FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Sullivan Co., TN Wilson's Plover, et al

[Dnldhlt@xxxxxxx]

     A Wilson's Plover was seen from 7:30 to 8:00 pm Thursday at Musick's 
Campground on South Holston Lake, Sullivan Co., TN.  I watched it foraging at 
several points along the shore adjacent to the campground, the closest view 
being 
no more than 25 yards, using an old Bushnell 20X spotting scope.  The 
relatively large black bill and drab legs were easily seen.  It was still there 
when 
I left.
     Mid-day Thursday I found a secluded pool just barely separated from the 
lake by falling water levels, surrounded on three sides by trees.  In it were 
8 Great Egrets and 6 Great Blue Herons, apparently feeding on fish stranded 
there.  The pool is between Musick's Campground and the Painter Creek Public 
Access Boat Ramp.
     Thursday afternoon at the old beaver dam site on South Holston Dam Road 
I observed an immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird harrassing several small 
birds.  He chased away a Carolina Chickadee, a pair of Blue-gray 
Gnatcatchers, and a Chestnut-sided Warbler.  I never saw him actually touch 
them, nor 
heard his wings buzz the way adult males do.  He just flew side to side in a 6 
inch wide pattern just inches from the other bird until it flew away, which was 
usually just to the next branch or tree where the hummer followed it and 
repeated the procedure.  I walked past the area again several minutes later and 
found the chickadee and gnatcatchers about twenty yards farther down the road 
from 
where they started.
     Wednesday at Musick's I watched five Black Terns feeding and flying back 
and forth across the lake, almost always over the old river channel on the 
far side of the lake.  I also saw a male Blue-winged Teal in non-breeding 
plumage at close range, mixing with the local Mallard flock that roosts at 
Musick's. 
 I saw the wing pattern as it preened and bathed, and heard the whistle 
several times.
     Following are lists of some of the interesting birds I saw Wed. and Thu. 
in Sullivan Co., TN:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
WED 25 AUG 2004
Musick's Campground, S. Holston Lake, Sullivan Co., TN:
Between 6pm and 8 pm-
Double-crested Cormorant - 1
Great Egret - 3
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 1
Wood Duck - 5
Blue-winged Teal - 1 (male, calling)
Spotted Sandpiper - 1
Black Tern - 5

THU 26 AUG 2004
Musick's Campground and vicinity:
Great Egret - 8
Great Blue Heron - 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Kildeer - 2
Wilson's Plover - 1
Black Tern - 1

South Holston Dam Road:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 4 (3 sitting on branch together, fourth calling from 
treetops)
Carolina Chickadee - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1

Don Holt
Johnson City, TN
*************************************************
       BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST
Bristol Birds Net Photo Gallery located at:
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jwcoffeyy/album?.dir=/efd5

This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications 
between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
and Northeast Tennessee.  
--------------------------------------------------
You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds.
To post to this mailing list, simply send an email
to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send
an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
--------------------------------------------------
       Wallace Coffey, Moderator
         wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
           (423)764-****