[Bristol-Birds] Sullivan Co. Waterfowl & Tale of a Rescue

Sunday February 25th Mark Henry and I hit some of the favorite waterfowl spots in Sullivan County. 


Middlebrook Lake
When we arrived Rick Knight had his spotting scope out and Tom McNeil was also on the scene with his son JT. I figured Rick had spotted something noteworthy and I was finally going to be around to see it after missing some of the good sightings here. but it was a false alarm. Only the regulars here albeit greatly reduced in numbers from what I had observed here Friday. 


Paddle Creek Rd. Pond
We followed the McNeils to Paddle Creek Pond and being my first visit I wasn’t disappointed. 

Mallard
Wood Duck
Canvasback
Ring-necked Ducked
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Hooded Merganser
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup

Tom and JT got a Green-winged Teal that we missed


Weir Dam

Here we picked up:

Redead
Bufflehead
While walking the bank in the forested area above the Weir Mark observed a hen Bufflehead near the shore that was struggling. Closer inspection revealed the duck had become entangled in fishing line. While Mark held the bird I worked to remove the fishing line. After about ten minutes the bird was free and flapped across the water to the middle of the channel where it begin swimming back and forth. The bird never took flight but I am hoping it was just too exhausted when first released to fly as the only damaged seemed to be where her leg was rubbed raw from the line.
It is amazing how just a small amount of line can get so wrapped up around a bird that struggles to get free. What first appeared to be just some wraps around her leg ended up going around her wing and eventually wrapped around her neck. Feathers and thick down doesn’t help either when trying to figure out which direction the line is wrapped.. I was amazed at how calm she remained during the ten minutes we worked on her. She never struggled or tried to bite us during the entire time. 


Musick’s Campground
Common Loons were all that we spotted here except for a couple of Ring-billed gulls in flight on the far side of the lake and several dozens on the shore on the Va side. 

Mike Poe
Holston Community
Sullivan County, TN

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