[Bristol-Birds] Elizabethton Christmas Count

The 66th consecutive Elizabethton Christmas Bird Count was held on 14 Dec 2008, 
with
27 observers in 6 groups participating.  They tallied 73 species and 6668 
individuals.
The species total is slightly above the recent (20 year) average of 72 .  The 
all-time high
was 79 species found in 1995 & 2001.


Foremost among highlights was a Le Conte's Sparrow found near the airport.  
This was 
the first on this CBC and just the fifth record in the 5-county area.  It was 
seen again on the
16th.

Also notable:
Gray Catbird    1   -   4th time in last 6 years on this count (only once 
previously - 1949).
Palm Warbler    1   -  5th time in last 10 years (only once previously - 1947).
Chipping Sparrow    4   - 5th year in a row & 8th in last 11 years  (few 
previously).
Pine Siskin    204   - first triple digit count since 1989; found 11 times in 
last 20 years.

All-time high numbers on this count were tallied for 5 species:
Bufflehead - 266
Bald Eagle - 5
Red-tailed Hawk - 21
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 34
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 32.

Two species have essentially vanished from this count:
N. Bobwhite -  found only 5 times in last 21 years;
Loggerhead Shrike - found only 3 times in last 18 years.
Neither was seen on this year's count.

Complete list:
Canada Goose   283
Gadwall   3
Am. Black Duck  1
Mallard  183
Ring-nk. Duck  3
Bufflehead  266
Ruffed Grouse  1
Wild Turkey  30
Com. Loon  4
Pied-billed Grebe  14
Horned Grebe  2
Great Blue Heron  24
Black Vulture  10
Turkey Vulture  21 
Bald Eagle  5  (3 ad., 2 imm.)
Sharp-shinned Hawk  4
Cooper's Hawk  3
Red-tailed Hawk  21
Am. Kestrel  18
Am. Coot  1
Killdeer  9
Ring-billed Gull  75
Rock Pigeon  430
Mourning Dove  262
E. Screech-Owl  11
Great Horned Owl  3
Barred Owl  2
Belted Kingfisher  9
Red-bellied Woodpecker  34
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  10
Downy Woodpecker  24
Hairy Woodpecker  5
N. Flicker  36
Pileated Woodpecker  18
E. Phoebe  14
Blue Jay  161
Am. Crow  414
Com. Raven  4
Carolina Chickadee  108
Tufted Titmouse  71
Red-breasted Nuthatch  6
White-brested Nuthatch  24
Brown Creeper  2
Carolina Wren  91
Winter Wren  8
Golden-cr. Kinglet  28
Ruby-cr. Kinglet  42
E. Bluebird  131
Hermit Thrush  12
Am. Robin  72
Gray Catbird  1
N. Mockingbird  66
Eur. Starling  2050
Cedar Waxwing  216
Yellow-rumped Warbler  135
Palm Warbler  1
E. Towhee  22
Chipping Sparrow  4
Field Sparrow  24
Le Conte's Sparrow  1
Fox Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  162
Swamp Sparrow  1
White-thr. Sparrow  181
White-crowned Sparrow  4
Dark-eyed Junco  62
E. Meadowlark  6
Purple Finch  5
House Finch  85
Pine Siskin  204
Am. Goldfinch  292
House Sparrow  26
###################

Rick Knight
Johnson City, TN

Other related posts: