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published on 08/01/2008 The Chattanooga Chat - TOS By Editor A Newsletter of the Chattanooga Chapter – Tennessee Ornithological Society ---- July Meetings Thursday, August 14 5:30 PM Executive Board Meeting immediately before the TOS monthly meeting Thursday, August 14 7:00 PM Monthly Meeting: Tiffany Ahern-Beachy will give a talk about research on Cerulean Warblers in the Cumberland Mountains. She recently received a Masters Degree from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. Gary Brunvoll will provide refreshments after the meeting. Ascension Lutheran Church, 720 S. Germantown Road. Field Trips Sat., Aug. 23: Kingston Steam Plant for Shorebirds and Early Migrants Meet: 4:00 pm at the Bi-Lo parking lot on Hwy. 58 Leaders: Clyde Blum and Kyle Waggener. For full information contact Kyle at . The ash fields and settling ponds at Kingston steam plant often attract migrant shorebirds. Some other birds often found there include various species of gulls, terns, egrets and herons. It is often very hot and dry three. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, a hat, and sunscreen. Bring plenty of water to drink and a spotting scope if you have one. If you don't have a scope, others will be happy to share views through theirs. Knoxville TOS will be joining us there. Sat., Aug. 9: Sequatchie Valley for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers Meet: 8:00 am (EDT) 7:00 am (CDT) at the McDonald's on Rt. 127 in northern Pikeville. Leader: Stephen Stedman Contact info. for more info or call Kyle Waggener at . On a recent trip to northern Sequatchie Valley in Bledsoe Co., Stephen Stedman found several Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on nests and with fledglings. He will lead participants on a search of these sites with the hopes of finding them again. The juveniles should be dispersing at this time and they may be hard to find. Other species he encountered on his previous trip were: Dickcissel, Loggerhead Shrike, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Eurasian Collared Dove. Dress for warm conditions and bring something to drink. If you can lead a field trip - Contact: Kyle Waggener . 2nd Annual Tennessee River Gorge Seasonal Butterfly Count, Saturday, August 30. Meet 10:00am at Signal Mountain Bi-Lo parking lot Leader: Bill Haley, (W) or (H). This count will be held within the Tennessee River Gorge count circle, so we’ll visit several different locations. Fall butterflies are usually more numerous than in mid-summer when this count was last done. Wear appropriate clothing including comfortable walking shoes. Bring sunscreen, hat, snacks and drinks. While this is an all-day count, you are welcome to only stay with us as long as your schedule (or stamina) allows. These Items from Harold Sharp: Jack Gentle reported some water returning to Standifer Gap Marsh yesterday. Perhaps the beavers fixed beaver dam. We hope so. On July 22 John and Dale Stokes received a male Peregrine Falcon from Minnesota to be placed in the Peregrine hacking cage at Rock City. He arrived during a large thunderstorm and was placed in the hacking cage with a couple frozen quail for supper. He is 31 days old and will remain in the cage for 2 1/2 weeks then be fitted with a transmitter and leg bands and released into the wild about August 15. He has been named "Rocky" and is part of a hacking program to return Peregrine Falcons to Lookout Mountain. This is the third Peregrine to be hacked from this site which is just a stones throw from where our beloved Peregrine "Roi" was hacked in 1993. If he stays close he can be tracked with the transmitter which has a 14 mile line of sight range. The other hacked Peregrines also had transmitters and were tracked a few days but have not been located since. What have you seen? David Spicer posted photographs taken on the Polk County Butterfly Count at www.pbase.com. Sightings included Great Spangled Fritillary, Silvery Checkerspot, and several species of swallowtail, including Giant Swallowtail. On July 16, Charles Dean photographed rails and bitterns at Standifer Gap Marsh. He observed and photographed a Virginia Rail family consisting of 2 adults with 5 little black fussy chicks. They crossed the gravel road to the side that still has plenty of water. They may have been relocating to where more food is available. It took the adult Virginia Rails 30 minutes to coach the 5 little chicks to cross the gravel road. On July 18, Charles Dean photographed a Least Bittern at Standifer Gap Marsh. Apparently the Least Bittern can extend it neck about 4 times its body length. Saturday afternoon, July 19, Kyle Waggener and David Stone birded The Honors Golf Course in Ooltewah from 5:15 until 8:15 PM. They found 48 species. Earlier in the day David saw Turkey Vulture, American Crow, Red Winged Blackbird and Common Grackle to make the total for the day 52. Most interesting was an adult Broad-winged Hawk with at least one immature. In fact it was "Immature Day" as they saw adult Killdeer and Eastern Phoebes also with immatures. They also got very good looks at a male and female Blue Grosbeak and male and female Orchard Orioles. They watched Tree Swallows feeding nestlings sticking their heads out of a bird box. This is about 3 weeks later than the earliest past appearance of Tree Swallow nestlings there. Sightings included: Mallard Wild Turkey (we have had several young raised here this year) Great Blue Herron Green Herron Turkey Vulture Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Killdeer Rock Pigeon Morning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern wood-Pewee Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue Jay American Crow Purple Martin Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Carolina Wren House Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Wood Thrush American Robin Northern Mockingbird Cedar Waxwing Pine Warbler Summer Tanager Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole House Finch American Goldfinch (many eating natural vegetation) Join and Support TOS $28 – Individual $32 - Family; $15 - Student; $40 - Sustaining; $460 – Life member. (Life members must pay additional $10 local chapter dues each year.) Send checks to Cathy Lockwitz, 4525 Lake Haven Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37416. Note: all dues, donations, gifts, and bequests are tax deductible under Sec. 501 (c) (3) of the internal Revenue Code of the U.S. Please make checks payable to TOS. Your Chattanooga Chapter, TOS Meeting your needs For quality birding since 1915 YOU ARE INVITED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CHATTANOOGA CHAPTER, TOS Membership in TOS is: The Chattanooga Chat, monthly newsletter; The Tennessee Warbler, statewide newsletter; The Migrant, quarterly journal • Meetings, Field Trips and Special Events • Conservation and Educational Projects • Increasing knowledge and enjoyment of out natural world To Our New Members: A warm welcome to “The Wonderful World of Birds”… Join in the fun… Come to all of our events and bring your friend(s) if you wish. Chattanooga TOS Website: www.chattanoogatos.org

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