[Bristol-Birds] Shady Valley and South Holston Dam

31 May 2009
South Holston Lake
Sullivan Co., TN

A lone Common Loon at the dam.  About a month later than
normally expected but birds here and there have been found
in every month of the year in Northeast Tennessee.  Since
June 1 is the first day of the summer season for bird records,
this is within a day of becoming a "rare" observation.

A flock of 6 Purple Martins was active at the dam and one
pair was mating on the ground near the base of the dam.
Many Cliff Swallows were in the area with at least 50 seen
coming and going to the nests under the edge of the emergency
spillway tower.  They have nested there for some years.

Found a flock (22) of Canada Geese in Shady Valley, Johnson
County, TN today.  They were grazing in a field some distance
from water.  There were no young birds of this breeding season.

The species first nested in the valley about a decade ago and,
for whatever reason, the area appears to be one of the slowest
to develop a significant breeding population.

The maximum number recorded was 33 in six family groups, 22 Jun 
2005 at Clarence Phillips Pond along Beaverdam Creek at U.S. 421
and Gerald Buckle's Pond (Coffey). Winter flocks of about two dozen 
geese have been present for at least the past five years.

Let's go birding . . . .

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN

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