Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge, TN: 4-28-18

Adult Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage with a black ring on its male bill.

Adult Barn Swallows

Male Chestnut-sided Warbler

Eastern Kingbird

Male Prothonotary Warbler

Adult Female Eastern Bluebird

Well-camouflaged Toad

Male American Goldfinch

Male Black-throated Green Warbler

Bird Mobile at our lunch spot

Male Orchard Oriole

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Too many cell phones

Elk in Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, KY: 4-27-18

Many if not all of the elk we saw had ear tags.  

The health of this elk herd is frequently tested.

Because of this careful monitoring some of these elk will be offered to other states for release into the wild.

These females are smaller than the males.

Though they are mainly nocturnal, they are also somewhat active at dawn and dusk.

They feed on grass, herbs and woody plants.

Since fires in forested areas create good forage for this species, prescribed burns are routinely used in this area.

They are highly social and travel in herds of 200-400 in open areas but herds here are much smaller in forested regions.

Adult bulls join herds of females and young during the rut in Sept-Oct.  Single young like this little guy are born in June (he was born in June of last year).

The population of these elk seems to be stable, primarily in mountains or protected areas like this refuge.

Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, KY: 4-25-18

Louisiana Waterthrush

This species is of high conservation importance, because of its relatively small breeding range, low overall density, and dependence on clear forest streams both on its breeding and tropical wintering grounds.

Male Brown-headed Cowbird

Female Brown-headed Cowbird

White-eyed Vireo: one of only two perching birds in the U.S. with white eyes.  Their nests are favored by Brown-headed Cowbirds for brood parasitism (this is when a bird (the cowbird here) lays its eggs in the nest of another species (the vireo here)) 

Great Egret (the only egret we saw in 4 days birding in the BTL NRA)

Ruby-throated Kinglet

Male Eastern Bluebird

3 new trip birds: 4-26-18

Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky

Hairy Woodpecker

The Hairy Woodpecker has more than 17 recognized subspecies.  Males have a red hind crown patch.

They are the most prolific woodpecker in all of North America.

Solitary Sandpiper

Though first described in 1813, its nest was not discovered until 1903.

Until 1903, the eggs and young of the Spotted Sandpiper were misidentified as those of the Solitary Sandpiper.

Its habit of nesting in the abandoned nests of other birds is unique among North American shorebirds, which generally nest on the ground.

Yellow-breasted Chat

 Throat expanded as he sings his beautiful “gurgling” song.

White spectacles and black lores and bill

Unlike most warblers, this species often mimics the calls of other birds.

Its large size and stout bill, long tail, and distinctive display flight, hovering with slow, deep-flapping wings and dangling feet, make it seem more like one of the mockingbirds or thrashers.