PURPLE MARTIN ROOST EXTRAVAGANZA!! – AUGUST 5TH…
NTOS SPECIAL Field Trip Announcement!! Downtown Nashville- Korean Veterans Blvd (Davidson Co.) Wednesday, August 5th at 7:30 pm. Join the Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (NTOS) for a special evening birding event as we gather to witness the spectacular evening roost of thousands of Purple Martins in downtown Nashville. In recent weeks, large numbers of Purple Martins have been gathering downtown at dusk. For those familiar with downtown Nashville, this year’s roost is in the trees along Korean Veterans Boulevard next to the roundabout featuring the Stix public art display. Coordinates for this location are: 36.15522, -86.77892. We will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, on the opposite side of Korean Veterans Boulevard from the roost, just off the roundabout. From there, we will watch as the birds gather and settle into the trees for the evening. Several paid parking options are available in the surrounding area,
Updated information for the Joint Fall TOS meeting – September 18-20
Here are some additional details for the upcoming Joint Fall meeting with the Kentucky Ornithological Society…September 18-20, 2026. Many field are being planned and will all departing from KenLake State Park Resort due to the ongoing construction at LBSRP and because it’s where most birders will be staying. The first field trip will depart at 1 pm on Friday followed by others at 8 am and 1 pm on Saturday and 8 am on Sunday. (It is possible a few of the morning trips will depart earlier than 8 am but that will be announced when you register on Friday night. Saturday afternoon field trips will include short options for those needing to get to Board meetings and longer for those with the whole afternoon free. We also expect to have a park naturalist walk/talk on Saturday afternoon as well. If you are willing to lead or co-lead a
Upcoming counts and TOS State meeting dates…please make note.
For those who like to keep a long range calendar of events please note the following information: 2026 Spring NTOS Count is set for Saturday, April 25th. 2026 Fall NTOS Count will be set for Saturday, September 26th. 2026 Christmas Bird Count will be Saturday, December 19th. TOS Meetings (which probably won’t make a difference to you all. 😉) The Annual Spring TOS meeting is set for May 1-3 in Kingsport, TN - Keynote Speaker is Sheri L Williamson - hummingbird expert, author of NA Hummingbird book and soon to be released new version, Naturalist and all around fantastic person. Joint Fall meeting with the Kentucky Ornithological group will take place on September 18-20 at KenLake State Park. - Keynote speaker will be Cin-Ty Lee and Andrew Birch renowned Flycatcher experts and authors/illustrator of Flycatcher’s of North America. Information and registration for the Kingsport TOS meeting can be found on
FEBRUARY monthly meeting CANCELLED due to ICE STORM damage and subsequent CLEAN UP.
The FEBRUARY MEETING of the Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (NTOS) has been CANCELLED. The recent ICE storm caused extensive tree damage to the Park. The Park also remains without electricity and water. Clean-up and restoration is expected to take until at least March 1st. Please make sure to check back here to see if the March meeting will take place so you don't make an unnecessary trip over there to find a locked gate. We will attempt to reschedule our speaker for another month. Field trips will take place as scheduled unless notified by Shelley Smith. Thank you for your understanding...be well and take good care.
A message from NTOS member Jan Shaw….
I would like to let my NTOS friends know of the passing of my mother, Margie Koehler, on 1/17/2026. She and my dad were active members of NTOS for decades, attending meetings and field trips for many years. They were also responsible for encouraging my interest in birding, which became a passion for me. In the 70’s my parents helped preserve Radnor Lake by gathering names on a petition to prevent any development on Radnor Lake property. To this day we all share in that victory. It was always a family tradition to walk at Radnor on Thanksgiving morning and whenever out of town family members came to visit. Please see my mom’s obituary to learn more about her giving and generous ways, helping others throughtout her whole life. dignitymemorial.com - Marjorie Rennebohm Koehler