From: Don Miller <raincrow@xxxxxxx>
Reply-To: raincrow@xxxxxxx
To: TN-Bird <TN-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Bristol-birds
<bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Butternuts
<butternuts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [TN-Bird] Rankin Bottoms and vicinity (Cocke Co., TN)
Date: Sun, 14 May 2006 23:09:52 -0400
May 14, 2006
Cocke County
As they have on many occasions over the last few years, Leslie Gibbens
and Michael Sledjeski led an excellent birding trip by canoe this
morning on upper Douglas Lake in Cocke County. I was privileged to be
part of it.
Our group gathered at Rankin Bridge around 8:30, departed about 9:00,
and returned about three hours later. The itinerary included a short
upstream swing along the western bank of the French Broad River, a float
downstream along the same side of the river for over a mile into the
edge of Rankin Wildlife Management Area, a turn to the eastern bank of
the river with a brief trip into the embayment near Holttown Road, and
finally a return along the eastern bank to the boat launch at Rankin
Bridge.
The total number of participants in the group was eleven. I was unable
to get everyone's name, but maybe Michael and Leslie can provide that info.
Numbers below represent the highlights of the morning, with a few
additional tallies for birds I found in a twenty-minute stop along Dutch
Bottoms before 8:30 and a quick trip on Lehigh Drive in the early
afternoon. My totals are conservative; any trip participant with
additional info to contribute is welcome to chime in.
Canada Goose (23);
Wood Duck (9);
Northern Bobwhite (at Rankin Bridge);
Double-crested Cormorant (42, including 1 bird at nest);
Great Blue Heron (7, including 3 birds at nest);
Great Egret (seen near Holttown Road shortly after 12:00 by Michael
Sledjeski and me);
Green Heron (2);
Osprey (4--2 pairs);
Bald Eagle (2 immatures);
Red-shouldered Hawk (2--1 adult below Rankin Bridge, 1 downy young in a
nest upstream from Rankin Bridge);
Spotted Sandpiper;
unidentified peeps (6 fly-by birds at Rankin Bridge);
Yellow-billed Cuckoo;
Downy Woodpecker (10);
Eastern Wood-Pewee;
Eastern Kingbird (8);
Yellow-throated Vireo (2);
Warbling Vireo (3);
Red-eyed Vireo (12);
Tree Swallow (6);
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (3);
Cliff Swallow (75+, mostly at Rankin Bridge; far more birds are present,
but many were in nests or were otherwise not visible; there are several
hundred nests at the bridge);
Barn Swallow (2);
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (20);
Wood Thrush (on Lehigh Drive);
Gray Catbird;
Yellow Warbler (5);
Yellow-rumped Warbler (seen by Rick Knight and Michael Sledjeski);
Pine Warbler (along Dutch Bottoms);
Blackpoll Warbler (2);
Prothonotary Warbler (32);
Kentucky Warbler (on Lehigh Drive);
Common Yellowthroat (12);
Wilson's Warbler (singing in a willow thicket along the shore at Dutch
Bottoms Baptist Church);
Summer Tanager (on Lehigh Drive);
Indigo Bunting (45);
Chipping Sparrow;
Orchard Oriole (12);
Baltimore Oriole (13).
Don Miller
Greeneville, Greene Co., TN
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