Tag Archives: The Erwin Record

Column started 31 years ago with profile of juncos

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A dark-eyed junco huddles inside a sheltered feeder during a winter snowstorm.

I published my first “Feathered Friends” on Sunday, Nov. 5, 1995.

That’s 31 years of writing about birds, birding and birders. In celebration of that milestone, here’s that first column with a few revisions that have been added over the years.

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Of all the birds associated with winter weather, few are as symbolic as the dark-eyed junco, or “snow bird.” The junco occurs in several geographic variations.

John V. Dennis, author of “A Complete Guide to Bird Feeding,” captures the essence of the junco in the following description: “Driving winds and swirling snow do not daunt this plucky bird. The coldest winter days see the junco as lively as ever and with a joie de vivre that bolsters our sagging spirits.”

The dark-eyed junco’s scientific name, hyemalis, is New Latin for “wintry,” an apt description of this bird.

Most people look forward to the spring return of some of our brilliant birds — warblers, tanagers and orioles — and I must admit that I also enjoy the arrival of these birds. The junco, in comparison to some of these species, is not in the same league. Nevertheless, the junco is handsome in its slate gray and white plumage, giving rise to the old saying “dark skies above, snow below.”

Just as neotropical migrants make long distance journeys twice a year, the junco is also a migrating species. But in Appalachia, the junco is a special type of migrant. Most people think of birds as “going south for the winter.” In a basic sense this is true. But some juncos do not undertake a long horizontal (the scientific term) migration from north to south. Instead, these birds merely move from high elevations, such as the spruce fir peaks, to the lower elevations. This type of migration is known as vertical migration. Other juncos, such as those that spend their breeding season in northern locales, do make a southern migration and, at times, even mix with the vertical migrants.

During the summer months, a visit to higher elevations mountaintops is almost guaranteed to produce sightings of dark-eyed juncos. Juncos may nest as many as three times in a season. A female junco usually lays three to six eggs for each nest, which she constructs without any assistance from her mate.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A dark-eyed junco visits a decorative feeder for a meal of sunflower seeds.

Juncos are usually in residence around my home by early November. Once they make themselves at home I can expect to play host to them until at least late April or early May of the following year. So, for at least six months, the snow bird is one of the most common and delightful feeder visitors a bird enthusiast could want.

Juncos flock to feeders where they are rather mild-mannered — except among themselves. There are definite pecking orders in a junco flock, and females are usually on the lower tiers of the hierarchy. Females can sometimes be distinguished from males because of their paler gray or even brown upper plumage.

Since juncos are primarily ground feeders they tend to shun hanging feeders. But one winter I observed a junco that had mastered perching on a hanging “pine cone” feeder to enjoy a suet and peanut butter mixture.

Dark-eyed juncos, widespread across North America, readily visit feeder but are often content to glean the scraps other birds knock to the ground. The junco is the most common species of bird to visit feeding stations. They will sample a variety of fare, but prefer such seeds as millet, cracked corn or black oil sunflower.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Dark-eyed junco nests on high mountain slopes during the summer month. This dark-eyed junco was photographed at Carver’s Gap on Roan Mountain during the summer nesting season.

The juncos are a small branch of the sparrow clan. Some of the other juncos include the endangered Guadalupe junco, yellow-eyed junco, Baird’s junco and volcano junco. The last one on the list is endemic to the Talamancan montane forests of Costa Rica and western Panama.

The endangered Guadalupe junco is confined to an island. Recent efforts to eliminate feral goats and cats from the island have shown some positive results for this species.

Baird’s junco is named for Spencer Fullerton Baird, an American ornithologist and naturalist. Baird served as secretary for the Smithsonian Institution from 1878 until his death in 1887. He greatly expanded the natural history collections of the Smithsonian from 6,000 specimens in 1850 to over two million by the time of his death.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to juncos. There’s something about winter that makes a junco’s dark and light garb an appropriate and even striking choice, particularly against a backdrop of newly fallen snow.

Of course, the real entertainment value of juncos comes from their frequent visits to our backyard feeders. When these birds flock to a feeder and begin a frenzied bout of feeding, I don’t even have to glance skyward or tune in the television weather forecast. I know what they know. Bad weather is on the way!

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I’ve not seen the first junco of the season, but it does usually take a wintry turn in the weather to bring these birds to feeders. If you’d like to share your first sighting this season of dark-eyed juncos, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

As always, the column is also a line of communication with fellow bird enthusiasts. I’ve enjoyed sharing stories about birds with countless readers over the past 31 years. I can also be reached on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Dark-eyed juncos are often driven to feeders after a bout of wintry weather. 

 

Something to crow about: Corvus brachyrhynchos one smart bird

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Warren Bielenberg/NPS • An American crow perches on a fence post. These birds are considered remarkably intelligent by scientists.

There’s something rather autumnal about watching a flock of American crows glean the last scattered kernels of corn from a harvested field as one of the flock stands sentry and ready to utter the alarm with some guttural “caws” should anything potentially threatening appear on the scene.

Crows are such a part of the landscape that they would almost escape our notice if they didn’t come with centuries of accumulated baggage that makes us distrust them and suspect their every action.

American crows and their kin, albeit unfairly, have often been painted darkly because of their black plumage. These fascinating birds are worth a second look and not just during the Halloween season. While seeking birds far afield, I have occasionally spotted some innovative scarecrows standing guard in gardens and agricultural fields. I’m not sure if anyone still erects these human effigies for their original purpose of warding off crows and other feathered agricultural pests. These days, scarecrows likely serve an ornamental purpose and are often part of a yard’s whimsical Halloween or autumn decorations.

Photo by Bryan Stevens / A trio of American crows forages on a grassy lawn.

