BIRDS of the UPPER CUMBERLAND REGION

Spring 2010 UCR Bird Report

(1 March–31 May)

Stephen J. Stedman

Department of English and Communications
Box 5053
Tennessee Technological University
Cookeville, TN 38505

sstedman@tntech.edu

Introduction

Spring around the Upper Cumberland Region (Figure 1) provided another avian cornucopia; read on.

Weather

There was some.

Organized Bird Counts

A summary of early arrival and late departure dates for migrant species observed during the season is available at this link:

• http://iweb.tntech.edu/sstedman/Spring2010ArrivalDepartureDatesUCR.htm

    A summary of results of Spring Bird Counts and Spring BirdBlitzes (i.e., spring counts not scheduled to be repeated annually) conducted in the Region is available at this link:

• Upper Cumberland Region SBCs and BirdBlitzes 2010

Abbreviations and Symbols: †—documentation form submitted; BSFNRRA—Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; Co— County; CTSP—Cumberland Trail State Park; DBNF—Daniel Boone National Forest; KY—Kentucky; OWSR— Obed Wild and Scenic River; S. N. A.—State Natural Area; S. P.—State Park; SBC—Spring Bird Count; TN—Tennessee; UCR—Upper Cumberland Region; USFS—U. S. Forest Service; WMA—Wildlife Management Area.

Waterfowl and Gallinaceous Species

Loon through Herons

A very early Great Egret appeared at Fishing Creek, Pulaski Co., KY, 13 March 2010 (RMD), setting a new early spring arrival date for that county and probably for the Region.

    Cattle Egrets were reported as follows: in DeKalb Co., TN, 24–25 April 2010, when a single was noted on Seven Springs Rd. (DM, KM fide MJH), and in Warren Co., TN, 3 May 2010, when two were noted on Mason Grissom Rd. (SNM).

New World Vultures and Diurnal Raptors

Single Mississippi Kites established county records at Dudley Creek, Russell Co., KY, 21 May 2010 (RMD) and near Lake Tansi, Cumberland Co., TN, 29 May 2010 (EKL), bringing to five the number of Regional sightings; the latter kite was a second-year individual found during the Cumberland County Foray.

Rails through Terns

Three Willets at the Waitsboro Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky, 20 April 2010 (Roseanna M. Denton photo) were earliest ever in that county and in the Region; two others at Holmes Bend, Green River Lake, Adair County, Kentucky, 9 May 2010 (RMD photo) were the first to be reported in that county.

    An alternate-plumaged Franklin's Gull at Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky, 1 May 2010 (DLR) become the first of its kind to appear during spring in the Region.

    Earliest ever in the Region during spring was a Caspian Tern at Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, KY, 5 April 2010 (DLR, DRB).

Doves through Vireos

A brown morph Eastern Screech-Owl was discovered as a road-killed individual near Snow Hill, DeKalb Co., TN, 4 March 2010 (JCF photo, CDW photo, MJH), the first of its morph type to be photo-documented within the Region, there being several sight records of brown morphs in Pulaski Co., KY, during the early 1980s (JBE).

Martin through Pipit

Two Common Ravens in Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan Co., TN, 16 April 2010 (SGS) indicate that this rare corvid is almost certainly breeding once again in the UCR somewhere in or near the park; positive evidence of breeding in the Region has yet to be obtained, but records of ravens in Scott and Morgan counties, TN, during spring and summer during some years since 2004 have raised the probability of Regional breeding to a high level.  Before the 2000s the last decades when ravens were likely breeders in the Region were the early decades of the 20th Century.

    Two Brown-headed Nuthatches were "iPoded" into view in the Big Bottom Unit of the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, off of Rt. 285, in northeastern Van Buren Co., TN, 4 March 2010 (EKL) and were relocated at the same site 2 April 2010 (EKL), providing the first record in that county since 1974 when individuals of this species were found in the Van Buren County portion of Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park and established the first Regional record.

Warblers

Sparrows through Finches

Vesper Sparrows overwintered on Mason Grissom Rd., Warren Co., TN, during the past season and continued to be present at the same site during the early spring, being noted there 18 & 20 March 2010 (SNM, NPM).

    Earliest ever in DeKalb Co., TN—and possibly earliest ever Regionally—a thoroughly described male Blue Grosbeak was observed 5 April 2010 on Love Colony Rd. (MJH †); another male, photographed on West Oak Dr., Cookeville, Putnam Co., TN, 8–9 April 2010 (WAW photo) was earliest ever during spring in that county.

    Latest ever during spring in the Region were four Brewer's Blackbirds at Tracy Pond, Barren Co., KY, 5 April 2010 (DLR photo [female], DRB).

Observers: John W. Barthelme (JWB), Sharon Brines (SB), Wally Brines (WB), David R. Brown (DRB), Greg Brown (GB), Frank Bulow (FB), Linda Craiger (LC), Roseanna M. Denton (RMD), Steve Denton (SD), Ann Drothler (AD), Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. (JBE), Ginger K. Ensor (GKE), Chuck Estes (CE), Janie C. Finch (JaF), Richard C. Finch (RCF), William Fisk (WF), Eddie Fuson (EF), Judy C. Fuson (JCF), Julie Gee (JG), Dana Girard (DG), Heather Gothard (HG), Michael J. Hawkins (MJH), Jim Hazard (JH), Linda Henderson (LH), Hope High (HH), Margo Hinkle (MH), James Layzer (JL), Nancy S. Layzer (NSL), Edmund K. LeGrand (EKL), Debra Magness (DM), Kenneth Magness (KM), N. P. "Mac" McWhirter (NPM), Susan N. McWhirter (SNM), Diane Morrison (DM), Susan E. Pirolo (SEP), David L. Roemer (DLR), Tommie Rogers (TR), Thomas M. Saya (TMS), Barbara H. Stedman (BHS), Stephen J. Stedman (SJS), David F. Vogt (DFV), (Winston A. Walden (WAW), Bill Wagner (BW), Jacquie Wagner (JW), Winston A. Walden (WAW), Carol D. Williams (CDW).

Literature Cited

Appendix A. Data about Great Blue Heron Rookeries in the UCR during "Spring" 2010, listed alphabetically by state and then by county. Active sites boldfaced. GBBC after observer initials indicates the rookery was checked as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Appendix B.  Records of northbound Sandhill Cranes in the Upper Cumberland Region during "Spring" 2010, including cranes seen from mid-January through April 2010.

Appendix C. Reports of Loggerhead Shrike during Spring 2010 in the Upper Cumberland Region.

Appendix D. Records of Cerulean Warblers at New Breeding Sites in the UCR during Spring and Summer 2010.

Appendix E. Records of Swainson's Warblers in the UCR during Spring and Summer 2010.

Quick links to other sections of this website:

• HomePage for SJS

• The BirdPage

• The ButterflyPage