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

sstedman@tntech.edu

Introduction

Weather during the first week of June was coolish with small amounts of rain falling on a few days.  Then a succession of days took place with regular occurrence of late afternoon thunderstorms.  Remnants of Tropical Storm Arlene moved through the Region 11-13 June 2005 but had negligible affect on birdlife.  A brief period of dry, cool (i.e., lows in high 50s F on plateau) conditions prevailed 16-19 June 2005, following the passage of a front.  The last ten days of June and first week of July saw warm, muggy conditions prevail; areas that experienced afternoon thunderstorms were less dry than those that didn't experience these, but, overall, rainfall was below seasonal norms for that period.  Remnants of Hurricane Dennis brushed the Region 11-13 July 2005 and left avifaunal evidence of its passage, the first Sooty Tern to be found Regionally; see below for details.

    Breeding Bird Surveys and other bird-monitoring efforts were continued at many Regional sites this season.  It is a pleasure to point out the considerably increased effort to monitor Cerulean Warblers in the Region this summer, most of this effort being summarized below. For a look at some of the monitoring results this season, click on an appropriate link below:

• DBNF  BBS Data  (Wolf Knob)
• DBNF  BBS Data (Little Lick)
• Frozen Head State Natural Area Cerulean Warbler Survey
• BSFNRRA BBS Data 2005
• OWSR Point Count Data 2005
• UCR Breeding Bird Survey Data 2005

    Despite being visited several times during the season, Heritage Marsh produced little in the way of  unusual breeding records, suggesting that the results of searches made during Summer 2004 were atypical.

Abbreviations:  * completed documentation form provided; BBS = Breeding Bird Survey; BSFNRRA = Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; DBNF = Daniel Boone National Forest; KY = Kentucky; NPS = National Park Service; OWSR = Obed Wild and Scenic River; TN = Tennessee; UCR = Upper Cumberland Region; USGS = United States Geological Survey. 

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to the observers cited below who provided records directly or indirectly for this report.

    Many thanks are also due to U.S. Forest Service personnel, including James Kiser and Joe Metzmeier, for coordinating the breeding bird surveys in the Stearns and Somerset Ranger Districts, DBNF, respectively, and for providing logistical support to persons running routes in those districts.  Thanks are also due to Leslie Smith for similar support in the BSFNRRA and to various personnel in the OWSR for support in that National Park Service unit.  Keith Pardieck (Breeding Bird Survey Program, USGS) provided basic materials to those conducting federal BBSs in the Region; to him thanks are also due, and thanks goes to the USGS  for maintaining the BBS website where many BBS data (collected by many dozens of volunteer route runners) are accessible to those interested in the breeding status of Kentucky and Tennessee birds.

Waterfowl through Gallinaceous Species

A female or immature Hooded Merganser was present 7 June 2005 at the wetland adjacent to the Wal-Mart in Sparta, White Co., TN (SJS), a site hosting two broods of young during late April and early May 2005 (see Spring 2005 UCR Bird Report).  An adult male Hooded Merganser at Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White Co., TN, 24 June  (DAD, SJS), 7 July (SJS), 12 & 14 July 2005 (DAD, SJS), and 23 July 2005 (WAW, SJS) suggested local breeding, as did another adult male at Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam Co., TN, 5 & 11 July 2005 (SJS); however, each of these males was present on these bodies of water during the molting period of the species, and that activity may account for their presence rather than local breeding; if so, these records might represent evidence of molt migration (i. e., migration to a nonbreeding site for the purpose of molting).

    A Ruffed Grouse observed during the Station Camp/O&W BBS in the BSFNRRA, Scott Co., TN, 14 June 2005 (SJS) was the first of its kind to be registered during 100-stop BBSs conducted annually in that park since 1994, a result more indicative of the low likelihood of detecting grouse using this monitoring technique than of the actual abundance of grouse in the park.  An adult Ruffed Grouse and two nearly grown young were observed in the Little Lick area, DBNF, Pulaski Co., KY, 18 June 2005 (RMD et al.), noteworthy because positive evidence of breeding by grouse is seldom observed and even more seldom reported Regionally.

