Swan

Two Swans A-swimming.

Mute Swans on Blountville Hwy., Bristol, TN

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ONE and ALL,

May the birth of our risen Savior be the center of your life always.

Mockingbird

If you’ve been hearing an endless string of 10 or 15 different birds singing outside your house, you might have a Northern Mockingbird in your yard. These slender-bodied gray birds apparently pour all their color into their personalities. They sing almost endlessly, even sometimes at night, and they flagrantly harass birds that intrude on their territories, flying slowly around them or prancing toward them, legs extended, flaunting their bright white wing patches.

This Northern Mockingbird is a resident of Falls Mills Lake. He is seen in the area near the main road (about the middle of the lake). This photo was taken at the lakeside thicket beside the larger mowed field.

Woodpeckers

 When you are enjoying birds coming to your feeders this winter, you may see the familiar Downy Woodpecker or the White-breasted Nuthatch. But the large and shy Pileated Woodpecker (our largest) can be hard to entice to your suet feeder. While traveling Tazewell County's back roads (the best way), I was able to take photos of our tree climbing birds (woodpeckers and related). All of these woodpeckers can be seen at Falls Mills.

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker (female and Male)

Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted)

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-headed Woodpecker

White-breasted Nuthatch

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Colorful Water Fowl

There are many colorful birds on or near the Falls Mills Lake. Here are some of my favorites.

Wood Ducks

Bufflehead

Hooded Merganser

Thanksgiving

Thank you, Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Bald Eagle

Our regular visitor to the lake.

Ringed-bill Gull

Late Fall Photo

Falls Mills 2014

Burkes Garden (Tazewell County Sportsman Club)
Published "Virginia Wildlife"