tanagers delight

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We had a wonderful turnout for an early morning bird walk at Ijams Nature Center yesterday. Thank you! After meeting at the Visitor Center our group drove to Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area, 400-plus acres one-half mile east of Ijams.

Although it's a bit late in the season, we were looking for some of the summer species that might still be actively singing: indigo buntings, common yellowthroats, yellow-breasted chats, white-eyed vireos, yellow-billed cuckoos, and found all but the cuckoo.

But, as is often the case, the birds that delighted us the most were ones we didn't expect to see: a pair of summer tanagers. Ron, one of the group members with an excellent eye for birds, was the first to find them. We got much better looks at the yellowish female, which perched in the open preening for a long time, but we did get a brief glimpse of a male.

Known as the "summer redbirds" these tanagers are found all across the state during the warm, nesting season, but they are far more abundant in Middle and West Tennessee. Although their preferred habitat is wooded lowlands with open spaces, here in the valley they are far less common. In the Volunteer State, you are most likely to find them along the Western Highland Rim, roughly halfway between Nashville and Memphis.

Also, special thanks to Mary, who took a taxi to be with our group. She has an excellent ear for both bird and insect song.

- Special thanks also goes to Charles (Chuck) Nicholson. His "Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Tennessee" published by UT Press in 1997 is an indispensable reference to the nesting birds of our state.

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