The crow, largely thanks to its glossy black feathers, but perhaps also with a nod to its avian intelligence, has long been associated with Halloween. Greeting cards and holiday decorations often feature depictions of bats, owls and black cats, as well as the inevitable crow and the accompanying scarecrow.

With a brain about as big as a man’s thumb, the crow is renowned among ornithologists and other scientists for its keen intelligence. Crows are not fooled for a second by the charade of a straw-stuffed, brainless friend of Dorothy propped in a field. I recently heard an expert refer to crows and their kin as “feathered apes” to emphasize their intelligence.

The intelligence of this bird has long been known. Early American naturalist William Bartram wrote about a crow named Tom in a highly entertaining essay titled “Anecdotes of an American Crow.” Bartram, who lived from 1739 to 1823, brought humorous observations and keen insight to his subject as he wrote about the joys — as well as tribulations — of living with Tom, a crow that enjoyed tormenting Bartram’s dog and purloining the writer’s spectacles and trying to hide them.

Photo by Bryan Stevens / Wary American crows survey their surroundings.

Bartram’s essay demonstrates that almost as soon as Europeans arrived in North America, some of those with a bent toward the natural world recognized the intelligence and amazing adaptability of the American crow. As well as writing about the natural world, Bartram earned widespread acclaim for his drawings of botanical and ornithological subjects. Tom, the featured crow in Bartram’s brief essay, certainly exhibited intelligence of an impressive degree. Not only did the crow steal his owner’s eyeglasses, he foiled Bartram’s first attempt to reclaim them. The story makes very humorous reading. To read Bartram’s account, visit http://www.geocities.ws/jswortham/crow.

What else have crows done down through the ages to gain such a dark and much undeserved reputation? It probably doesn’t help matters that a flock of crows is known as a “murder.” Ancient Greeks considered crows as omens, which often foretold death and other disasters. The warrior goddess known as the Morrighan from Celtic mythology often appears in the form of a crow or raven. She is also often portrayed as being accompanied by a group of these black-plumaged birds. Many Native American tribes revere crows as communicators between worlds. Crows have been documented using tools and solving problems, which shows an uncanny ability to analyze and strategize. The early Celtic people also noted and admired these traits in crows.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • An American crow harasses a soaring red-tailed hawk.

I think the Celts and Native tribes had the right idea. Crows are admirable birds for many reasons. For instance, they are very social birds, often forming family flocks. They may also form much larger flocks for the purpose of roosting. When nesting, this social behavior comes in useful for a mated pair. Offspring from previous successful nesting efforts often serve as helpers. In addition to gaining their own life experience on successful nesting and caring for chicks, these older siblings may protect the nest site from predators or even deliver food to fill hungry beaks and bellies.

While famous for their associations to humans and our agriculture, crows forage far beyond the cornfield for their food. Many crows scavenge road-killed wildlife, such as squirrels, opossums and rabbits. While they certainly don’t turn up their beaks at the notion of eating carrion, crows do so less often than birds such as turkey vultures, black vultures and the crow’s fellow corvid, the common raven.

Early naturalist and artist John James Audubon painted this American crow.

The kinship to the raven is evident, but even moderately experienced birders rarely confuse these similar species. The raven is a large bird with a heavy beak, a distinctive profile and a wedge-shaped tail. In a direct comparison with a raven, a crow looks downright puny. Both are members of the corvid family, which consists of 120 species including jays, rooks, magpies and jackdaws. Some of the world’s other crows include the descriptively named little crow, hooded crow, carrion crow, collared crow, long-billed crow and violet crow. While most of the world’s crows are thriving, the Hawaiian crow has been extinct in the wild since 2002, although the species still exists in captive-breeding programs in various zoos.

Thanks to its resourcefulness and intelligence, the crow is deserving of more respect and even admiration. The American crow is a uniquely American success story. If you’re looking to define crow, look more to Bartram’s story about Tom the crow and not the dark, misguided myths and legends about crows you may hear this Halloween. Long may the crows fly.

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Email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com to share sightings, ask questions or make comments.

Screech-owl call haunts autumn evenings

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Photo by Irene K-s/Pixabay.com
An Eastern screech owl keeps an eye on its surroundings.

I’ve enjoyed listening to frequent serenades from the Eastern screech-owls residing in the woods around my home. The small owl’s shivery wailing calls usually start around dusk and can continue at intervals throughout the night.

These small owls are not always content to wait for sunset. I’ve also heard “early bird” owls calling occasionally from shady wooded areas around my home. The owls tended to call more often during the daytime when conditions were overcast. I don’t even have to be outdoors to hear them. Om several recent evenings the calls of the local screech owls have drifted through the walls and windows as these small birds prowl the backyard.

I always pause and listen when I hear the wailing and haunting vocalizations of the screech-owls that make their home in the woodlands that surround my home. I’m glad to have this small owl as a neighbor, but I fully realize that owls have suffered from a dark reputation in certain corners. The fact is, unless you are a small rodent or some sort of insect-sized prey, the Eastern screech-owl makes an excellent addition to the neighborhood.

On the verge of Halloween, a closer look at this small owl is warranted. An adult Eastern screech-owl is usually only between six and nine inches in length. Many people upon first seeing a screech-owl assume it’s a baby owl. During past trips to Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, I have enjoyed attending the daily educational programs conducted by the attraction’s zoo staff. These programs are designed to introduce visitors to various examples of native wildlife. The presenter usually introduced a couple of animals to the audience. On several occasions, the show featured birds of prey, including hawks and owls.

Ray Shrewsberry/Pixabay • A red phase Eastern screech-owl clutches at a branch.

Two of the shows during my visit to Brookgreen back in 2019 featured Lucy, an Eastern screech-owl, and people in the audience invariably asked if she was a baby owl. To their astonishment, they learned that Lucy was an adult screech-owl and unlikely to grow any bigger.

