Results of a Bird Inventory at Stones River National Battlefield, Rutherford County, Tennessee, Spring 2003 through Winter 2003-2004

 

Coneflower in a cedar glade at Stones River National Battlefield 17 July 2003; photo SJS.

 

Under contract with the National Park Service, Barbara and Stephen Stedman conducted a bird inventory of this park service unit for each season of the year, beginning the inventory during the spring of 2003 and completing it at the end of winter 2004-2005.

   If you have data about any bird species not noted below or for any seasons without records in the table below, even if from a year before 2003, please contact us at the following e-mail address with the particulars of the sighting, including as accurate a date as possible:

                sstedman@tntech.edu

   Spring 2003 data collected by BHS on the following dates: 17 April, 1 May, and 2 May.  x = present during season indicated.

   Summer 2003 data were collected by BHS on the following dates: 28-30 May and 16 June; and by BHS and SJS on the following date: 17 July 2003.  x = present during season indicated.  Summer 2003 Point Count data derive from a set of 15 plots surveyed once (10 minutes at each plot) by BHS.

    Fall 2003 data were collected by BHS on the following dates: 15 September and 2 October.  x = present during season indicated.

    Winter 2003-2004 data were collected by BHS on the following dates: 15-16 December 2003, 29 January 2004, and 20 February 2004. x = present during the season indicated.

    Codes for breeding evidence follow (a date is provided with codes for probable and confirmed breeding):

        Possible Breeders:

            X = present

        Probable Breeders:

            T = territorial (present at same site on dates at least a week apart)
            P = pair
            A = agitated behavior (presumably near nest or young)
            C = courtship or copulation

        Confirmed Breeders:

            DD = distraction display
            CN = adult carrying nest material
            NB = adult building nest
            UN = used nest
            FY = adult carrying food for young
            BG = begging young
            FL = fledged young
              FS = fecal sac removed from nest by adult
            ON = adult on nest incubating
            NE = nest with eggs
            NY = nest with young

       To view a checklist of species recorded at Stones River N. B. during the inventory, click on the following link:

    The following table summarizes bird inventory work at Stones River N. B. during 2003.

 

Species

Spring 

Summer 

   

Fall

 Winter 
2003  2003

2003 2003-2004
Point Point Breeding
Counts Counts Evidence
Stops Individuals
Canada Goose x x 1 4 X x x
Wood Duck x x 1 1 A 05-02
Mallard x x NE 05-01 x x
Wild Turkey x 2 2 FL 05-30 x x
Northern Bobwhite x 1 1 T 05-29 x x
Great Blue Heron x x 1 2 X x x
Green Heron x 1 1 X
Black Vulture x x X x x
Turkey Vulture x x X x x
Northern Harrier x
Sharp-shinned Hawk x x
Cooper's Hawk

