TENNESSEE VALLEY-Throughout the spring, millions – on some nights, billions – of birds soar unseen under the stars on their annual migrations north.
People can spot them during the day as birds rest and feast at sites across the Valley region.
It’s a flyway for birds that migrate south in the fall and back north in the spring.
Birdwatching and other types of outdoor recreation bring $13 billion dollars annually to the Tennessee economy alone.
And many top birdwatching sites sit right on Tennessee Valley Authority lands and waters.
TVA’s stewardship of the region’s waters and lands helps improve lives by bringing billions of dollars into local economies for recreation and conservation. Through careful management of the river system, TVA has helped avert billions of dollars in flood damage.
These resources brought birders Herb and Andrea Kupfer to the Songbird Trail near Norris Dam on a sunny spring day.
While Andrea stopped often to listen for birds, Herb spotted them flitting between trees or bobbing in the bushes.
“We do our birding as a team effort,” Andrea said.
“We get exercise and fresh air, sunshine,” Herb said. “And at TVA sites like this, you get the greenspace. Birds are everywhere, so you get to see a lot of different habitats – open grasslands, forests and along rivers.”
Lend Birds a Hand
The biggest pulse of migratory bird flight begins right after sunset, when the skies turn from opal to indigo blue.
That’s when birds can go astray.
“Things like big city lights mess up their migration, because they’re homing in on a light source and going the wrong direction,” Simbeck said.
Birds rely on unlit landmarks – mountain ranges, grasslands, rivers and powerline rights of way such as those TVA manages – to find their way in a landscape of artificial light. They also remember past migratory routes and rest stops.
Andrea pointed out the impact people can have on their own properties.
“When you build a house and clear everything, or when you remove the scrubby undergrowth that may look ugly to you, that was an important habitat for specific birds,” she said. “They may now be gone, even if you’ve left large trees still standing.”
But people can actively help birds, too.
Plant native bushes and flowers and leave seedheads on plants all winter. Even though it may look messy, birds rely on the berries and seeds.
In the fall, people can leave some leaves around bushes and the edges of their yard. And in spring, wait to rake and clean out garden beds.
Those actions help the 96% of baby terrestrial birds who gobble insects, which hatch in those leafy microhabitats each spring.
“(Birding) binds us together with a common goal – preserving the landscape and conserving species, so future generations can experience the same anticipation and excitement we enjoy today,” Routledge said.
Explore over 17 miles of trails around the Wilson Dam reservation located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Some of these include walking and biking trails, a fitness trail, and a Native Plant trail that showcases some of the native vegetation of the region. This National Recreation Trail System connects numerous historical sites and has received Wildlife Habitat Council’s Conservation Certification for the enhanced wildlife habitat that the area provides.
Media Release/TVA River Neighbors