Loons through Herons

A basic-plumaged Common Loon was seen and heard on Dale Hollow Lake, Clay Co., TN, 21 July 2005 (SJS, TMC); it probably represented a nonbreeding immature, a few of which irregularly occur on the larger lakes of the Region during summer.

    Seven Double-crested Cormorants, including six immatures and one of unknown age, at Casey Creek, Green River Lake, Adair Co., KY, 1 July 2005 (RMD) were more than a little interesting; a slightly later in the season sighting took place during July 2003 at the same site (see Summer 2003 UCR Bird Report); a single cormorant was noted near Indian Creek, Jackson and Smith counties, TN, 12 July 2005 (SJS, BHS), also a somewhat early, if not summering, bird; another single was present on Dale Hollow Lake, Clay Co., TN, 21 July 2005 (SJS, TMC).

    A Great Blue Heron nest with at least one large young present was observed on the north bank of the Cumberland River across from the end of Holleman's Bend Rd., Jackson Co., TN, 12 July 2005 (SJS, BHS), the first time that nesting has been reported at this site.

    The first Great Egret to appear this season in the Region as a result of post-breeding dispersal was noted 8 July 2005 in Warren Co., TN (JWN); two were present at Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White Co., TN, 12 July 2005 (DAD, SJS).

    A Snowy Egret near Celina, Clay Co., TN, 31 July 2005 (TMC) was the first for that county and the first Regionally this "fall."

    An immature Little Blue Heron near Celina, Clay Co., TN, 31 July 2005 (TMC photos) was the first post-breeding disperser reported this "fall."

    Two alternate-plumaged Cattle Egrets on Tommy Dodson Rd., northern Putnam Co., TN, 13 June 2005 (DLC) were rather suggestive of local breeding, not yet documented anywhere in the Region, but certainly well within the realm of possibility; these egrets provided the 21st Regional record.

    Two adult Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were present at Burgess Falls State Natural Area, Putnam Co., TN, 23 June 2005 (DLC).

New World Vultures through Coot

An Osprey nest near Sugar Creek, Jackson Co., TN, had one young visible 12 & 30 June 2005 (NSL photos), possibly two young visible 8 July 2005 (NSL, CDW photos), four birds including at least one young 12 July (SJS, BHS) and 22 July (NSL, MH); this nest was also active during summer 2004 (fide TMC).  The Osprey nest at the Jackson County Fairgrounds, Cordell Hull Reservoir, Jackson Co., TN, had one young visible 16 June (NSL photos), 30 June 2005 (NSL photos), 8 July 2005 (NSL, CDW photos), 12 July (SJS, BHS), and one young being fed by an adult 22 July (NSL); this nest has been active for several years. Near Camp Discovery, Cordell Hull Reservoir, Jackson Co., TN, an Osprey nest had one young visible 16 June 2005 (NSL photo), but the nest appeared inactive 30 June 2005 (NSL); a new nest was under construction 8 July 2005 at this site (NSL, CDW photos), and an adult was noted on a fairly complete new nest 12 July 2005 (SJS, BHS); no activity was noted after that date; this nest site has been active several years.

    A Sora sighted near Wartburg, Morgan Co., TN, 5 June 2005 (SJS) during the running of the Oliver Spring BBS provided the latest Regional "spring" departure record both this season and historically if the bird was not breeding, evidence for which being currently restricted to a sighting of a Sora during June-July 1963 in Barren Co., KY (Gillenwater 1964).

    The sick, injured, or extremely laid back American Coot present all of May 2005 at a pond on Black Oak Rd., White Co., TN, was still present 23 July 2005 (SJS, WAW).

