Tennessee & Kentucky: Spring 2025

Waterfowl

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks continue to expand, with reports from 11 counties in KY and 17 in TN. A Trumpeter Swan was found lingering at Woods Reservoir, Coffee Co, TN 26 Mar (ph. Susan Lanier). A lone Tundra Swan in north Fayette Co, KY 23 Mar–22 Apr (ph. Ronan O’Carra, m. ob.) was the last observed of the large numbers that occurred in winter. Eight-hundred Blue-winged Teal and 1,000 Northern Shovelers at Chickasaw NWR Impoundments, Lauderdale Co, TN 3 Apr (Alan Troyer) were notably the highest in the region. A male Cinnamon Teal was at Cane Creek Park, Putnam Co, TN 6 May (ph. Morton Massey, m. ob.). There are now approximately 25 state records. There were several other exceptional spring counts of lingering ducks, including 390 Redheads in Coffee Co, TN 3 Mar (Susan McWhirter, Mac McWhirter) and an estimated 2,000 Lesser Scaup on 4 Apr in Davidson Co, TN (Graham Gerdeman).

A Surf Scoter at Harrison Bay-Duck Point, Hamilton Co TN 28 Feb–2 Mar (Christopher DeRocher) was likely the same found down river from Booker T. Washington SP 6 and 8 Mar (ph. Tim Lenz, Tim Russell, m. ob.); another was at Camden WMA, Benton Co, TN 2 Mar (ph. Allen Trently). Single White-winged Scoters occurred at Concord Park, Knox Co, TN 5 Mar (Jeremy Dotson) and at Reelfoot Lake SP, Lake Co, TN 16 Mar (Alan Troyer). Black Scoters occurred in three locations: the Ohio River at Covington, Campbell Co, KY 20 Mar (Lindsay Walters); on Cherokee Lake, Hawkins Co, TN 20 and 24 Mar (ph. Tammy Bright); and at South Holston Lake, Sullivan Co, TN 1 Apr (Bambi Fincher, m. ob.). Three Long-tailed Ducks continued at Chester Frost Park, Hamilton Co, TN until last reported 21 Mar (Tim Lenz); one also lingered in the vicinity of Pinnacle Park, Sullivan Co, TN 10 Mar–1 Apr (ph. Monica Hoel, m. ob.).

A report of 240 Hooded Mergansers at Chickasaw NWR Impoundments, Lauderdale Co, TN (Alan Troyer) set a state high count for spring. Continuing the recent explosive expansion of the species in east TN, Common Mergansers were reported from 17 counties around the Cumberland Plateau and eastern mountains.

Doves through Limpkin
A White-winged Dove was seen at a feeder in Nashville, Davidson Co, TN 6 Apr (ph. Mike Smith, m. ob.); two different individuals were reported in Lexington, Fayette Co, KY 2 Apr (ph. Rex Graham), 10 May (ph. Tony Brusate), and 17 May (Heather Worne); one was in Woodford Co, KY 12 May (William Matthews). An extremely early Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling at Melton Hill Lake, Knox Co, TN 19 Mar (Jeremy Dotson) beat the state’s previous early date by ten days.

In a remarkable sequence of events, photographs of a dead nighthawk that had been found on a road in McCracken Co, KY 7 Apr (ph. Scott Record) were circulated and the bird was determined to be a Lesser Nighthawk—the region’s first. This led to the re-examination of another early nighthawk (reported as Common Nighthawk) in Clark Co, KY 9 and 13 April (ph. Lisa Combs, David J. Svetich) which was also determined by experts to have been a Lesser Nighthawk. Meanwhile, in TN, a beginning birder had reported her very first nighthawk on the very early date of 6 Apr in Davidson Co (Kaela Griffin). Though the field marks were well enough described to confirm a nighthawk species, which nighthawk it was could not be ascertained. Given the KY records the same week, it may possibly have been Lesser, as well.

