FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Black-throated Sparrow and Pacific Loon in TN

[Robert Biller <merlin42@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

From the Journal of Rob Biller
http://technobohemia.com/technoblog/etnbirdjournal.php

Black-throated Sparrow, Pacific Loon - Lifebirds in TENNESSEE!

On Saturday December 3, I made a 620 mile round trip to Elora, TN, (Lincoln 
County) to hopefully find the 1st recorded record of a Black-throated Sparrow 
in Tennessee.  Within 45 minutes of arriving we were all looking at target and 
my life Black-throated Sparrow.  This striking sparrow was foraging with Swamp, 
Field, Song, and Savannah Sparrows.   

Also present in the flat lands of middle Tennessee were good looks at Lapland 
Longspurs which was a nice year bird and my only second look at this 
sparrow-type bird.  The Longspurs, about 5-6, were hanging out with large 
numbers of Horned Larks, and American Pipits.  Other birds present were 
Carolina Wren, Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, 
Tufted Titmouse, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a fly over of an unknown species 
of duck.  

We also looked for other reported birds on this trip.  We thought we'd found 
the Rough-legged Hawk reported near Winchestor, but it turned out to be a light 
phase immature Red-tailed Hawk.  We did find the reported 2 Whooping Cranes and 
2 Sandhill Cranes also near Winchestor in Franklin County, TN.  This was only 
my second look at Whooping Cranes and the first time in Tennessee (also 2 more 
year birds!).

I had planned on taking Sunday off to catch up on some needed chores around my 
apartment and making  it to my family's decorating of the tree dinner, but I 
received a call about a Pacific Loon at Musick's Campground (South Holston 
Lake, Sullivan County, TN).  So I put off my chores and quickly loaded up my 
car to make the run to Musick's.  Rick Knight had the bird in his scope and 
centered on the bird which was in a large group of Common Loons (~80).  Again, 
an unexpected life bird and a bird that is normally found in the Western United 
States.  This was this first record of a Pacific Loon in East Tennessee (west 
of Nashville).  Total numbers of Common Loons was 130.  Also present off the 
banks of Musick's Campground were Ruddy Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, Bonaparte's 
Gulls, and Ring-billed Gulls.  Other birds reported but not seen by me at 
Musick's - Eared Grebes, Common Golden-eye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Bald 
Eagles, and Horned Grebes.  I didn't stay long at Musick's - lon!
 g enough to see the Pacific Loon and made to my family's dinner with a little 
time to spare.

Many thanks go out to Tom McNeil, JT McNeil, Morris Williams, Kevin Breault, 
Frank Fekel, Rick Knight, and Wallace Coffey for making this one of my best 
birding weekends. 

Rob Biller
Elizabethton, TN
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