FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Fw: PACIFIC LOON, etc. - South Holston Lake

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

SPECIAL NOTE TO VIRGINIA BIRDS:

A PACIFIC LOON  found by Rick Knight at South Holston Lake Sunday (12/4) was
seen well into the mouth of the Spring Creek Embayment of the lake in
Washington County, VA near Washington County Park.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first record for the
species in the 26 western most counties of Virginia.  There are probably not
more than 10 documented and accepted records of this very rare winter
visitor in Virginia.

Of the 17 birders who arrived at the site, Knight was the only one to have
seen it in Virginia waters -- he was birding alone when it was discovered.
It later swam into Tennessee waters with a small raft of Common Loons.

The following birders arrived (in the order listed) at Musick's Campground
on
South Holston Lake, Sunday afternoon after 3:30 p.m., to join Rick Knight
with
his discovery of the PACIFIC LOON:

Wallace Coffey, Rack Cross, Sam Cross, Rob Biller, Larry McDaniel,
Tom McNeil, Don Holt, Mary Jane Erwin, Judy Roach, Richard Lewis
Virgil Carr, Bill Grigsby, Gary Wallace, an unknown person with Gary Wallace
Charlie Parker and Ellen Parker.

Rick reported finding 130 Common Loons on South Holston Lake.  Many were
just offshore of Musick's Campground.  When I arrived the bird was at fairly
close range and the view of the bird was excellent.  It was in the company
of a large raft of loons which moved further down the lake as the evening
grew late  light conditions dimmed.  Persons arriving later in the afternoon
had more difficulty getting a quality look at the bird.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
-------------------------------- Original
Message ------------------------------- 
From: "Rick Knight"
To: "bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 7:10 PM
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] PACIFIC LOON, etc. - South Holston Lake


> 4 Dec. 2005
> South Holston Lake
> (dam & Musick's)
> Sullivan Co.
>
> PACIFIC LOON - 1 - at Musick's
> Com. Loon - 130
> Pied-billed Grebe - 18
> Horned Grebe - 5
> Eared Grebe - 10
> Com. Goldeneye - 1
> Red-br. Merganser - 6
> Ruddy Duck - 6
> Bald Eagle - 1 ad & 1 im
> Bonaparte's Gull - 70
> Ring-billed Gull - 40
>
> at the weir:
> Am. Wigeon - 10
> Green-wg. Teal - 1
> Ring-nk. Duck - 15
> Lsr. Scaup - 1
> Bufflehead - 170
>
> at Middlebrook Lake:
> Green-wg. Teal - 6
> Bufflehead - 1
> Com. Goldeneye - 1
> Hooded Merganser - 242
> Ring-billed Gull - 28
>
> A nice comparison of Pacific Loon to numerous Com. Loons was had at
> Musick's Campground.  About a dozen birders gathered before dusk.  This
> is the first Pacific Loon for northeast Tenn. and, to my recollection,
> the first for east Tenn.
>
> ###################
> Rick Knight
> Johnson City, TN
> rknight@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
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