[TN-Bird] 96 in Knox!

Dan and Laurie Mooney moved and Jim Giocomo was out of town so I
evoked "Compiler's Priveldges" and covered their territory, Seven
Islands Wildlife Refuge, for the Knox County Spring Count on
Sunday.  I hit a few other spots and targetted some key birds
and ended up with 96 species on the day, all in Knox County.

I could have easily passed 100 but I missed some easy birds like
White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-eyed Vireo, Green Heron, etc. and
went in favor of helping the count total by taking a second shot
at Eurasian Collared-Dove and Ring-billed Gull rather than
trying to up my own total.  Only one selfish trip by Turkey
Creek to poach some birds from Carole Gobert.  And I gave up
on nocturnal birding at 9:30 PM after not finding Common Nighthawk
at West Town Mall.

Some of my good finds were...
-- 1 female Red-breasted Merganser with 1 female Hooded Merganser
on the French Broad River at 7 Islands.
-- 2 adult Bald Eagles at 7 Islands.
-- American Coot on the river at 7 Islands
-- 3 Ring-billed Gulls on my 2nd try at Concord Park
-- 2 Eurasian Collared-Doves on my 2nd try at Cherry St exit
-- all 6 regular swallows including 3 Bank Swallows at the
traditional colony in the mine tailings in east Knox County.
-- at least 3 Brown-headed Nuthatches at The Cove at Concord Park
on my 2nd try (place was so packed I literally couldn't get in on
the 1st try)
-- 9 warbler species at 7 Islands which is a pretty good number
for there... best were Blue-winged and Blackpoll (2)
-- a great look at a Lincoln's Sparrow at 7 Islands


I also found and photographed 2 new life moths, both members of the
family Thyrididae or Window-Winged Moths which is a new family for
me as well.  These are day-flying moths that take nectar from flowers
and look a bit like butterflies, too.  They were feeding on fleabane
daisy-like flowers that are blooming now at Seven Islands.  The 2
species are Spotted Thyris (Thyris maculata, Hodges #6076) and
Mournful Thyris (Pseudothyris sepulchralis, Hodges #6077).  See
BugGuide for pictures (not mine) http://bugguide.net/node/view/4986
Also photographed a 3rd dayflying moth at the same spot which I
haven't IDed yet but is one of the microleps, possibly related to
the Long-horned Fairy Moths that I was looking for.

I've heard from a few others and it looks like everyone had a
pretty good day.  We're at 122 species so far.

Some highlights from others:
-- Northern Harrier, David Trently, Mike Nelson, Jon Mathson
-- Semipalmated Plover, Pectoral Sandpiper and a few more
shorebirds that I didn't get written down (I was driving while
Jean ran through the list -- Bluetooth phone, so that's a little
better) at UT Plant Science Farm, Jean Alexander, David Johnson,
Tom Howe
-- Wilson's Snipe, UTPSF and Turkey Creek
-- BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, at Ft. Dickerson, DTrently and crew
-- WARBLING VIREO, House Mt., Susan Hoyle, Martha Rudolph,
Kristine Johnson
-- Marsh Wren, Tom Howe, UTPSF? again the driving thing
-- American Pipit, UTPSF
-- Bobolink, UTPSF


Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN

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