There are larger owls in our region, including the great horned owl and barred owl. Lucy and her kin must avoid these much larger owls, which would not scruple at making a meal of their much smaller relative.

Because of their small size, screech-owls prey on some comparatively small creatures, including insects, small rodents, amphibians, songbirds and reptiles. The Eastern screech-owl is also a cavity-nesting bird and will accept bird boxes provided by humans so long as the box’s entrance hole is customized to their size.

The screech-owl is the owl most likely to encounter human beings. It’s an adaptable little feathered predator, just as much at home in the backyard and garden as it is in parks and woodlands. In addition to nesting in cavities, this owl roosts in them during the daytime hours. Look for roosting screech-owls in knotholes of trees or in unoccupied wood duck boxes. Although they come in two color phases — red and gray — both variations are quite capable of camouflage. When perched or roosting, these small owls blend into their surroundings with remarkable preciseness.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
An Eastern Screech-Owl perches in the branches of an Eastern hemlock.

The Eastern screech-owl also produces a variety of odd wails and other vocalizations including a distinctive, trembling “whinny” call that is often made when the owl feels curious or alarmed. It’s a wavering, haunting call that is made after dark, most often at the hours closer to dawn and dusk. Imitating the call of a screech-owl or playing a recording is also a trick for getting some shy songbirds to show themselves. Screech-owls are not-so-welcome co-habitants among my yard’s songbirds, which will flock to this owl’s call and band together to “mob” the predator and try to convince it to depart the vicinity.

As small as the Eastern screech-owl is, the United States is home to several other pint-sized owls, including Western screech-owl, Northern pygmy-owl, Northern saw-whet owl, flammulated owl and elf owl, which at six inches tall and a weight of less than an ounce qualifies as the world’s smallest owl.

Any time I finish listening to a calling owl and go back indoors for the evening, I reflect on the fact that screech-owls make good neighbors. Their prey preferences remove many nuisance insects and rodents from the habitat they share with humans as well as other wildlife. If you’re hearing an odd, winnowing call from the edge of the woods at your own home, there’s a good chance that you have one of these small owls as a neighbor.

Keep alert for these small owls and their larger kin as we observe this year’s Halloween holiday, as well as other days and nights throughout the year.

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

Photo by Bryan Stevens
An Eastern Screech-Owl at rest in a roosting hole in a large sycamore tree.

Fall Bird Count finds 121 species

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Photo by dbadry/Pixabay.com • Blue Jays often create food caches for acorns and other items. This jay is leaving a feeder with several peanuts thanks to an expandable esophagus.

The Elizabethton Bird Club’s 57th Fall Bird Count was held Saturday, Sept. 26. This long-running count includes the five-county area of Northeast Tennessee and is conducted by the Elizabethton Bird Club.

Parties fan out into the counties of Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington to look for birds.

According to longtime compiler Rick Knight, there may have been some fall counts conducted before 1970, but he has found no record of them. Other counts date back to the 1940s.

This year 29 observers participated in 10 parties. The weather was pleasant. Counters tallied 121 species, which is slightly below the 30-year average of 124. The all-time high count was 137 species in 1993.

Counters found 21 species of warblers. Common birds included Canada goose (600), European starling (517), chimney swift, (457), blue jay (373), and American crow (365).

Photo by Bryan Stevens / A trio of American crows forages on a grassy lawn.

My party focused on Elizabethton along the Watauga River, as well as Holston Mountain and Wilbur Lake. To cover so much territory, we broke into smaller counting groups. My group focused on Elizabethton. Assisting me were Rob Armistead, Peyton Williams and Chris Soto. In addition, Chris’s sister, Dianna Lynne, counted birds at her feeders at home on Stoney Creek in Elizabethton.

Focused on Wilbur Lake and Lynn Valley in Elizabethton were Brookie and Jean Potter. David and Connie Irick focused on Holston Mountain.

I enjoyed the beautiful fall weather and the good birding company with my group.

The list:
Canada goose, 670; wood duck, 24; blue-winged teal, 6; mallard, 100; common merganser, 17; wild turkey, 20; and pied-billed grebe, 1.

Rock pigeon, 55; Eurasian collared-dove, 1; mourning dove, 229; yellow-billed cuckoo, 3; black-billed cuckoo, 2; chimney swift, 457; ruby-throated hummingbird, 32.

Sandhill crane, 1; killdeer 32; spotted sandpiper, 2; solitary sandpiper, 1; double-crested cormorant, 12; green heron, 5; great egret, 3; great blue heron, 32.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • An Eastern screech-owl perched in a hemlock tree.

Black vulture, 9; turkey vulture, 112; osprey, 13; sharp-shinned hawk, 4; Cooper’s hawk, 5; bald eagle, 4; red-shouldered hawk, 11; broad-winged hawk, 5; red-tailed hawk, 33; Eastern screech-owl, 22; great horned owl, 2; barred owl, 2.

Belted kingfisher, 24; red-headed woodpecker, 9; red-bellied woodpecker, 79; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 2; downy woodpecker, 44; hairy woodpecker, 9; Northern flicker, 61; pileated woodpecker, 34.

American kestrel, 19; merlin, 1; Eastern wood-pewee, 17; Eastern phoebe, 65; white-eyed vireo, 4; yellow-throated vireo, 3; blue-headed vireo, 14; Philadelphia vireo, 3; red-eyed vireo, 16.

Blue jay, 373; American crow, 365; fish crow, 2; common raven, 25; Carolina chickadee, 151; tufted titmouse, 135; tree swallow, 174; barn swallow, 33; cliff swallow, 5; ruby-crowned kinglet, 6; golden-crowned kinglet, 5; cedar waxwing 102.

