FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Sat. fallout brings record shorebirds to Shady Valley

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thirteen (13) Solitary Sandpipers in a rain puddle along U.S. 421 near Orchard 
Rd. in Shady Valley, Saturday, tied the Shady Valley maximum number for that 
species.  The previous record of 13 came  23 Apr 2000 at Quarry Bog by Larry 
McDaniel and myself.
Saturday was an excellent day to be birding.  You couldn't ask for anything 
better.

At Musick's Campground the fallout was good and the vegetation at the water's 
edge was full of birds.  Don Holt  and I had a count of 9 Greater Yellowlegs 
and 5 Lesser Yellowlegs right in the campground.  

Middlebrook Lake in Bristol Tennessee hosted a nice assortment of species on 
the spillway closing out a satisfying run on species for the day.

Don and I spent 12 hours in the field from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in rain and cool 
weather. The woods were full of warblers, vireos and other mountain species in 
full song all day long.  They just didn't stop singing and fliting.

Shorebirds were in nice numbers, standing in rain puddles in fields along the 
roads.  Everywhere you looked there was something else to keep the day exciting.

We were on the Elizabethton spring bird count.  It was an exhausting day when 
neither of us wanted to go home.  We finally gave it up near dark.  We were 
soaked from the light rain.  Rain coats and umbreallas helped.  I still have a 
car full of mud and muddy boots on the porch.  Some of my equipment is hanging 
here and there drying. 

It was raining so hard at Musick's Campground when we left that we gave Mae 
Musick a ride from the lakeshore up the driveway to her house.   That is rare !

I started the day at 5:30 a.m. after having only three hours sleep the night 
before. Yes....went to bed at 2:30 a.m.!  When I got home from birding, it was 
a hot shower and straight to bed for a long-night of rest.  

The fallout should provide a nice tally and some exciting birds to hear 
reported early this afternoon at compilation being held at Sycamore Shoals 
State Park in Elizabethton.  It should be fun.  I expect a nice count total for 
the day.

I suspect some of the fallout will remain early today in puddles and good 
birding spots throughout the area  -- at least during the morning hours.

Let's go birding.......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN






  

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