BIRDS of the UPPER CUMBERLAND REGION

Summer 2010 UCR Bird Report

(1 June–31 July)

 

Stephen J. Stedman

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

sstedman@tntech.edu

                                                    

Introduction

Summer in the Upper Cumberland Region (Figure 1) resulted in a fairly large number of interesting reports; read on.

Weather

    Weather during the season was warmer and drier than the norm during June; more rainfall than the norm fell during July.

Survey Efforts

    Breeding Bird Surveys, point counts, and other bird-monitoring efforts were continued in the Region this season.  For a look at some of the monitoring results from this season (summarized for some species in the accounts below), click on an appropriate link below:

Results of UCR Forays

    Three UCR Forays were conducted in the Region during late May and early June. Cumberland County (29 May–4 June), Pulaski County (5–11 June), and Clay County (12–15 June) were all the subject of some intense bird surveying, and many of the resulting data improved knowledge of the breeding avifauna of these counties in a number of ways. Any results pertaining to breeding species are discussed in this report; for foray results relevant to the spring migration, see the Spring 2010 UCR Bird Report. Links to the foray results, including numerous maps, are provided below:

Onset of the Fall 2010 Migration

    Arrival dates for some fall migrants, especially among the shorebirds, occur as early as July, sometimes even late June; a page with early dates of arrival for migrant species during "fall" 2008 may be viewed at the following link:

Abbreviations:  †—written documentation provided; ad—adult; BBS—Breeding Bird Survey; BSFNRRA—Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; CTSP—Cumberland Trail State Park; DBNF—Daniel Boone National Forest; KY— Kentucky; NPS—National Park Service; OWSR—Obed Wild and Scenic River; SNA—State Natural Area; SRS—Summer Roadside Survey, Putnam County, Tennessee; TN—Tennessee; UCR—Upper Cumberland Region; USGS—United States Geological Survey; y—young. 

Acknowledgments

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

    To the following for assistance with the Cumberland County Foray, many thanks are especially due: John W. Barthelme, Roseanna M. Denton, Michael J. Hawkins, Edmund K. LeGrand (co-coordinator), Joseph E. Mast, Barbara H. Stedman, Winston A. Walden, Ralph and Virginia Wiggers, and Carol D. Williams.  For assistance with the Pulaski County Foray, many thanks are due to Granville Cox, Roseanna M. Denton (co-coordinator), Steve Denton, C. Gay Hodges, Arlene M. Morton, Connie S. and Wendell Neeley, Thomas M. Saya, Barbara H. Stedman, and Winston A. Walden; and for assistance with the Clay County Foray, many thanks are due to Thomas M. Saya, Barbara H. Stedman, and Winston A. Walden.

    Many thanks are also due to USGS personnel who provided basic materials to those conducting federal BBSs in the Region; and thanks are also due 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

Somewhat unexpected was a male Ring-necked Duck on Old Rt. 28 just south of Ninemile Crossroad, Bledsoe Co., TN, 10 July 2010 (EKL, SJS), providing perhaps the only Regional summer observation on record.

 

Loons through Herons

An alternate-plumaged Common Loon was noted on Center Hill Lake, DeKalb Co., TN, 27 July 2010 (MJH).

    Warren County hosted a Double-crested Cormorant on Mason Grissom Rd. 27 June 2010 (SNM), almost certainly a non-breeding bird.

    Two late Great Egrets were noted in Pulaski County Park, Pulaski Co., KY, 7 June 2010 (SJS) during the foray there; another was noted 29 June 2010, remarkably early for a dispersing bird, in Barren Co., KY (DLR).

    An adult Black-crowned Night-Heron was found 10 July 2010 (EKL, SJS) at the same site on Upper East Valley Rd., Bledsoe Co., TN, where up to three of this species were found during the previous summer (see Fall 2009 UCR Bird Report); three adults and an immature were present at the same site 24 July 2010 (CB et al.).

    An adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was observed in Burgess Falls State Natural Area, Putnam Co., TN, 14 July 2010 (JJ), about the only report of this species in the Region this year.

 

Vultures through Coot

An Osprey was observed in Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Barren Co., KY, 31 July 2010 (DLR), a report suggestive of a local nesting effort; sightings in Clay County during the 2010 UCR Foray there (BHS) were also indicative of a local nest, though no nest has yet been found in the county. Five nests in Jackson County were active and collectively produced a total of 10 young (NSL); at least one nest in Smith County was active and produced three young (CDW photo, JCF, SJS).

 

Shorebirds through Terns

An adult Stilt Sandpiper was earliest ever during fall in Pulaski Co., KY, when found at the Fishing Creek Recreation Area 30 July 2010 (RMD photo).

 

Doves through Vireos

A leucistic Belted Kingfisher was discovered and photographed in Pleasant Hill, Cumberland Co., TN, 8–13 July 2010 (VW photo [last date]); such individuals are quite rare.

    The first sighting of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Cumberland Co., TN, took place 11–12 July 2010 (MA, EKL photo) when an adult was found (former date) and photographed (latter date) on Rt. 70N just west of the Obed River.  Scissor-tails were noted at several known breeding sites in Bledsoe Co., TN, during the late spring and early part of the summer.