Red-breasted nuthatch, 2; white-breasted nuthatch, 81; brown creeper, 1; blue-gray gnatcatcher, 5; Carolina wren, 140; house wren, 2; winter wren, 2.

Gray catbird, 61; brown thrasher, 22; Northern mockingbird, 77; European starling, 517; Eastern bluebird, 117; gray-cheeked thrush, 7; Swainson’s thrush, 33; hermit thrush, 2; wood thrush, 13; American robin, 101.

House sparrow, 21; house finch, 92; pine siskin, 2; American goldfinch, 154; chipping sparrow, 38; field sparrow, 4; dark-eyed junco, 34; Savannah sparrow, 1; song sparrow, 84; Eastern towhee, 43.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A total of 84 Song Sparrows, such as the one pictured here, was found during the recent Fall Bird Count.

Yellow-breasted chat, 1; Eastern meadowlark 21; red-winged blackbird 52; brown-headed cowbird 1; common grackle 5.

Ovenbird, 3; Northern waterthrush, 2; black-and-white warbler, 5; Tennessee warbler, 83; Nashville warbler, 1; common yellowthroat, 16; hooded warbler, 14; American redstart, 21; Cape May warbler, 33; Northern parula, 18; magnolia warbler, 32; bay-breasted warbler, 30; Blackburnian warbler, 7; yellow warbler, 3; chestnut-sided warbler, 8; black-throated blue warbler, 4; palm warbler, 32; pine warbler, 6; yellow-throated warbler, 5; black-throated green warbler, 15; Canada warbler, 2.

Scarlet tanager, 14; Northern cardinal, 139; rose-breasted grosbeak, 59; blue grosbeak, 2; and indigo bunting, 14.

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According to longtime count compiler Rick Knight, some count highlights included a fly-over sandhill crane in Limestone in Washington County, as well as two black-billed cuckoos, a merlin, three Philadelphia vireos, two fish crows and a yellow-breasted chat.

As always, some species got missed. Notable misses included ruffed grouse, common nighthawk and loggerhead shrike. “Shorebirds, blackbirds and sparrows were in short supply,” Knight noted.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding and birders since 1995. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A young male Rose-breasted Grosbeak visits a feeder in September of 2013. Young males resemble females but show a splash of orange on the breast that will be replaced the following spring by the familiar rosy-red patch.

 

Free program at senior center to focus on North America’s wading birds

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A great blue heron and a great egret patrol a tidal creek in South Carolina.

I’ll be presenting a free public program on wading birds and their kin for the Clinchfield Senior Adult Center in Erwin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

My main focus will fall on a family of birds known as waders, which include herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills and more. I will also discuss shorebirds, such as plovers, godwits, sandpipers and more, to a lesser degree. This will be a fully illustrated slide show featuring some of my own photography.

Egrets and herons are members of a family of birds known as Ardeidae. Our region is home to the great blue heron all 12 months of the year. This stately, long-legged bird can stand 4.5 feet tall but weighs no more than six pounds. The black-crowned night heron is a localized year-round resident in the region, making it much more difficult to locate than its larger relative.

Most other waders are summer residents or unexpected visitors in the region.

For example, the great egret is a graceful bird with white plumage, long legs and a sharp, yellow bill. It is smaller than the great blue heron. The great egret stands 3.3 feet tall and has a wingspan of 52 to 67 inches. On average, however, they weigh only about 2.2 pounds.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A large flock of Great Egrets flies over the Watauga River in Elizabethton.

These egrets nest in large colonies. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the colonial nesting habits of these birds made them particularly vulnerable to humans who slaughtered the birds in the millions to harvest their feathers for use in the fashion industry. The great egret and other wading birds were almost decimated in order to decorate fashionable hats for women.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A great blue heron at dusk on Fripp Island, South Carolina.

The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905, largely as an effort to combat the unregulated slaughter of birds like great egrets, snowy egrets and roseate spoonbills. Now, more than a century later, the great egret still serves as the official logo for the National Audubon Society.

The great egret has rebounded from those dark years. In fact, this bird now ranges as far north as southern Canada in appropriate wetland habitats. During spring and fall migration, great egrets also pass through northeast Tennessee. Look for them along rivers, lakes and on small farm ponds.

Wading birds also include a couple of oddballs, including wood stork, roseate spoonbill, limpkin and American bittern.

When I first set out on my birding adventure I wanted to see as many birds as possible. I was also motivated to check off at least one family of birds.

With North America’s wading birds, I was successful, although it took me 20 years to finally see all of this family of birds. I saw my last member of North America’s waders on June 11, 2016. While visiting Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, I finally observed a least bittern.

I wasn’t actively looking to add any life birds to my list during that South Carolina trip, so the least bittern also represented a very pleasant surprise.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A Great Egret resting on a spit of land in a lake at Murphy Candler Park in Brookhaven, Ga.

The least bittern has been found by other birders in wetlands in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee, but I’ve never been in the right place at the right time to find this bird closer to home. I have seen a few American bitterns, which are a larger relative of this diminutive member of the heron clan.

I didn’t have the same degree of difficulty adding an American bittern to my list. Years ago, while birding with Reece Jamerson, an American bittern emerged from vegetation at the edge of a ditch in a flooded pasture and proceeded to put on quite the show. To my eternal regret, that sighting predated my habit of always carrying a camera with me while birding.

I learned my lesson and began faithfully carrying a camera with me after that encounter. I hope some readers will come out to the free program on Oct. 14 and enjoy some of the photographs I have taken during 30 years of birding. I will also be talking about the different wading birds it’s possible to see in the region. This family of birds has some beautiful, graceful birds that tend to make observers take notice whether they’re seeing them in person or in a photograph.