x

 x 1 1 A 05-30 x x
Red-shouldered Hawk x 1 1 A 05-30 x x
Broad-winged Hawk x x 1 1 X x
Red-tailed Hawk x x BG 05-30 x x
American Kestrel x x 1 1 T 05-20 x x
Killdeer x x 1 1 DD 04-17 x x
Spotted Sandpiper x
Wilson's Snipe x
American Woodcock x x C 05-01 x
Ring-billed Gull x
Rock Pigeon x x 1 6 X x
Eurasian Collared-Dove x
Mourning Dove x x 3 4 C 05-30 x x
Yellow-billed Cuckoo x T 06-16
Eastern Screech-Owl x x T 05-30 x x
Great Horned Owl x x T 05-30 x x
Common Nighthawk x x 1 1 T 06-16 x
Chuck-will's-widow x x T 06-16
Chimney Swift x x 3 5 T 06-16 x
Belted Kingfisher x x 1 1 FY 05-29 x x
Red-headed Woodpecker x x
Red-bellied Woodpecker x x 6 7 FL 05-29 x x
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker x x
Downy Woodpecker x x 5 8 FL 05-29 x x
Hairy Woodpecker x x
Northern Flicker x x
Eastern Wood-Pewee x 3 3 T 06-16 x
Eastern Phoebe x x 3 3 ON 05-29 x
Great Crested Flycatcher x x 2 2 X
Eastern Kingbird x x 3 4 CN 05-02
White-eyed Vireo x x 2 2 T 06-16 x
Yellow-throated Vireo x x 1 1 X
Warbling Vireo x
Philadelphia Vireo x
Red-eyed Vireo x x 3 3 T 06-16
Blue Jay x x 11 25 FL 05-29 x x
American Crow x x 10 32 X x x
Purple Martin x x 1 2 T 06-16
N. Rough-winged Swallow x x 2 4 T 06-16
Barn Swallow x x 1 1 NY 05-29
Carolina Chickadee x x 7 14 FL 06-16 x x
Tufted Titmouse x x 13 26 FL 06-16 x x
White-breasted Nuthatch x x T 06-16 x x
Carolina Wren x x 10 24 FL 05-30 x x
Bewick's Wren x* X
House Wren x
Sedge Wren x ***
Golden-crowned Kinglet x
Ruby-crowned Kinglet x x x
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher x x 2 4 FL 05-30 x
Eastern Bluebird x x 4 5 FL 05-29 x x
Veery x
Swainson's Thrush x x
Hermit Thrush x
Wood Thrush x x
American Robin x x 3 3 C 04-17 x x
Gray Catbird x x
Northern Mockingbird x x 4 4 CN 05-01 x x
Brown Thrasher x x 4 4 ON 05-01 x x
European Starling x x 5 46 FL 04-17 x x
Cedar Waxwing x x x
Blue-winged Warbler x
Tennessee Warbler x
Orange-crowned Warbler x
Northern Parula x x 1 1 X
Yellow Warbler x
Chestnut-sided Warbler x
Magnolia Warbler x
Cape May Warbler x
Yellow-rumped Warbler x x x
Black-thr. Green Warbler x
Blackburnian Warbler x
Prairie Warbler x x 1 1 X
Palm Warbler x x
Bay-breasted Warbler x
Black-and-white Warbler x x
American Redstart x x
Ovenbird x x
Kentucky Warbler x
Common Yellowthroat x x 4 8 T 06-16 x
Hooded Warbler x x 1 1 X
Wilson's Warbler x
Yellow-breasted Chat x 2 4 T 06-16
Summer Tanager x x 2 2 T 06-16
Scarlet Tanager x
Eastern Towhee x x 9 27 FL 06-16 x x
Chipping Sparrow x x FL 06-16 x
Field Sparrow x x 11 25 NY 05-01 x x
Lark Sparrow x* X
Savannah Sparrow x x x
Grasshopper Sparrow x 2 4 FY 06-16
Fox Sparrow x
Song Sparrow x x X x x
Swamp Sparrow x
Lincoln's Sparrow x
White-throated Sparrow x x** x
Dark-eyed Junco x
Northern Cardinal x x 13 58 NY 05-01 x x
Rose-breasted Grosbeak x x
Blue Grosbeak x x 2 2 T 06-16 x
Indigo Bunting x x 12 45 FL 06-16 x
Red-winged Blackbird x x 3 7 NB 05-01 x x
Eastern Meadowlark x x 1 1 X x x
Rusty Blackbird x
Common Grackle x x 11 41 FL 04-17 x x
Brown-headed Cowbird x x 7 19 P 05-30 x x
Orchard Oriole x x FY 06-16
Baltimore Oriole x
Purple Finch x
House Finch x x P 06-16 x x
Pine Siskin x
American Goldfinch x x 6 17 P 06-16 x x
House Sparrow x

* A Bewick's Wren and a Lark Sparrow were noted 30 May 2003 by BHS in the main section of the park.

** A White-throated Sparrow was heard and seen 17 July 2003 by SJS and BHS along the auto tour route in the main section of the park, a rather unusual sighting for the time of year.

*** A Sedge Wren was located 15 December 2003 by BHS near the Artillery Monument.

Barb Stedman inventorying birds in a cedar glade at Stones River National Battlefield 17 July
2003; photo SJS

 

   Thanks are due Gib Backlund, Terri Hogan, and all personnel in the Resource Management Office at Stones River N. B. for providing vital logistical support that enabled the point counts to be conducted this year. Thanks are also due the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program for support in providing funding to accomplish this bird inventory of the park.