Birding Tennessee

Let's face it. When it comes to Tennessee, I have discovered there are birding opportunities all over this state. I have visited Cross Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Old Hickory Lake, Radnor Lake, Priest Lake, and well, you get the idea. I have added many birds to my Life List of which several made me especially happy. I was most excited to photograph the Wood Duck pair and then a juvenile. Exciting! Middle Tennessee, as it is called here in the Volunteer State, has its share of lakes and rivers, not to mention parks and wildlife refuges. I wanted to share some of the images with you in a cumulative view. Many of these photos were featured in a post so I hope you don't mind indulging me. Just look at the variety and tell me it is not impressive! Could this be why every time I go out with my camera, my 'photo' elbow pain kicks back in.

The breakdown top to bottom, left to right. Great Blue Heron, Mallard Duck, Bufflehead Duck, Great White Egret, Yellow Crowned Night Heron, Ringed Neck Duck, Black Crowned Night Heron, Eastern Phoebe, Common Loon, Pied-Billed Grebe, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Osprey (I think), Eastern Kingbird, Seagull, Long Tailed Duck, Wood Duck Juvenile, Eastern Bluebird, Red Winged Blackbird, Great White Egret, Wood Duck Pair, North American Wild Turkey, American Coot, Hooded Merganser and finally a Common Grackle.

It wasn't my intention to photograph birds when I started this blog. At that time I was actually into more landscapes and such. Several years later I purchase my first and a year later my second zoom lenses and off I went to photograph birds. Birds taking flight, birds landing, birds feeding, birds in the water, birds in a flock, bird eggs, bird nests, baby birds. Again, you get the idea. I hope you enjoyed the look back over my last year here in Greater Nashville. To think I only became a permanent resident here this week last year really seems to boggle my mind. And the areas I have visited to photograph nature in any shape or form has really helped me to feel more at home. It has been a year to remember for me in so many ways. ENJOY!

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Long Hunter State Park

On Sunday I took a drive before the clouds and storm began to move in from the northwest. One of the places I paid a visit to briefly was Long Hunter State Park, about ten miles south of Percy Priest Dam. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are quite a few recreational areas, wildlife management areas and parks that are situated all up and down Percy Priest Lake.

Looking back across the lake in Long Hunter State Park, the shore reminded me a little of the shoreline in Acadia National Park. While not nearly as beautiful as Acadia, it was still a nice view. It was also the last of the sun I saw that day as the clouds moved in.

As I proceeded to get back in my car to leave the park, I stopped to watch a Cardinal sitting on a branch brightening up the landscape with his beautiful red feathers. But something else caught my eye near to the Cardinal. A Yellow Bellied Sapsucker was flitting all about the branches looking for sap dripping from the holes he had drilled earlier. I don't know how long it takes for sap to drip out at a good drip, but I am positive this woodpecker knows.

By the way, this is a life list bird for me. I had never seen a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker before. I had to look him up to confirm his identify. He hung out for a bit before heading deeper into the trees out of my view.

This week in Tennessee, including Nashville, we are in a State of Emergency. I had not been out on the streets since Sunday. Monday the ice storm dropped a half inch or more of ice on all of the outdoor surfaces. All day long it rained ice pellets. I cleaned my car of all of the ice yesterday late. Then last night it snowed an inch. I knew it was going to snow which is why I cleaned the ice off my car yesterday late. Today by the time I ventured out to the market the sun had melted most of the snow off of my car thankfully, not to mention the black ice on the roads. I went to the grocery and came right back home.

I am not willing to be out long as temps are falling all day today to reach below zero tonight which will refreeze all of the water on the roads. First ice, then snow and now bitter bitter cold. Not making for a productive week, and more ice and snow is predicted for Friday. I can't complain, however, as I am reminded by the new reports out of Boston of their 100 inches of snow. I should be grateful this week is probably the worst of Winter I will experience. I pray wherever you are, stay safe, warm and take care. ENJOY!