Now quite rare, there were three reports of King Rail in TN: one was recorded calling at Ensley 9 May (au. Cliff VanNostrand); two birds apparently giving duet calls at Duck River 10–12 and 17 May (au. Ruben Stoll, Alan Troyer, m. ob.) may have possibly nested; and an individual struck by a car in Knox Co on 19 Apr was brought to the nearest rehabber some distance away in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co (David Aborn fide Graham Gerdeman). After a two-week recovery there, it was banded and released at Standifer Gap Marsh on 4 May and heard vocalizing there 5–6 May (ph. David Aborn, m. ob.). Twenty-eight Soras at Ensley 22 Apr (Scott Heppell, Jim Varner, Cliff VanNostrand) was a notable count.

It was a good season for Gallinules, with reports of Common Gallinule from six locations in TN and three in KY. Notably more rare, individual Purple Gallinules were found in TN in Hawkins Co 16 Apr (ph. Shane Falin), Blount Co 10 Apr–5 May (ph. Sandy Grave, m. ob.), and at Ensley 21–29 Apr (ph. PJ Pulliam, m. ob.). One was also in KY at Fort Knox, Hardin Co 15 Apr (ph. Danielle Leone, Marjorie Lehman) which was found to be injured and was rehabbed until being released in good condition (Ronan O’Cara fide Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.). There was a single Limpkin reported in Gatlinburg, Sevier Co, TN 10 May (ph. Paulette Cloutier fide Keith Watson). It remains to be seen if the species will establish a more regular pattern of vagrancy after the unprecedented irruption of 2023, or go back to being exceedingly rare.

Shorebirds

American Avocets were reported in nine TN locales and four in KY. The most were 29 in Gibson Co, TN 25 Apr (ph. Mark Greene, m. ob.). A flock of 5,870 American Golden-Plovers in receding floodwaters in Dyer Co, TN 13 Apr (Ruben Stoll, Alan Troyer) established the second highest ever count in the state. A report of 4,200 in nearby Lake Co 15 Apr (Mark Greene) was also sensational.

A high, flyover flock of 44 Whimbrels in Hamilton Co, TN 14 May (ph. Austin Young, Robert Windham) was extraordinary—the most ever reported in the region. Rare even individually, single birds were also reported earlier in Hamilton Co 3 May (au. Tim Lenz, Susan Schott, Theodore Lau), in Fulton Co, KY 5 May (ph. Hap Chambers), and in Lake Co, TN 20 May (ph. Ruben Stoll, Mark Greene). There was a single report of seven Marbled Godwits at McElroy Lake, Warren Co, KY 21 April (ph. Rickey Shive, Kevin Burt). In TN, one was in Crockett Co 28 Mar (ph. Mark Greene); another was at Robinson Bayou, Lake Co 17 Apr (ph. W.G. Criswell fide Mark Greene); and five were reported at Pickwick Dam, Hardin Co 21 Apr (ph. Avery Fish); another lone bird was at Pickwick 1–2 May (ph. Clyde Cole, Ruben Stoll).

A Red Knot at McElroy Lake, Warren Co, KY 27 May (ph. David Roemer, m. ob.) and a Ruff in the same location 16 May (ph. David Roemer, Rickey Shive) were both notable rarities and review-list species. There were four reports of Western Sandpiper in TN, including a notably rare eastern mountains record in Sullivan Co 7 May (Roy Knispel, Joe McGuiness). In KY, a flock of twelve at Industrial Park Wetlands, Fayette Co 21 Apr (ph. Katey Buster, Bernadette Adams, Mark Farman, m. ob.) was the highest spring number in 14 years. Two of the birds lingered until 22 Apr (ph. Fred Fahmy, m. ob.).

Gulls through Loons

The Little Gull at Nickajack Lake, Marion Co, TN continued until last reported 18 Mar (Roi Shannon, Deb Shannon, ph. Tim Lenz). A report of 3,500 Bonaparte’s Gulls at Douglas Dam, Sevier Co, TN 5 Mar (Mark Armstrong) was the second highest spring count on record. Laughing Gulls have been regularly reported on area lakes in spring for at least the past five years—there were seven reports in TN and one in KY. There were only two reports of different individual Franklin’s Gulls in Warren Co, KY 17 (Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.) and 20 May (Aaron Hulsey, Rickey Shive, Jamie Baker); lone Franklin’s Gulls were also in TN in Shelby Co 1 Mar (Cliff VanNostrand), Hardin Co 1 Apr and 12 May (ph. Ruben Stoll), and Davidson and Sumner Cos 18–20 May (ph. Tim Loyd, m. ob.). Ninety-four American Herring Gulls lingering at Pickwick Dam, Hardin Co, TN 6 Apr (Ruben Stoll, Philemon Freisen) established a new spring high count. A single “Thayer’s” Iceland Gull was on Lake Barkley, Livingston Co, KY 12 Mar (Hap Chambers, Josh Powell). Nine Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Lake Co, TN 7 Apr (ph. Mark Greene) set a spring high count for TN; eight at Pickwick Dam, Hardin Co, TN 19 Mar (ph. Ruben Stoll) was a close second.