The Clinchfield Senior Adult Center is located at 220 Union St., Erwin. For more information, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A great egret in the aviary at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina.

Eastern wood-pewee is pint-sized tyrant flycatcher

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Photo by USFWS • An Eastern wood-pewee perches on an exposed branch.

My annual fall warbler watching has not taken off yet. We’ve had hot days recently and not many weather fronts moving through the area that might push migrating warblers to make a stopover in my yard.

Even the warblers I have seen, such as a recent black-throated blue warbler, are species that nest in Northeast Tennessee, meaning they may or may not be migrating so much as lingering.

There are, however, still signs of migration. Ruby-throated hummingbird activity remains intense at both the feeders and the stands of blooming jewelweed around my home. I’ve been seeing everything from cedar waxwings and wild turkeys to red-eyed vireos and Eastern wood-pewee.

Photo by Hans Toom/Pixabay • An Eastern wood-pewee perches on a branch. These flycatchers are tireless at singing their name “pee-wee” during the summer season.

The latter species is a member of the family known as tyrant flycatchers. During the early summer months it’s easy to find Eastern wood-pewees. Head to this bird’s favored mid-elevation on local mountain slopes and you’re almost certain to hear its plaintive “pee-a-wee” whistle the gives the bird its common name. Their sheer dedication to singing their name repeatedly reminds me of the persistence of another champion summertime singer, the red-eyed vireo.

By early fall, however, Eastern wood-pewees fall mostly silent, but they seem to increase their profile as migrants perch on bare branches of open trees to frequently venture out to “flycatch” meals on the wing.

In appearance, the Eastern wood-pewee doesn’t have much to help it stand out. Like many of its relatives, it’s a plain bird with olive-brown to gray upper parts, a pale throat and a whitish belly. Some birds show a faint hint of an incomplete eye ring that looks more like a crescent at the back of the eye. Otherwise, unlike some relatives, the pewee lacks a prominent ring around its eyes.

The Eastern pewee looks like its head comes to a triangular peak, but this species is not truly crested like the related great crested flycatcher.

In diet, it lives up to its flycatcher family heritage, feeding on houseflies, mosquitoes, bees and wasps, winged ants, moths, stoneflies and mayflies. If insects are unavailable, they may feed on berries and seeds, but they are dedicated insectivores. They catch most of their food on the wing, sallying forth from their perches. If unsuccessful, they will swing back, land again and wait for another chance to strike.

The Eastern wood-pewee’s bill has a dark upper mandible and a yellowish lower mandible, a good way to separate the bird from other flycatchers.

Small songbirds are not known for longevity, but one Eastern wood-pewee was at least 8 years, 2 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Maryland in 2010. That was enough to rank the bird as the oldest documented member of its species, according to the website All About Birds.

Some practice will help observers tell an Eastern phoebe from an Eastern wood-pewee. Phoebes are slightly heavier than pewees, although they are close in overall body length. The pewee does not bob its tail at its perch, which is a habit that the phoebe does so reliably that that action alone can confirm its identity. The bills of these two birds provide another reliable way to distinguish them. Phoebes have an all-black bill, while pewees have a two-toned bill with a lighter lower mandible. It takes an observation with good lighting condition to detect this difference at times, but its a surefire way to confirm a visiting pewee’s identity.

Phoebes can rightfully be considered a backyard bird guest throughout the year, but autumn is the best season to get acquainted with the Eastern wood-pewee.

Stake out any trees with lofty bare limbs. Chances are a migrating Eastern wood-pewee will show up and lay a claim to this valuable real estate. For flycatchers, a good perch will help increase the odds their flycatching will be successful. Watching them on the hunt as they refuel to continue fall migration is always a source of reliable entertainment.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding and birders since 1995. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

House finch origin story in region has unusual twist

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Photo by GeorgiaLens/Pizabay • A male house finch visits a feeder. Flocks of these small finches can become regular feeder visitors. Credit: GEORGIALENS/PIXABAY

I received an email from Unicoi residents Judy and Bill Beckman asking for a reason to explain a sudden absence in house finches at their feeders.

“For a number of weeks now, our house finches have disappeared from our feeders,” they wrote in the email. “They are usually the dominant number of birds. We do not recall this happening before. Any thoughts?”

I answered, explaining that the birds will probably return. Exactly when the finches decide to return to the couple’s yard is more problematic.

In fall and spring, even birds that don’t normally migrate get a bit restless. I suggested that the house finches could just be exploring somewhere else nearby.

My best guess is the finches they will return. As I explained in my answer, the Beckmans have probably provided a generous buffet for the birds. They will remember where the best free lunch is served.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male house finch perched on a cable. These finches are native to the western United States but became established in the eastern states thanks to the illicit pet trade.

The house finch is an interesting species. Until the 1980s, this species was not present in Northeast Tennessee. Although this finch is a native North American bird, it is not truly native to the Eastern half of the continent. All the house finches in the Eastern United States are descended from captive birds released into the wild by dealers in the exotic bird trade.

About 1940, the house finch became established in the eastern United States. In violation of federal law, these small finches were being sold in New York City as pet birds described as “Hollywood Finches.” To avoid trouble with authorities, vendors and even some owners released their “Hollywood Finches” into the wild. Finding the area around New York City to their liking, house finches thrived spread. Within a few decades, they were common birds throughout the eastern United States, including Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. The house finch had also been introduced into Hawaii about 1870, and is still present today, along with many other species of birds not native to the islands.

As the house finch claimed a new range, the species inevitably encountered the related purple finch. During the winter, both finches are often present at feeders in the region. When both are available for observation, bird enthusiasts should take advantage of the opportunity to compare and contrast these birds.

