Seasonal Happenings
Winter is on the wane... Go out and watch waterfowl, eagles, and Sandhill Cranes! Ducks and geese are in Tennessee, often in good numbers, and can be viewed at a lot of good public viewing areas. Some of the best locations are at Reelfoot Lake State Park (multiple viewing access points) and various boat ramps around the lake. Reelfoot WMA often has flooded fields for waterfowl resting and roosting on the west side of the lake. The Phillippy area northwest of Reelfoot Lake is also a good viewing area. The Reelfoot area often has over 100 Bald Eagles in winter so keep your eyes open! Other excellent places to view waterfowl, eagles, and Sandhill Cranes in winter: Lauderdale Refuge (which has a viewing tower) Percy Priest Lake has many access points (boat ramps) for viewing waterfowl, loons, and the occasional bald eagle. Cross Creeks NWR is Dover, TN often has excellent waterfowl habitat in winter, but access is limited to the observation deck. Paris Landing State Park and the adjacent Tennessee NWR units are some of the best places to view waterfowl in the state. There are also a dozen or more eagle nests in the area, so seeing an eagle or twelve is very possible. Redheaded Woodpeckers are abundant in the park itself. Radnor Lake State Park is an oasis in a sea of concrete, but it is a good place to find a variety of waterfowl in small to moderate numbers. You may find Canvasback or Redheads here. Hiwassee Refuge near Chattanooga has the largest concentration of wintering Sandhill Cranes in Tennessee. A variety of waterfowl may be seen, in addition to Bald Eagles. Also check out Chickamauga Dam while there...never know what waterfowl might show up there.
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