. I planted them last fall and have been thrilled with their performance. I was outdoors admiring the tulips when I heard a brief but tantalizing buzzing noise. Although I scanned all around me, I failed to confirm that I’d heard a hummingbird.

A half hour later, however, while reading on my front porch, I saw my first hummingbird of 2025 when a male zipped up to one of my sugar water feeders. He returned twice while I stayed outdoors reading on a misty afternoon. He arrived at 4:14 p.m. on Sunday, April 6.

In 2024, I saw my first hummingbird on April 17 at 7:15 p.m. This year’s bird is certainly arriving earlier than is typical, but I was thrilled to see him.

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Gayle Riddervold, who lives only a few miles from my home on Simerly Creek Road in Hampton, reported that she and Becky Kinder saw their first spring hummingbird on April 8.

“We just saw our first hummingbird today,” Gayle wrote in a Facebook message. “Yesterday we saw a belted kingfisher on our road.”

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Brookie and Jean Potter, residents at Wilbur Lake in Elizabethton, sent me a text about the arrival of their first spring hummingbird on Wednesday, April 9, at 5:45 p.m.

They added, “It came back to feed again around 7 p.m.”

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Technically, TD, a follower of my “Our Fine Feathered Friends” blog, provided the earliest report of a hummingbird this spring. Of course, TD has the benefit of living in Texas, close to the Gulf of Mexico that these tiny birds must cross to return to the United States each spring.

The bird TD spotted arrived on Wednesday March 26, at 2:34 p.m. central time.

“A ruby-throated hummingbird male stopped at my feeder on my front porch a mile from Corpus Christi Bay after an hour of a rain shower,” TD wrote in a comment.

TD also reported that Corpus Christi has been in a drought so severe that residents have not been allowed to water outside since last fall.

TD’s hummingbird arrived with the first rainfall in more than two months.

“So I was watching the lovely rain when this hummingbird perched onto my hummingbird feeder,” TD wrote. “I have a very large window and hang four hummingbird feeders along the front porch.”

TD noted that the male’s iridescent ruby red around his neck resembled a scarf. “I named him Texas Tuxedo,” TD shared.

TD also saw a female hummingbird on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:15 a.m.

TD said the female hummer acted shy and fluttered around the feeder before feeling safe to perch for feeding.

It’s usually the case that females lag behind males in their annual migration back to the United States.

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male ruby-throated hummingbird perches at a feeder for a sip of sugar water.

The hummingbirds are an amazing family of birds. There are an estimated 330 species of hummingbirds, all of which are found in the New World. Consider that these dazzling little birds have been given vividly descriptive names, such as cinnamon-throated hermit, red-tailed comet, blue-chinned sapphire, lazuline sabrewing, sparkling violetear, fiery topaz, green-tailed goldenthroat, bronze-tailed plumeleteer, amethyst-throated mountain-gem, peacock coquette, red-billed emerald, empress brilliant, purple-backed sunbeam, green-backed hillstar, orange-throated sunangel, black metaltail, marvelous spatuletail and blue-tufted starthroat.

The only hummingbird species to inhabit the eastern United States from spring to fall each year is the ruby-throated hummingbird, which is currently arriving at various points from Florida to Maine and westward to states like Illinois, Minnesota and Oklahoma and north into Canada.

To return each year, ruby-throated hummingbirds make an awe-inspiring and non-stop crossing of the Gulf of Mexico. Even more incredible, they make the trip again in the fall when they return to warmer locations in Central America to spend the winter months.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds lead relatively brief lives. The oldest known ruby-throated hummingbird was a female, according to the website All About Birds. She was at least 9 years, 2 months old when she was recaptured and rereleased in 2014 during banding operations in West Virginia.

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These shared sightings represent some of the “early bird” sightings of hummingbirds. I welcome more reports as other people continue to observe returning hummingbirds. Email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com or find me on Facebook to share your sightings. Provide a date and time, if possible. Good luck with the hummingbird watching.