Shorebirds through Terns

The last Semipalmated Plover of the "spring" appeared at Clifty Pond, Pulaski Co., KY, 1-2 June 2005 (RMD).

    Latest for "spring" was a Lesser Yellowlegs at Cooley's Pond, Wayne Co., KY, 2 June 2005 (RMD).

    The first-ever Regional "fall" sighting of Willet took place 13 July 2005 at a pond on Taft Church Rd., White Co., TN, where 3 were noted (DAD, SJS); a single Willet present the next day in the same county at a pond on Black Oak Rd. (DAD, SJS) about 8 km north of the previous sighting was probably not one of those noted the day before; these dates suggest that the birds involved were adults, not juveniles; the dates also indicate that the sightings were probably the result of fallout from the passage of remnants of Hurricane Dennis.

    The latest Spotted Sandpiper of the "spring" was noted at Clifty Pond, Pulaski Co., KY, 2 June 2005 (RMD), giving rise to hope that it might be a local breeder, as occurred in the past at this site, but, alas, no further evidence of the breeding kind was noted at the site; the earliest Spottie of the "fall" Regionally and the earliest ever during fall in Pulaski Co., KY, appeared at Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, 8 July 2005 (RMD).

    Providing just the second Regional record and first during spring, an alternate-plumaged Ruddy Turnstone at Cooley's Pond, Wayne Co., KY, 2 June 2005 (RMD photo) also provided quite a treat to the observer.

    Two/Three/Nine/One Semipalmated Sandpipers visited Clifty Pond, Pulaski Co., KY, 1/2/6/7 June 2005 (RMD), respectively, while 12 were sighted at Cooley's Pond, Wayne Co., KY, 2 June 2005 (RMD); the 7 June sighting in Pulaski County tied the late spring departure date for that county.

    The first Western Sandpiper of the "fall" Regionally appeared at a pond on Black Oak Rd., White Co., TN, 12 July 2005 (DAD, SJS); two others at Fishing Creek, Pulaski Co., KY (RMD), the next day were earliest ever during fall in that county.

    Five Least Sandpipers at Macedonia Pond and two at Randolph Pond, both White Co., TN, 7 July 2005 (SJS) were the first of the "fall" reported Regionally; a single Least at Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski Co., KY, 8 July 2005 (RMD) was earliest ever during fall in that county.

    A White-rumped Sandpiper present at Clifty Pond, Pulaski Co., KY, 6 June 2005 (RMD) was the latest sighting for "spring" 2005 and just one day shy of the late spring departure date for that county--and the Region.

    The first Pectoral Sandpiper of the "fall" showed up at a pond on Black Oak Rd., White Co., TN, 14 July 2005 (DAD, SJS); another near Mayland, Cumberland Co., TN, 22 July 2005 (JEM) was the first ever for that county; still another Pec was noted 22 July 2005 on Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski Co., KY (RMD).

    A dowitcher sp. at a pond on Taft Church Rd., White Co., TN, 13 July 2005 (DAD, SJS) could not be identified to species, but it was by far the earliest fall dowitcher ever reported in the Region, indicating it was probably an adult (and most other Regional reports have probably pertained to juveniles).

    A Wilson's Snipe was observed at Cumberland Mountain Farm southeast of Crossville, Cumberland Co., TN, 26 June 2005 (CRS, CKM; http://www.cumberlandmountainfarm.com/species.html#birds), one of very few June records for Tennessee and probably the only June record for the Region.

    An American Woodcock at Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam Co., TN, 26 June 2005 (SJS) provided further evidence that some members of this species spend the summer in the Region, but summer abundance of this "shorebird" in the Region remains somewhat enigmatic.

    First for the Region, as well as for Putnam Co., TN, was an adult Sooty Tern, found freshly dead on Rt. 96 about 5 km north of I-40 12 July 2005 (SJS photo, BHS; specimen to Biology Dept., Univ. of Tennessee--Chattanooga), clearly a product of the passage of the remnants of Hurricane Dennis; as such, this "sighting" represented the first evidence of hurricane-produced displacement of seabirds in the Region.

