This weekend, eager birdwatchers will gather in the small Birchwood community (at the Hiwassee Refuge about 45-minutes from downtown) to witness a majestic display of nature. More than 20,000 sandhill cranes have trumpeted (audibly) into the region as a part of their annual migration.
The 2019 Sandhill Crane Festival is Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hiwassee Refuge and Birchwood Community Center. Guests can ride a free shuttle from the center to the refuge. Not only is it an opportunity to view these stunning birds up close, but it’s also a celebration of their rebound from near extinction — fewer than 1,000 birds existed in 1940.
Admission to the festival is free. Click here for more information.
But birdwatching isn’t just limited to this weekend. The Chattanooga region is a birder’s mecca with year-round opportunities to view a variety of species. You can visit our local birding parks, but some of the most relaxing opportunities happen right in your own backyard. 🦅
“There is an unreasonable joy to be had from the observation of small birds going about their bright, oblivious business.” — Grant Hutchison, author of “The Complete Lachlan”
So, you want to watch birds? That’s a good start. As with most hobbies, you can dabble into it with ease or get totally obsessed with acquiring knowledge, obtaining the latest gear + documenting your progress. But the reality is that you really only need a few things to get started. The most important thing is your own two eyes… and maybe a little curiosity.
What you need to get started
A good field guide (or two)
It’s true about many things in life but especially so in birding: a little knowledge can go a long way. A field guide is more than just a book about birds, it’s also a quick way for you to reference what your eyes are seeing. A few good entry-level books:
— “Birds of Tennessee” by Stan Tekiela
— “The Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America” by Kenn Kaufman
— “The Sibley Guide to Birds” by David Allen Sibley
— “Peterson Field Guide to Birds” by Roger Tory Peterson
Binoculars (“Bins”)
You could spend some hard coin on binoculars — and you should spend what you can afford — but there’s no reason to spend $1,000+ on optics unless you get seriously into the hobby. Bins are important, though, so you should invest in something that will give you the best experience. This hobby is all about visuals + listening. It’s hard to see the birds if you can’t see the birds, right? Here are some good binoculars + scopes:
— Roxant Authentic Blackbird HD ($79)
— Nikon 7237 Action ($126)
— Celestron Nature DX 8x42 ($139)
— Bushnell Legend Ultra HD ($208)
Apps/websites
Birdwatching in 2018 is much improved by technology. There are countless apps and websites that have become essential tools for both amateur and more-than-amateur birders. Many of these apps can identify birds by photos or sound. They can help you keep track of your life list (an ongoing list of birds you’ve seen in your lifetime) and help you find “hotspots” where interesting birds have been spotted.
— ebird.org: Designed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, ebird is simply the best website for birders to find birds, keep track of bird lists, explore the latest sightings + contribute to science. The best part of ebird is the hotspots locator. Chattanooga has more than 40 local spots where birders have seen more than 100 species.
— Merlin: The Cornell Lab also created the Merlin bird app which allows birdwatchers to submit a photo for instant identification or ID a bird based on size, color + location. There is also a database of audio clips of every bird you’re likely to come across in your area.
— Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency: From active hiking trails to regional ornithological societies, the TWRA is a great resource for birders. They maintain Tennessee’s Watchable Wildlife list, which includes the 100 most common birds in the state.
— Tennessee Ornithological Society: The oldest official birding organization in the state, TOS has promoted the study, conservation + enjoyment of birds since 1915. It’s also the gateway to the Chattanooga Ornithological Society, whose members maintain a list of local hotspots for birding.
— Tennessee River Gorge Trust: The Tennessee River Gorge Trust’s Bird Observatory was established in 2014 to serve as the hub for all bird monitoring and banding operations in the Tennessee River Gorge. Each year, ornithologists spend time netting and counting a variety of species. You can see the full 2018 count here. Last year, scientists focused on the Louisiana Waterthrush and Worm-Eating Warbler.