One-hundred ten Caspian Terns at Pickwick Dam, Hardin Co, TN 11 Apr (Ruben Stoll) also set a spring record for the state. A count of 750 Black Terns feeding over the Mississippi River in Dyer Co, TN 21 May (Mark Greene) shattered previous records, setting an all-time regional high count for any season. Two days later on 23 May, TN’s seventh Arctic Tern was found feeding with the Black Tern flock (ph. Kyle Bess).

Rare, but annual to the region, there were two Red-necked Grebes in Davidson Co, TN: one from Old Hickory Lake (reported also from Sumner Co) 4 Apr (ph. Tim Loyd, Graham Gerdeman, m. ob.), and another on J. Percy Priest Lake 26 Apr (Avery Fish, Brad Dowd). An Eared Grebe in alternate plumage in Hawkins Co, TN 19 May (ph. Susan Hubley, Michael Hubley) appeared to set a new late spring record. At least two Red-throated Loons lingered in Hamilton Co, TN 6 Mar–26 Apr (ph. Stefanie Whitson, Tim Lenz, m. ob.); another was at Pickwick Dam, Hardin Co, TN 3 and 11 Apr (Ruben Stoll). A Pacific Loon in rarely-seen definitive alternate plumage was at J. Percy Priest Lake, Davidson Co, TN 26 Apr (ph. Ken Oeser, Avery Fish, Brad Dowd); a more typical basic or first-alternate plumaged bird was seen sporadically in the locale of Chickamauga Lake, Hamilton Co, TN 5–30 Mar (Kent Dubois, ph. Tim Lenz, m. ob.) and 15 Apr (O.J. Morgan).

Ibises through Owls

It was a good spring for vagrant Glossy Ibises in the region, with four reports from KY and three from TN: Individual birds were found in Trigg Co, KY 20–22 Apr (ph. Jeremy Teague); Jefferson Co, KY 16 May (ph. William Blodgett, Jr.); Warren Co, KY 20 May (ph. Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., Jamie Baker); Simpson Co, KY 21 May (ph. Rickey Shive, Karol Wilson); Humphreys Co, TN 27 Mar (Clayton Ferrell) and 11–17 May (ph. Avery Fish, m. ob.); and Shelby Co, TN 28 Apr (Gail King, ph. Cliff VanNostrand) and 24 May (ph. Larry Chitwood). Two were found in Gibson Co, TN 25–26 Apr (ph. Mark Greene, m. ob.). Single White-faced Ibises were also found in the region at Duck River 15–16 May (ph. Ruben Stoll, Victor Stoll, m. ob.); in Lake Co, TN 20 May (ph. Mark Greene, Ruben Stoll); and separate reports from Warren Co, KY at Chaney Lake 26 Apr (Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.), 2 May (Teresa Graham), and 16 May (ph. Jamin Beachy, Joanne Beachy), and at McElroy Lake 9 May (ph. Joanne Beachy, Jamin Beachy). One report of a Glossy/White-faced Ibis not identifiable to species came from Davies Co, KY 18 May (ph. Robert Rold).

Tricolored Herons are roughly annual vagrants to TN (rarely KY), with 1–2 per year in recent years. This spring was the second in a row with three individuals reported in TN from different locations: one at Tellico Lake, WMA, Monroe Co 25 Apr (ph. Christie Jones, Morton Massey); one at Standifer Gap Marsh, Hamilton Co 30–31 May (ph. Peter Robinson, m. ob.); and one at Duck River 28 May (ph. Tammy Ross-Arnold).