Doves through Flycatchers

One pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves was present at Vervilla, Warren Co., TN, 30 June 2005 (SJS, JWN), indicating continued presence at a site known to have been occupied since at least December 2003.

    A Black-billed Cuckoo calling about 8 km east of Monterey on Rt. 62, Putnam Co., TN, 4 June 2005 (RWS) was noteworthy during summer in that county.

    Counts of 26 and 29 Eastern Whip-poor-wills on 12- and 18-stop nocturnal surveys in the BSFNRRA, Scott, Fentress, and Pickett counties, TN, 16 and 17 June 2005 (SJS), respectively, indicated a fairly stable population of this generally declining Neotropical migrant in that park.

    During the 100-stop BBS in the BSFNRRA in mid-June, 18 Eastern Wood-Pewees were registered, almost double the highest total of this flycatcher recorded during a decade of earlier 100-stop BBSs in that park; this increase was probably driven in part by opening up of the forest resulting from a prescribed burn conducted during March-April 2005 along a road where about 10 of the BBS stops are located, but increases along those stops do not completely explain the nearly doubled registration of pewees on this BBS.

    A Willow Flycatcher found on Rt. 553 about 2.25 km west of Rt. 127 in Albany, Clinton Co., KY, 6 June 2005 (SJS) was the first with details to be recorded in that county; within the Kentucky portion of the Region; Barren, McCreary, Pulaski, and Russell counties, KY, also currently possess records of this scarce flycatcher; in the last-mentioned of those counties a singing Willow was noted 2 July 2005 at Creelsboro (RMD), providing just the second record ever for Russell County and the latest "fall" report this season.

    A Least Flycatcher was heard 5 June 2005 near Tub Spring, Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan Co., TN (SJS); a Least had been noted during late May 2005 at the same site (see Spring 2005 UCR Bird Report). 

    A pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers with a nest was located 4 June 2005 at the same breeding site on Nine Mile Crossroad, Bledsoe Co., TN (DS, RS), where a pair nested during summer 2004.

Shrike through Waxwing

Loggerhead Shrikes remain scarce around most parts of the Region.  Two young out of the nest on Student's Home Rd., DeKalb Co., TN, in mid-June (JCF photo) constituted the best breeding data on this seriously declining "songbird" during the early part of the season; shrikes nested at the same site during each of the last two years (see Spring 2003 UCR Bird Report and Summer 2004 UCR Bird Report).  See Appendix A below for an alarmingly short list of all shrike sightings this season in the Region.

    A Blue-headed Vireo found near Slagle Hollow Rd. off of Rt. 167 in southeastern Wayne Co., KY, 7 June 2005 (RMD) was present at an elevation of 510 m [1623 feet]; both the date and the elevation argue that this was a breeding site; see the Spring 2005 UCR Bird Report for a related sighting in the same county; collectively, these sightings probably indicate the continuing expansion of Blue-heads into sites with lower elevation than were formerly selected as breeding sites by the species.

    Nests of Red-eyed Vireos can be difficult to find, so a nest attended by a brooding adult found during a ParkWatch survey 15-16 June 2005 was a welcome discovery at the Casey Cove Campground, Center Hill Lake, DeKalb Co., TN (SJS, NSL, CDW photos).

    Quite noteworthy was the discovery of a roost of Purple Martins at Lillydale, Dale Hollow Lake, Clay Co., TN, numbering up to 10,000+ individuals 30-31 July 2005 (SJS et al.); martins were observed in the vicinity of this roost site about two weeks before and at least three weeks after the dates cited; first detected via radar images during the summer of 2004 by members of the Purple Martin Conservation Association, this roost is by far the largest reported Regionally in many years, perhaps ever.  Some of the birds in this roost undoubtedly foraged daily in Kentucky, which lies just a few kilometers north of the roost site.