Personally, I have never had any difficulty distinguishing a purple finch from a house finch. The two species, at least in my eyes, are easily recognized. I can understand why some people might have trouble separating the two birds. The late Roger Tory Peterson once described the purple finch as a bird “dipped in raspberry juice.” Think about that imagery for a moment and you’ve got a good start to distinguishing a male purple finch from a male house finch.

Photo by Ray Shrewsberry • A male house finch perches on a branch. This bird species has been introduced into locations nature never meant for the bird to live.

The females of both species are a different matter. However, purple finch females have a more distinctive facial pattern and a heavier bill than do female house finches. With a little practice, it’s not difficult to identity these two species in the field. In Northeast Tennessee, house finches and purple finches are usually only present together during the winter months when purple finches occasionally flock to our feeders.

In their native range in the western United States, house finches have adapted to a range of habitats, including deserts, grassland, chaparral and open woods. Another related species in the Western United States is Cassin’s finch, which is a species found mostly in high-elevation regions dominated by tall evergreen or coniferous forests.

The house finch is an abundant bird. According to the Partners in Flight, there are an estimated 40 million house finches ranging across North America.

They have also proven resilient. House finches are susceptible to some contagious diseases, including Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a bacterium that causes chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys, chickens, game birds, pigeons and passerine birds. House finch populations in the Eastern United States crashed in the 1990s due to the epidemic prevalence of the bacteria. Their numbers have since stabilized, although the species remains vulnerable to infection from the bacteria. Infection with the bacteria often leads to conjunctivitis characterized by swollen, encrusted, nasal discharges, impaired vision and weight loss. Infected birds usually succumb to slow starvation or predation. House finch conjunctivitis is most frequent during colder months when birds congregate and flock to bird feeders. Anyone who fed birds during the 1990s likely witnessed the disease at their feeders.

They also proved to be a songbird susceptible to West Nile virus, but most house finches and other songbirds recover from this mosquito-borne disease. Crows, ravens and jays, however, are vulnerable to the disease.

Overall, although a strange twist of fate brought the house finch into Tennessee and other parts of the Eastern half of the nation, this bird has become a welcome visitor. Males have a cheery song and bright plumage. By all accounts, it’s also here to stay.

I’m going to have to keep a closer watch over my own feeders. I had a pair that visited regularly at the start of the summer season. It’s time to see if they’re back with a new generation of house finches.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding and birders since 1995. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Despite fearsome look and Herculean size, native beetle is harmless and fascinating

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Bryan Stevens • This Eastern Hercules Beetle, observed and photographed 20 years ago, was photographed with a hand and a newspaper for a size comparison.

I’m continuing to celebrate my 30th year of bringing readers stories about things with wings. Usually the subjects of these columns have feathers, but that’s not always the case.

I’ve written about everything from minks and otters to butterflies and beetles.

As way of introduction of a rerun of a column from 2006, I saw my first Eastern Hercules Beetle in Erwin 20 years ago this month. Now, after a rather long gap, I’ve observed another, once again in Erwin and not far from the location where I saw the first one.

In fact, I found this one just outside The Erwin Record office on Gay Street. Unfortunately, this specimen was dead. The one in 2006 had been very much alive.

There are some other coincidences readers may notice as they read the column I wrote after my first sighting. The column ran in The Erwin Record on Sept. 12, 2006.

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Although my friend’s tone of voice sounded somewhat horrified, I felt only fascinated as I turned to look at the focus of his trepidation.

I had failed to notice the large beetle clinging to the brick wall at Erwin’s Flick Video. The creature, undeniably bizarre in appearance and rather sizable for a bug, kept me spellbound for a moment.

Fortunate to have my digital camera with me, I snapped numerous photographs of this large insect, fascinated by its size and appearance.

I made a quick identification of the insect as a “Rhinoceros beetle,” which turned out to be only partially correct. In fact, the insect belonged to an extensive family of beetle that does include various species of rhinoceros beetle, as well as the scarab beetles, which derive their fame from depictions in the art of ancient Egypt.

An Eastern Hercules Beetle can reach a length of 2.4 inches. This male was found in September of 2006 on an Erwin Record coin box at Flick Video.

After extensive online research, I revised my identification to Eastern Hercules Beetle – a true giant among our native bugs.

The Eastern Hercules Beetle is the largest beetle in the Southeastern United State. This big bug boasts an extensive family of closely related insects known by such names as rhinoceros beetle, unicorn beetle, horn beetle and horned beetle.

This insect’s scientific name is Dynastes tityus, placing it in a genus that contains only six other species.

For a bug, the Eastern Hercules Beetle is not without its appeal. The hard shell is olive-green with a pattern of brownish spots. When I showed photographs of the beetle to people, a few individuals likened it to a “spotted Easter egg with horns.”

The Eastern Hercules Beetle can reach a length of 2.4 inches. Only the male beetle sports the impressive horns. Female beetles are slightly smaller and lack horns. The male’s main horns extend from the front of the head, but they also sport two smaller horns on the thorax.

The horns are not merely for show. Male beetles are intolerant of each other and use their horns in combat to settle their differences. The horns are not mobile, however, and the beetle cannot bring the horns together to pinch a person.

The “horns” on this beetle are also not mouthparts. This bug does not bite. They may look fearsome, but they are completely harmless.

The size of the beetle’s horns is directly related to the amount of food the creature obtained during its larval form. The larval grubs of this beetle feed on nutrients available in rotting wood. For instance, they can often be located in fallen logs on the forest floor.

Bryan Stevens • This female Eastern Hercules Beetle was found dead on the sidewalk on Gay Street in Erwin, Tennessee, in September of 2026.

