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Stone River National BattlefieldBirding Seasons: Spring A+ Summer A- Fall A+ Winter A-
Site Description and Habitats This park has a variety of historic markers and tour stops to learn about the history of the battle that took place at the site. The driving loop has been reduced to a short route, but it travels through old field habitat with native grass and shrub cover, and mixed cedar-hardwood forests. Cedar glades are a rare habitat found only in middle Tennessee. There are several small glades at the battlefield, but they are off limits to foot traffic. Please obey signs about closed areas. A tornado went through the park in spring 2009, causing extensive damage to the cedar forests in places, however this opened up dense unmanaged forest that was poor habitat for any wildlife and created nice early successional shrubby habitat. This area is being taken over by Chinese Privet and will only be decent habitat for so long without management. A new trail runs alongside the edge of the damaged area. Trails on the Battlefield connect with the Stones River Greenway, which is over 12 miles in length including the spur trails. The Greenway can also be an excellent place to walk and see wildlife. A parking area for the Greenway is just one mile or so south of the Battlefield entrance. Bird species of interest Spring and Fall Migration: A large diversity of warblers, vireos, and thrushes may be found. Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, among others are regular in the mature forest areas near the first tiny parking lot off Thompson Lane. White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-rumped, House Wren, Palm Warbler (western), Nashville and Tennessee Warbler. Summer: Field Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Prairie Warbler, and White-eyed Vireo. Winter: Field and Swamp Sparrows are abundant, Red-breasted Nuthatch can be common in some years, while Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets mix with Carolina Chickadees in flocks in winter. Hermit Thrush can be heard "chuck"ing in the woods. Year-Round: Great Horned Owl (more often heard than seen), Northern Bobwhite Rarities Seen at this Site: Connecticut and Mourning Warbler (both local rarites) Submit your data to eBird here
Detailed directions for birding Stone River National Battlefield From Nashville (Interstate 24 East) From Chattanooga (Interstate 24 West) - Take Exit 76 and turn right onto Medical Center Parkway. Follow above directions from Medical Center Parkway. Upon entering the park: Driving the park road, park at the next parking lot where the woods end and open into fields. There is a new mulch trail along the edge of the fields and woods, which is where the tornado created some fantastic habitat. Explore this area in all directions on foot. Birding from around the Visitor's Center can be modest. There's a trail into the forest across the parking lot from the Visitor's Center. Lat-Long (GPS) coordinates Fees and Hours Facilities Contact Info for other sites
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