    Quite predictably, single singing Blue-headed Vireos were found at sites with mixed forest in each of two blocks (Celina 1 and 4) during the Clay County Foray 12 June 2010 (BHS), the first records for that county and further evidence that Blue-heads are continuing to pioneer new, usually low elevation Regional breeding areas on an almost annual basis.  Blue-heads were found in 35 of 75 foray blocks (including 5 of 11 priority blocks) during the Cumberland County Foray, up considerably from the 5 blocks (including 3 of 11 priority blocks) in which this species was reported as a result of the 1986–1991 Breeding Bird Atlas effort (Nicholson 1997).  Another indication of this vireo's continuing increase as a Regional breeder was provided by the results of the foray in Pulaski County, where the Blue-head was registered in 10 of 72 blocks, after not being registered at all in that county during Breeding Bird Atlas efforts 1986–1992 (Palmer-Ball 1996).

 

Corvids through Waxwing

A singing Sedge Wren was noted on Oakes Rd., Pulaski Co., KY, 6 and 8 June 2010 (SJS) during the foray there, providing one of very few Regional breeding records obtained during June; during breeding bird atlas work in Pulaksi County in the late 1980s and early 1990s, this species was registered, but probably during a time later in the breeding season.  A single singer was present on Bliss Rd., Adair Co., KY, 31 July 2010 (RMD) at a site where another observer (DC) had earlier reported this species.

    Veeries were once again found on Dorton Knob at the south end of Brady Mt., Cumberland Co., TN, as a result of effort expended during the 2010 UCR Foray in Cumberland County; at least 2 and perhaps as many as 4 singing males were counted, and at least 1 and perhaps 2 nonsingers were also noted, all 4 June 2010 (EKL).

 

Warblers

A singing Chestnut-sided Warbler c. 1 km (c. 0.5 mi) south of Hail, Pulaski Co., KY, 6 June 2010 (BHS) was the first to be found during the breeding season in that county; this singer, a product of the foray in Pulaski County, was present at an elevation of c. 290 m (c. 960 ft).

 

Sparrows through Weaver Finch

No Henslow's Sparrow could be located during the 2010 UCR Foray in Cumberland County, despite more than 200 hours of field work being conducted in the 75 blocks of that county, indicating quite a change in the species' presence in the few years that have passed since dozens were found at the Campbell Farm.  Henslow's were noted in five blocks during the 2010 UCR Foray in Pulaski County, including 12 counted 11 June 2010 (RMD) in the block (Ano1) where the Ano strip mines are located.  Six Henslow's were noted on Bliss Rd., Adair Co., KY, 31 July 2010 (RMD) at a site where the species had been reported earlier (DC).

    Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have been present during the breeding season on Dorton Knob at the south end of Brady Mt., Cumberland Co., TN, for several years; this year a singing male was noted there 4 June 2010 (EKL) during part of the work on the 2010 UCR Foray in Cumberland County; additionally, a singing male was seen and heard 1 June 2010 along Hebbertsburg Rd. in the Ozone 1 block (SJS); the elevation of the latter site (below 2000) makes it unlikely that this male was a breeder.

    The Regional forays are supplying considerable information about the status of the Dickcissel in the Region.  The 2010 UCR Foray in Cumberland County turned up a singing male 29 May 2010 at Shadow Mountain Estates (EKL), a site where a pair, including a female with food for young, were found 1–13 July 2010 (EKL); this record was the first in many years in that county. Dickcissels were recorded in 4 of 30 blocks during the 2010 UCR Foray in Clay County and in 12 of 72 blocks during the 2010 UCR Foray in Pulaski Co., KY.  Results from the Regional BBSs were somewhat above average with 3 recorded on the Union Hill BBS in Clay and Macon counties, TN, and 17 on the Sulphur Lick BBS in Monroe and Metcalfe counties, KY (the usual total from the 8 Regional BBSs is about 10).  Eight Dickcissels were reported from Bliss Rd., Adair Co., KY, 31 July 2010 (RMD) at a site where another observer (DC) had reported them earlier in the season.

    Breeding season records of Bobolink in the Region are limited to late migrants occasionally sighted during late May and early June; a single male on Oakes Rd., Pulaski Co., KY, 6 June 2010 (SJS) during the foray in that county may have fallen in this category.  However, 2 singing males engaged in courtship flights on Cummins-McWilliams Rd., Pulaski Co., KY, 9 June 2010 (SJS), and singing and courting 3 males and a likely female at the same site 11 June 2010 (RMD), also found during the foray, were probably making a breeding effort.  The field in which they were found had been mown by 19 June 2010 (RMD), and no Bobolinks were noted on that date.

 

Observers: Mark Anderson (MA), Clyde Blum (CB), Derek Coomer (DC), Judy C. Fuson (JCF), Michael J. Hawkins (MJH), John Johansen (JJ), Nancy S. Layzer (NSL), Edmund K. LeGrand (EKL), David L. Roemer (DLR), Barbara H. Stedman (BHS), Stephen J. Stedman (SJS), Carol D. Williams (CDW), Veronica Wright (VW).

 

Literature Cited

 

Appendix A: Reports of Loggerhead Shrike during Summer 2010 in the Upper Cumberland Region.

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Date

 Observer(s) County, State Site
         

 

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