FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Scaup movement, female robins migrating, many gulls

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Early migration is evident in the Bristol area.  Lesser Scaup at almost all 
waterbird areas.  Bufflehead may have started to leave.  The numbers at the 
South Holston Weir Dam appear to be declining.  Wintering Hooded Mergansers 
evidently left the area to head north by mid-January with number declining fast 
to early February.  Hoodeds showing up on widely dispersed small ponds and 
river areas where not otherwise often seen during the winter -- evidence of 
movement.  Scattered Hoodeds remain in small numbers.  
Female American Robins, evidently heading well north of us, were noteable 
today.  An estiamted 500 were feeding in a pasture with 80% or more females. 
The leading edge of the robin migration passed March 2 with only one male 
detected in the very large flocks in eastern Sullivan County.  

Ring-billed Gull numbers remain high but the large landfill population that 
moves to Middlebrook Lake for bathing in late afternoon was not evident there 
today.  Since I was there somewhat late I may have missed them.  Fair numbers 
remain in most shopping areas in and around Bristol.  Significant population in 
Holston Valley of Eastern Sullivan Co.  Geoff Larsen reported March 15 a very 
large number of Ring-billeds being fed in an Abingdon parking lot.  

20 March 2005
Clear Creek Lake
Washington Co., VA

Canada Goose  16
Lesser Scaup  6
Hooded Merganser  1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant  1
American Coot  21
Ring-billed Gull  17
------------------------------------------
Mock Knob
near Va Rt. 75
Washington Co., VA

Tree Swallow  6 birds apparently fighting over a new bird box along a fenceline.
--------------------------------------------
Musick's Campground
South Holston Lake
Sullivan Co., TN (TN unlesse otherwise indicated)

Gadwall  2
Lesser Scaup 18
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Horned Grebe  9 (Washington Co., VA)
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Killdeer  1
Bonaparte's Gull  14 
Ring-billed Gull 188
Herring Gull  1
--------------------------------------------
PowerLine Farm
Pemberton Road
Holston Valley
Sullivan Co., TN

Ring-billed Gull  456 (feeding around cattle troughs)
American Robin  ~ 500 (80% females as opposed to nearly all males March 2)
Dark-eyed Junco  32
Red-winged Blackbird 53
----------------------------------------------
South Fork Holston River Weir Dam
Sullivan Co. TN

Lesser Scaup  1
Bufflehead  36
----------------------------------------------
Middlebrook Lake
Bristol, Sullivan Co., TN

Canada Goose  43
Gadwall  4
American Black Duck  6
Mallard X Black Duck hybrid  1
Mallard   38
Ring-necked Duck  17
Hooded Merganser  2
Ring-billed Gull  4
Belted Kingfisher  1

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN


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