    Seventy Cliff Swallows at Creelsboro, Russell Co., KY, 2 July 2005 (RMD) probably represented the beginning of "autumn" mustering by that species, which typically gathers into migratory flocks during early and mid-July and departs the Region before the end of that month.

    Three Red-breasted Nuthatches, 2 males and a female, were observed at two sites about 0.5 km apart along Rt. 297, BSFNRRA, Scott Co., TN, 7 & 11 July 2005 (FR), a nice follow-up to the discovery of the first Regional (and Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee) nest two years ago (Summer 2003 UCR Bird Report; Renfrow and Stedman 2003).

    An outstanding discovery took place 11 June 2005 when several singing Veeries were heard at Dorton Knob on the southern end of Brady Mountain, close to Cumberland Trail State Park, Cumberland Co., TN (JEM * based on information from AT); these are the only Veeries besides those in Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan Co., TN, known to breed within the Region, but other mountains of similar elevation (762 m [2500 ft] or more) are present here and there within the Region, so there may be additional populations of this fine songster out there waiting to be found.  A hatch-year Veery was banded on Fork Mountain (on the county line between Anderson and Scott counties, TN) 21 July 2005 (Bulluck and Timpf 2005); if this record took place within Scott County, it would also represent another new breeding site for this species in the Region; if the record was outside of Scott County, it still suggests the strong possibility of breeding by Veeries in nearby Scott County.

    A nest of Cedar Waxwing was discovered at a height of 7-8 m in a deciduous tree next to the parking lot at Natural Arch Scenic Area, DBNF, McCreary Co., KY, 6 June 2005 (RMD, SJS); no positive breeding evidence for this species was collected during the course of five years of Breeding Bird Atlas work in McCreary County (Palmer-Ball 1996), so this nest may be the first such evidence for that county.  Following hard on the heels of the discovery a week earlier (see Spring 2005 UCR Bird Report) of a nest in Overton Co., TN--where no positive breeding evidence was obtained during six years of Breeding Bird Atlas work (Nicholson 1997)--this breeding record suggests that waxwings may have nested in greater than usual numbers within the Region this season.

Warblers

During a 16-km walking transect in Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan Co., TN, 5 June 2005 (SJS, DME) 81 Black-throated Green Warblers were counted, the highest total in 12 years of conducting this transect at that site; off the main Cumberland Plateau on W. S. Criswell Rd., Wayne Co., KY, a Green was noted 3 June 2005 (RMD), a sighting that, when linked to sightings made on Hog Mountain, Wayne Co., KY, during late May 2005, possibly indicates expansionist breeding movement on the part of this warbler.

    A count of 19 Blackburnian Warblers along a 16-km walking transect in Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan Co., TN, 5 June 2005 (SJS, DME) was the highest total accumulated during 12 years that this transect has been conducted.  An adult male Blackburnian found along Big Bottom Rd., White Co., TN, at an elevation of about 305 m (1000 ft) 17 June 2005 (DAD) was hard to explain; a  search for this bird a week later was unsuccessful.