The huge beetle grubs are often tasty morsels for a variety of wildlife. Pileated woodpeckers will use their stout bills to chisel the grubs from fallen stumps and logs. Raccoons, opossums, skunks and snakes also hunt these grubs.

Some birds, including owls and crows, will eat the adult beetles. The adult beetles are not without some defensive measures. When threatened, they can release a foul-smelling to discourage predators. I might have hesitated to pick up the beetle I encountered if I’d known this fact at the time.

Like all insects, this beetle has six legs which are capable of gripping any surface with surprising tenacity. I encouraged considerable resistance when I attended to remove the beetle from a brick to which it had attached itself.

My research also indicated that the only way this beetle can injure a person would be by accidentally scratching someone with its spiky limbs.

These beetles are not often seen by people. This large beetle spends the daylight hours in hiding, becoming more active after dark. They can fly and are attracted to bright lights.

I count myself very fortunate to have been able to observe this usual creature for a few minutes and document my sighting with some photographs.

I readily admit most people would not consider an Eastern Hercules Beetle as “cute,” but surely only a person with a complete lack of imagination could stare into this bug’s beady little eyes and not find the bug to possess true character and personality.

I’m joking – sort of – and promise to return to the usual topic of our feathered friends in next week’s column.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding, birders and on occasion, bugs, since 1995. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

 

Calling cuckoo brings back some birding memories

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Photo by Peter Pearsall/USFWS • A yellow-billed cuckoo perches horizontally along a bare tree branch. The species feeds prodigiously on a variety of caterpillars.

I heard the low, gulping call of a yellow-billed cuckoo concealed by a dense curtain of green on the ridge behind my home on Sunday, July 26.

The hidden caller reminded me that this bird has acquired the nickname “rain crow” for consistently calling prior to summer downpours.

The yellow-billed cuckoo migrates a great distance to spend the summer months hidden in the dense green canopy of our local woodlands. Cuckoos spend the summer months in southern Canada and across most of the United States, but the bird’s winter range extends as far south as Venezuela and Argentina. They make a roundtrip journey of about 5,000 miles every spring and fall.

In pursuit of their favorite food – caterpillars – the yellow-billed cuckoo provides a public service, removing hairy tent caterpillars and their unsightly silk tents from the branches of various trees. I certainly applaud these efforts. Only a handful of birds feed on these caterpillars, with the yellow-billed cuckoo being the first and foremost consumer of these pests. The cuckoo has a voracious appetite for these caterpillars.

Photo by USFWS • A yellow-billed cuckoo selects a surprising open perch for a bird known for its reclusive nature.

Staking out tent caterpillar nests would seem a good way to increase the chances of seeing these elusive birds. Personally, it’s never quite worked out that way. My best – and first – sighting of a yellow-billed cuckoo is now buried 30 years back among my birding memories. I saw the bird perched in a gnarled peach tree that once stood only a few yards from my home.

Another memorable sighting took place on Fripp Island, South Carolina. That bird, observed from a golf cart, shared a tree with a scolding blue-gray gnatcatcher. The discrepancy in the sizes of the tiny gnatcatcher and the large cuckoo was striking. I genuinely feared that the cuckoo might attempt to snack on the smaller bird.
Other sightings have taken place at Roan Mountain State Park, Winged Deer Park in Johnson City, Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton and Douglas Lake in Cocke County.

In addition to sightings of live birds, some readers have reported window strikes to me, usually because they’re unable to identify the bird that suffered a sad demise after impacting a window.

The yellow-billed cuckoo is a large bird, which an observation in close quarters emphasizes. This bird can reach a length of nearly 12 inches, but much of that length is composed of its long tail. It easily matches the size of such familiar birds as blue jay and American robins.

The yellow-billed cuckoo has a long, streamlined body and a brown and white plumage. The underside of the tail features large white dots and the wings show some rusty-red feathers. The bird also has a large, curved beak that gives the species its common name.

I hear these birds every summer, but my sightings amount to perhaps a couple every decade. I’m sure I could see more cuckoos with extra effort, but this bird would still present a challenge.

Europe’s common cuckoo is famous in folklore and fairy tales for slipping its eggs into the nests of other birds. While the yellow-billed cuckoo does this on occasion, it is not in the same league as nest parasites such as brown-headed cowbirds.

Two other cuckoos spend time in the United States. The black-billed cuckoo is also found in Northeast Tennessee, but this species is even more difficult to locate than its yellow-billed cousin.

I’ve only seen black-billed cuckoos on a few occasions. My best and first sighting involved a bird that briefly perched on a snag along a hiking trail at Johnson City’s Winged Deer Park. I managed to get my binoculars on the bird long enough for a memorable look. I’ve also seen this species at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park and at Hampton Creek Cove in Roan Mountain.

Another species is the mangrove cuckoo, a bird that in the United States resides only in southern Florida while also ranging the Caribbean, both coasts of Mexico and Central America, and the Atlantic coast of South America as far south as the mouth of the Amazon River. It’s no surprise that this specialist species is found primarily in mangrove swamps.

The yellow-billed cuckoo is known by the scientific name, Coccyzus americanus. Other cuckoos in the genus Coccyzus, which includes about a dozen species, are pearly breasted cuckoo, dark-billed cuckoo, chestnut-bellied cuckoo, grey-capped cuckoo, bay-breasted cuckoo and the great lizard cuckoo.

Although I haven’t seen one for a few years, I’m still glad to know that the yellow-billed cuckoo remains a lurker in the woodlands around my home. If you manage to lay eyes on this elusive bird, consider yourself fortunate.

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

Birds of summer offer exciting observations

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Bryan Stevens • A great egret catches a small fish.

Summer birding is not always productive. Recent sweltering days have reminded me of that fact. There are a few birds, however, that seem to increase their profiles in summer instead of wilting and retreating to the shade until the season begins to cool off.