Pro-tip: The property isn’t typically opened to the public, but guests can sign up for a variety of guided hikes in 2019.
Birdfeeders 🐦
The easiest way to view birds is to bring them to you. Retailers like Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Walmart, Lowe’s and Academy all have good selections of bird feeders in different shapes and sizes. No backyard? You can get a simple window feeder for your apartment. This link has some ideas on the best types of bird feeders to purchase + what kind of food (seed, suet or nectar) to offer. I’m quite fond of my See Rock City hummingbird feeder.
It only takes a few hours for birds to start noticing your offerings. In this region, the first visitor to your feeder will often be the courageous Carolina chickadee. Before long, you’ll start seeing northern cardinals, bluejays, house finches, bluebirds, grackles, starlings … and, of course, the occasional squirrel or chipmunk. (Devils!!) 🐿️
Pro-tip: The folks at Wild Birds Unlimited (6025 E. Brainerd Road + 6415 Hixson Pike) can hook you up with a great bird feeder + locally sourced seed and suet (a birdseed cake). They’re also extremely knowledgeable about all things birds.
Watching Birds
“There are approximately 10,000 species of birds on the planet and no single individual has seen them all.” — Bernd Brunner, author of “Birdmania: A Remarkable Passion for Birds”
Why birds? There’s an ethereal quality about birds (and flowers) that has drawn humans to them for years. Author/mystic Eckhart Tolle considers birds an “enlightened species.” Like flowers, he writes that the beauty of birds “[can] awaken humans, however briefly, to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being, their true nature.”
But even without a spiritual connection to them, it’s easy to see that birds are fascinating creatures.
A few bird facts:
— Ravens have evolved the ability to mimic human sounds and speech.
— Owls often swallow prey whole and regurgitate pellets full of fur and animal bones.
— Doves, parakeets and lovebirds mate for a lifetime. Awwww!
— A bird’s heart beats 400 times per minute while resting and can increase to 1,000 beats per minute while flying.
Birds are everywhere — from outside your window to dedicated preserves — and all you need is to show up. Chattanooga’s birdwatching hotspots are buzzing with activity throughout the year.
Here are some of the best spots to view birds in the area:
Park at the Shallowford Road parking area and walk the short loop behind Boyd-Buchanan High School. The mornings and evenings offer great looks at marsh birds like Canadian Geese, Herons, Hawks + Belted Kingfishers (my personal favorite bird).
If you like traipsing through the woods searching for songbirds, warblers, tanagers and vireos, Audubon Acres is your spot. There’s plenty to do for the entire family on the 130+ acres of property. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for kids. You might even see an eastern screech owl while you’re there.
This huge park surrounds Chickamauga Lake and offers some of the best shoreline bird viewing in the area. In the winter, you can find visiting gulls, loons + ducks. Bring your walking shoes or hop in your car to visit multiple spots for great birding. Here’s a park map.
Located just northeast of the city, Standifer Gap Marsh offers a wide array of marsh birding. Plus, it’s super easy to find for those who don’t want to spend a lot of time walking. This area is home to Wilson’s snipe during the winter + a ton of rarer birds in other seasons. Notably, this site is known for its cattail typha.
Tennessee Riverpark + Chickamauga Dam
This is my personal favorite place to birdwatch in Chattanooga because it’s convenient. The Tennessee Riverpark — including the Amnicola Marsh — runs parallel to the Tennessee River near downtown Chattanooga. The Chickamauga Dam is a great place to find herons and other marsh birds (it’s home to a heron rookery). For the macabre, you can often find a wake of black vultures eating dead fish along the riverbank. Fun!
The annual Sandhill Crane Festival is just the tip of the birding iceberg for the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, a 6,000+ acre preserve that is the winter home for thousands of birds. You might see the rare golden eagle, or if you’re really lucky, an ultra-rare Hooded Crane (the last one was viewed in our area in 2012). The wildlife viewing platform is open year-round.
Birding tips for Chattanooga? Let us know in the comments below.