    News about Cerulean Warblers was generally good during this breeding season, and there was considerably more effort to survey specifically for this declining songbird in the Region than ever before.  Two Ceruleans were noted on Lowes Gap Mountain Rd., Bledsoe Co., TN, 4 June 2005 (DS, RS) at a site where the species had been detected during the mid-1980s as part of fieldwork conducted for the Breeding Bird Atlas project (CPN, RLK); their continuing presence at this site was encouraging.  Cerulean Warblers were also surveyed by driving along roads in the watersheds of the West Obey and East Obey Rivers 21 and 22 May 2005 (RDS), and a few individuals were found.  A survey of 15 point counts was conducted at Edgar Evins State Park 3 June 2005 (JDF), leading to the detection of 3 Cerulean Warblers at those points; this year was about the fourth consecutive year that point counts have been conducted in this park.  During late May and early June 2005 roadside surveys and point counts for Cerulean Warblers were conducted in Wayne and McCreary counties, KY (RMD), and several new sites for this species were located as a result of this effort.  A walking survey conducted 5 June 2005 at Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan Co., TN (SJS, DME), resulted in a count of 55 Ceruleans, up more than 20% from the number reported during June 2004 along the same 16-km transect; this transect was first conducted during 1994 when 106 Ceruleans were counted.  Results from the Wolf Knob BBS route conducted 6 June 2005 (SJS) in the DBNF, Whitley (outside the Region) and McCreary counties, KY, revealed 26 Ceruleans to be present along the 24-stop route; this total constitutes about a 40% increase over the total obtained during June 2004 along the same BBS route. See Appendix B in the Spring 2005 UCR Bird Report for a list of all reports of Ceruleans made Regionally during Spring and Summer 2005.

    Singing at a site where Prothonotary Warblers have nested at least once in the past was a male at City Lake, Putnam Co., TN, on several dates from mid-June to mid-July (SJS).

    A count of 63 American Redstarts made during a 16-km walking transect in Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan Co., TN, 5 June 2005 (SJS, DME) exceeded the total of redstarts counted during June 2004 along the same transect at that site but was below totals (maximum: 86) accumulated a decade ago.

    Swainson's Warblers were reported from only a few sites, almost all where they have been detected in the past and mainly in numbers similar to numbers reported in the past; the most exhaustive search for this warbler was undertaken in the OWSR, from which most of this season's sightings emanated (BHS). See Appendix B below for a list of Regional sightings of this scarce parulid during the season.

    This year a female Canada Warbler was again (see the Summer 2004 UCR Bird Report) noted during mid-July on Fork Mountain--on the county line between Anderson and Scott counties, TN (Bulluck and Timpf 2005); although this bird was not within Scott County, its presence for a second year in a row so close to that county still suggests the strong possibility that this warbler may breed in the extreme southeastern tip of that county, making it the second county of the Region--Morgan County, TN, being the other--with a breeding population of Canadas, if so.

Sparrows through Weaver Finch

Eight Grasshopper Sparrows were noted along the Sulfur Lick BBS route in Monroe and Metcalfe counties, KY, 18 June 2005 (SJS), about the highest number reported Regionally this season from one site during one day.

    A Henslow's Sparrow was recorded in southwestern Metcalfe Co., KY, 18 June 2005 (SJS) at stop 32 of the Sulfur Lick BBS route, providing just the second record for that county.

    A count of 12 Dickcissels along the Sulfur Lick BBS route in Monroe and Metcalfe counties, KY, 18 June 2005 (SJS) approximately equaled the number recorded during BBSs conducted during several recent years along that route; this area of northwestern Monroe and southwestern Metcalfe counties, KY, sustains one of the highest concentrations of Dickcissels in the Region.

Observers: Terry M. Campbell (TMC), Daniel L. Combs (DLC), Roseanna M. Denton (RMD), David M. Engebretson (DME), John D. Froeschauer (JDF), Judy C. Fuson (JCF), Margo Hinkle (MH), Richard L. Knight (RLK), Nancy S. Layzer (NSL), Joseph E. Mast (JEM), Claudia K. Melin (CKM), Charles P. Nicholson (CPN), Jason W. Norris (JWN), Frank Renfrow (FR), Debbie Shannon (DS), Roi Shannon (RS), Richard W. Simmers, Jr. (RWS), Charles R. Smith (CRS), Ronnie D. Smith (RDS), Stephen J. Stedman (SJS), Anthony Tate (AT).

Literature Cited

Appendix A: Reports of Loggerhead Shrike during Summer 2005 in the Upper Cumberland Region.

Appendix B: Regional Observations of Swainson's Warbler during Spring and Summer 2005.

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