Full list is at bottom for the impatient. :-) I ran out to Rankin Bottoms on Douglas Lake in Cocke Co, TN, on Saturday evening (19 July 2008) arriving about 6:30 PM and staying until just after sunset about 9:00 PM. A family of birders from Knoxville were also there for a while but unfortunately, I'm horrible with names and faces and have forgotten their names despite asking twice so I wouldn't. The REDDISH EGRET was seen early as it fed and danced along the far shore. It got as close as the Shorebird Spit across from Birders Point but was still pretty far out. I eventually lost track of it while scanning the shorebirds and didn't see it again the rest of the evening. No sign of the dowitchers reported earlier this week but there were a number of shorebirds present, mostly KILLDEER. A few peeps including my first juvenile LEAST SANDPIPER of the year, a few SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and both Yellowlegs species. Two immature LITTLE BLUE HERONs were seen feeding on the flats and four were seen going to roost later. GREAT EGRETs and the Little Blues were going to roost east across the main channel from the end of the road. There are several nests in those trees and some of the Great Egrets were on nests though not sure if this was coincidence or sign of breeding. A large number of swallows were resting on the main spit of land across from Birders Point and flying about. I would estimate about 500, about 2/3 TREE and most of the rest BARN. PURPLE MARTIN and CLIFF SWALLOW were also seen but most of the Cliffs were further upstream around Rankin Bridge. A nice set of songbirds were working the willows, Buttonbush, and Osage Orange trees along the shoreline heading out to Birders Point including family groups of PROTHONOTARY WARBLERs, ORCHARD ORIOLEs, and EASTERN KINGBIRDs, along with a PRAIRIE WARBLER, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, and COMMON YELLOWTHROATs. Also in this group were RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs, FIELD SPARROWs, CAROLINA CHICKADEE, and BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDs. An adult BALD EAGLE flew over while I was scanning near the railroad crossing. While scanning the birds, I heard a buzz and thump at my feet. I looked down to see an EYED CLICK-BEETLE that apparently had dropped out of the willow that was providing me much appreciated shade. Several GREEN JUNE BUGs and Paper Wasps were going in to the willow the whole time I was there. Got a nice photo of the Click Beetle which was about 2 inches long. Full bird list is below: Rankin Bottoms, Cocke County, TN Saturday, 19 July 2008 Douglas Lake at 984.7 ft Canada Goose, 100s (Chinese Goose, 2) Wood Duck, 20+ Mallard, 20+ Double-crested Cormorant, ~5, (6 more at Dutch Bottoms) Great Blue Heron, <10 Great Egret, ~100 REDDISH EGRET, 1 immature Little Blue Heron, 4 immatures Green Heron, 2-3 Black-crowned Night-Heron, reported and photographed by the other family Black Vulture, ~10 coming to roost Osprey, ~3-4 BALD EAGLE, 1 adult Killdeer, ~300 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 6+ Semipalmated Sandpiper, 6 Least Sandpiper, ~20, 1 juvenile, rest adults in alternate plumage Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 adults, 1 clearly a male and showing the heavy, dark breast markings of breeding plumage Ring-billed Gull, 6-8 Caspian Tern, 1 Morning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 1 or 2 heard only Belted Kingfisher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird, several harrassing anything that moved White-eyed Vireo, heard only Am Crow Purple Martin, a few Tree Swallow, ~350 Cliff Swallow, ~100 at Rankin Bridge Barn Swallow, ~150 Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren E Bluebird PRAIRIE WARBLER, 1 BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, 1 Prothonotary Warbler, family group of 3-4, 1 taking a bath earlier Common Yellowthroat Field Sparrow Song Sparrow N Cardinal Indigo Bunting RW Blackbird C Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole, family group of 4 immatures harrassing everything except the E Kingbirds Am Goldfinch Dean Edwards Knoxville, TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. 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