By Susan Woods
“It’s no secret that our state parks and natural areas are fantastic places to watch birds. No matter where you visit, be it the bustling city streets of the Bicentennial Capitol Mall, walking the boardwalk through Dismal Swamp at Big Hill Pond State Park, or hiking the quiet mountain forests of Rocky Fork State Park, birds can be found anywhere.”
This quote was copied from the blog recently written by Assistant Tennessee State Naturalist Holly Taylor. Her blog can be found at https://tnstateparks.com/blog/a-year-in-birds-at-tn-state-parks
As a result of the reports of birders to “Ebird” and Taylor’s consolidation of their reports, we know exactly which bird species have been sighted at each of the 57 Tennessee State Parks. NBF State Park is in ninth place with 200 species of birds reported. In fact, our local state park is distinguished as being the “most improved” with 22 new species reported in 2022.
“What is Ebird, you might ask? Ebird.org is an international citizen science platform created and maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Anybody can sign up for a free account, then use that account to record bird sightings from anywhere in the world, either through their computer or mobile device.
The Ebird database has revolutionized the world of avian research. Taylor noted that by using data regarding reported sightings, scientists are gaining a better understanding of migration patterns, population trends, and are even able to update range maps.
If you are interested in seeing the list of the 200 species that have been sighted in NBFSP, it is available at the park office. Reelfoot State Park holds the highest number of sighted bird species with 288. Nearby Paris Landing State Park has had 236 species reported. Of course, having so many waterfowl in addition to woodland birds has contributed to the larger numbers of species in these state parks.
New Additions to NBFSP
One of the newest additions to NBF State Park can be found near the boat ramp at Eva Beach. A new handicap accessible fishing pier has been constructed near the larger fishing pier and is available for use by anyone who wants to visit.
Upcoming Events
On Feb. 25, Ranger Aaron will be leading a hike on the Chester Hollow trail. This hike will be about 5 miles and will include portions of the Trail of Tears route. To register for the hike, visit the events tab on the NBF State Park website or call the park office at 731-593-6445.
NBF State Park is the Benton County pickup location for Tennessee Tree Day, which is held on Saturday, March 18. The event is sponsored by the Tennessee Environmental Council. To order trees for a nominal fee, visit www.tectn.org/tennesseetreeday.
The Spring Water Hike also will be held on March 18. Kayaks will launch from Eva Beach at 1 p.m. Participants will explore the old NC&STL Railroad trestle. Registration is required for this free event due to limited kayaks. New events are always being planned at NBFSP, so visit the events tab on the website often to see that is coming up. If you are interested in making other group hikes in NBFSP, visit the Facebook page “Hike ’em all in NBFSP” and ask to join the group.
