[bcbirdclub] Re: NE Tennessee Birding
- From: Daniel Kendrick <kendridge@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <daryl.owens@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2015 13:02:12 -0500
Daryl,
I'm jealous of such a great trip. My brief day of birding here at Amelia Island
produced 28 American Pipits, a feeder flock of 10 Palm Warbler and my FOS
European Starling! I did, however, get the White Winged Scoter as a life bird
last weekend.
Dan
From: daryl.owens@xxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2015 09:44:21 -0500
Subject: [bcbirdclub] NE Tennessee Birding
To: bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yesterday five birders including Tom Hunter, David Raines, Don Carrier, Mike
Sanders and myself spent a great day birding in Northeast Tennessee. It turned
out to be one of those magical days when all the planets align and the birds
just fall into your lap!
First stop was Middlebrook Lake where we found Common Merganser, Mute Swan
and hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls.
Osceola Island proved to be one our best stops giving us great views of a
Brown Creeper who put on a show for us just feet away. Also found there were
scores of Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet and White-throated, Field and
Swamp sparrows. The ducks made a good showing at Osceola as well with Greater
Scaup, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon and Redhead being found. Later in the day,
Mike returned to Osceola and found two American Pipits, one of which can be
seen in the fantastic photo below.
Next was a stop along the Holston river near Bluff City where we found
two White-winged Scoters, life birds for both David and myself, and also found
Canvasback, Hooded Merganser, Redhead and Wood Duck.
We then met Don's son and daughter-in-law, Christian and Alexis, at a very
good restaurant in Elizabethton called J's Corner for lunch.
After filling up on great BBQ we headed for Wilbur Lake finding many
Buffleheads, Gadwall and the three White-winged Scoters pictured below that
Mike and I digiscoped.
Next stop, Paddle Creek ponds where the top ponds were frozen and the
partially frozen bottom pond had the near 200 waterfowl concentrated in a small
patch of open water. In this group was found more Redhead, Canvasback,
Ring-necked, Scaup, Mallard and a lone American Black Duck.
After dropping Don off at home around 5:00pm we headed back to Paddle
Creek to try to for the Barn Owl that is sometimes reported at a grain silo
there and this to no avail.
Sensible people may have called it a day here, but we weren't ready to
throw in the towel just yet. We'd read Rick Knight's report from Musick's
campground earlier and with visions of Long-tailed Ducks and Greater
white-fronted Geese dancing in our heads, headed that direction. We didn't
find the Greater white-fronted but "scope master" Mike did find twelve Oldsquaw
which added another tic to my life list. Also we added Bald Eagle, Horned
Grebe, Common Loon, Red-breasted Merganser, Double-crested Cormorant and
Cooper's Hawk to round out our day's list.
With a little daylight remaining we took the short drive to Washington Co.
park not expecting much but, I think, just not wanting the day to end. We
tried for Brown-headed Nuthatch in the pines at the boat ramp but couldn't
roust any with our electronic calls.
Lastly, with the sunlight gone we transitioned from birding to astronomy
where Dave showed us Jupiter and three of it's moons in Mike's scope. We also
took the pic below of Earth's moon through the scope.
Alas, nearing exhaustion, with our cabin fever thoroughly vanquished and
71 species tucked under our belts, we headed home reliving our glorious day and
planning our next adventure!
Daryl Owens,
Oakwood VA
ps. Sorry for the long-winded report but I felt that marathon birding called
for a marathon report.
Sent from my iPhone
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