Four-hundred Turkey Vultures migrating over Sevierville, Sevier Co, TN 13 Mar (Mike Smith) established a new statewide high spring count. There were three reports of roaming Swallow-tailed Kites in TN: one at Signal Mountain, Hamilton Co 2 Apr (ph. Patrick Higgins), in Sumner Co 5 Apr (ph. Tim Loyd), and at Seven Islands State Birding Park, Knox Co 14 Apr (Nicole Lussier). Notable for the number involved, 28 Bald Eagles north of Frankfort, Franklin Co, KY 16 Apr (Joyce Bender) was an exceptional count for central KY. Mississippi Kite continues to expand in the region; one in Grainger Co, TN 19 May (ph. Dallas Harrell, Jason Cole) established yet another county first. Always rare, vagrant Swainson’s Hawks were spotted from Shelby Farms Park, Shelby Co, TN 17 Apr (Michael Collins); just a few miles away at Ensley 27 Apr (Cliff VanNostrand); and in Christian Co, KY 9 May (ph. Clay Cliznick, Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., m. ob.).

A Northern Saw-Whet Owl was caught on a camera trap at Tree Farm Road, Perry Co, TN 17 Mar (ph. Justin Miller fide Ruben Stoll), and an apparently stunned bird was found on an office porch in downtown Chattanooga, Hamilton Co, TN 31 Mar (ph. Patti Russell). Both seemed to be notably late migrants, though the timing of spring migration through TN is poorly understood.

Flycatchers through Cardinalids

A rare Vermillion Flycatcher in brush along Cane Creek in Perry Co, TN 4 Apr (ph. Ruben Stoll) established a first county record. After the previous three years without a record, it was the third in TN in just over a 12 month period. Bell’s Vireo was again found in multiple locations in TN, including at least four at Middle Fork Bottoms SP, Madison Co 18 and 23 May (ph. Allen Trently, Jacob Newby); other locations included a first Crockett Co record 8 May (au. Mark Greene), Ft. Campbell in both Montgomery and Stewart Cos (Daniel Moss fide Graham Gerdeman), Lake Co 14 May (Mark Greene), and three different locations in Dyer Co (Daniel Redwine, Mark Greene, m. ob.).

Two Smith’s Longspurs continued from winter among lingering Lapland Longspurs at the Fowler Road Irrigation Pond in Lincoln Co, TN 2 Mar (Avery Fish, Jeffrey Walck). Bachman’s Sparrows continue to persist on Ft. Campbell with reports of a female on a nest with eggs in Montgomery Co, TN 28 May (ph. Daniel Moss fide Graham Gerdeman) and a pair in Trigg Co, KY 22 May (au. Daniel Moss). The army base, which straddles the state line and involves several counties, is the only known location in the region for the sparrow. Rare, but an increasing annual visitor, there were reports of single Clay-colored Sparrows in Knox Co, TN 10 Mar–13 Apr (ph. Dean Edwards, m. ob.), and Jefferson Co, KY 3 May (ph. Clay Bliznick, au. Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., m. ob.). A vagrant Spotted Towhee was reported in Laurel Co, KY 15 Apr (ph. Ethelene Blair fide David Stone).

A vagrant Yellow-headed Blackbird was reported coming to a feeder in Franklin Co, KY 8 May (ph. Edwin Shouse); One to two were at Ensley 9–13 May (ph. Will Braam, m. ob.). Up to two Western Meadowlarks continuing from winter in Lincoln Co, TN were reported 2 (Avery Fish, Jeffrey Walck) and 23 Mar (ph. Avery Fish); two more were reported in Fulton Co, KY 1 Mar (ph. au. David Stone); one was found in Hardin Co, TN 2 Mar (au. Alan Troyer, Ruben Stoll); one was at Ensley 13–14 Mar (Ryan Pudwell, Cliff VanNostrand, Scott Heppell); one was found in Obion Co 27 Mar (au. Preston Ballard); and 16 at Lake Isom NWR 3 Apr (Alan Troyer) was a notable count.

A well-described Western Tanager was seen only for a moment in Shelby Co, TN 23 Apr (Rob Harbin), but was never relocated. It is only the second county record for the Memphis area in eBird. A male Lazuli Bunting at Shelby Farms Park 4 May (ph. Adrian Hall, Liz Hall, m. ob.) established a third TN record, all of which have been from Shelby Co.

Report edited by Andrew Keaveney, 15 Jul 2026.