Here’s a look at some of my summer favorites and the reasons behind their inclusion on this list.

Belted kingfisher
Although this member of the widespread kingfisher clan can be found in the region all year, the belted kingfisher definitely keeps a high profile in late summer when a visit to any pond, creek, river or lake is likely to result in hearing this kingfisher’s rattling vocalization, often made when the bird feels alarmed or disturbed.

In her book “The Folklore of Birds,” Laura C. Martin writes that in some accounts the kingfisher, not the dove, was the second bird Noah released from the ark after the Biblical flood. Instead of looking for land, the kingfisher flew too high and the sun scorched the bird’s feathers. After his setback with the raven and now the kingfisher, Noah made the kingfisher remain on the ark’s deck to catch its food from the water.

Halcyon days, a term meaning a period of peaceful quiet, is derived from Greek legend. According to the legend, the god Zeus restrained the storms during the period when the kingfishers nest. The scientific name for the belted kingfisher is Megaceryle alcyon, a variation on the term “halcyon.”

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The scientific name for the belted kingfisher is Megaceryle alcyon, a variation on the term “halcyon.”

Martin writes in her book about a Cherokee legend about how the kingfisher acquired its angling lifestyle. The poor bird wanted to be a waterbird, but lacked the equipment to make a living at fishing. The other animals convened a council and, in pity for the kingfisher’s plight, endowed the bird with its spear-like bill. Since that time, the bird has been known as “king of the fishers.”

The “king of the fishers” is indeed to be envied by human anglers. Although not successful in every attempt, the belted kingfisher is certainly exceptional in its pursuit of fish. According to John Eastman in his book, “Birds of Lake, Pond and Marsh,” the belted kingfisher typically captures about 10 fish per day. Some human anglers would envy a success rate like that.

Great egret
Many long-legged wading birds, as a general rule, like to wander in late summer after the nesting season’s finished. Many of these birds are common in coastal areas, but in late summer they often show up far inland.

Some of the waders to look for in the region include wood stork, roseate spoonbill, tricolored heron and snowy egret. The wading bird most likely to actually put in an appearance at local ponds or rivers is the great egret.

The great egret became a motivational symbol for conservation with the foundation of the National Audubon Society in 1905. The National Audubon Society spearheaded efforts to end the mass slaughter of various bird species. Some birds were killed for food, but millions were also killed for their showy feathers that were destined to decorate stylish attire worn as a symbol of high fashion. As early as 1910, some states began passing legislation to abolish trade in bird plumes. The federal government also passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which was a law first enacted in 1916 to implement measures to protect and conserve migratory birds.

In 1953, a great egret in flight was chosen as the symbol for the official logo of the National Audubon Society, which was formed in part to prevent the killing of birds for their feathers. Birds like great egrets, snowy egrets, roseate spoonbills and other long-legged waders had been decimated before people responded to the wanton destruction being visited upon these beautiful and awe-inspiring creatures.

The great egret belongs to the genus Ardea, which includes various egrets and herons. Other members of this genus include Goliath heron, black-headed heron, purple heron and pied heron.

Photo by Jean Potter • A common nighthawk rests on a metal railing.

Common nighthawk
This insect-eating bird is a member of the nightjar family, which includes such familiar nocturnal serenaders as chuck-will’s widow and whip-poor-will.

The name common nighthawk is a misnomer. The species is not strictly nocturnal and it is certainly not a hawk. The nighthawk doesn’t offer a serenade like whip-poor-wills, but it does produce a “pent” call that sounds much like an electric buzzer. It’s often the first indication of one of these birds swooping overhead.

Nighthawks form impressive flocks, often numbering in the dozens or even hundreds. They are often active in evening hours, but I’ve seen large flocks of these migrating birds in mid-afternoon. August and September are the best time to look skyward to enjoy the spectacle of a large flock of swooping nighthawks as they pass overhead.

Swallow-tailed Kite
This is not exactly a common summer bird, but like the wandering wading birds, late summer is a likely time to catch a glimpse of this aerodynamic, unmistakable raptor. Several years ago I got the thrill of adding a swallow-tailed kite to my life list in some agricultural fields in southwestern Washington County. I’ve also seen swallow-tailed kites in Florida. I also observed my first-ever Mississippi kite in Elizabethon in 2020 during a Spring Bird Count.

The swallow-tailed kite is a large, streamlined raptor with long, narrow, pointed wings, slender bodies and a long, deeply forked tail that gives the bird its common name. The small, sharply hooked beak is used to catch insect prey, as well as amphibians, snakes and bats.

Bryan Stevens • A male American goldfinch looks its best in spring and summer. By fall, the bright colors are replaced with the drab winter plumage.

American goldfinch
Goldfinch males still look sharp in late summer, but they do start losing that bold pattern of black and white against a backdrop of golden-yellow feathers. These birds also form fussy but sociable flocks that congregate at bird feeders or bird baths in many a backyard.

A sighting of a goldfinch can be memorable. I still retain vivid imagery of these birds from childhood, long before I could identify them by name. They would always appear in late summer, perching atop the three blue spruces in our yard. The trees are no longer standing, but the memories of those colorful yellow and black birds endure.

Summer is the season of plenty for American goldfinches. Roadside ditches are choked with chicory, evening primrose and other seed-producing plants often dismissed as “weeds.” Simply driving local roads can, and often does, produce sightings of flocks of American goldfinches as they forage for seeds. These small songbirds will readily visit feeders for sunflower and thistle seeds.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birders and birding since 1995. Email him with questions, comments or sightings at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A great egret resting on a spit of land in a lake at Murphy Candler Park in Brookhaven, Ga.