Wildlife Photograph

Bales’ Backyard Tales

Unexpected bird turns up in CBC

January 14, 2009

The 2008 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for Knox County was held Saturday, January 3. The annual census is made within a 15-mile diameter circle centered on the intersection of Kingston Pike and Ebenezer Road.

Every year Ijams' volunteer Patty Ford and I count the same small section off Alcoa Highway east of the river. This time we hit the jackpot, although we had been alerted beforehand. The CBC complier Dean Edwards e-mailed that a ruby-throated hummingbird was still visiting a feeder at the home of Ruth and Tom Clark. The Clarks had been making sure the feeder had fresh sugar water every day. They named the small bird, "Wee Hattie the Hardy Hummer." News-Sentinel columnist Marcia Davis had already seen it and bird bander Mark Armstrong had also caught it only to learn that the young female had already been banded.        

Patty and I went to the Clark's home early the day of the count and within 20 minutes the tiny bird came to the feeder. As it tuned out, it was only the second time in the 51-year history of the Knox County CBC that a ruby-throat was found in our area late enough to make the count. 

 

 

Stephen Lyn Bales is a manager and naturalist at Ijams. A native of Gatlinburg, Lyn grew up with a roving curiosity and a national park in his backyard. In addition to his responsibilities at the nature center, he writes a weekly column in the farragutpress and is writing a second book. His first book "Natural Histories: Stories from the Tennessee Valley," published by the University of Tennessee Press, is available in the Ijams gift shop.

Also visit: stephenlynbales.blogspot.com