Hello BCBC,
Yesterday Don Carrier and I decided to try out my newly acquired Vortex
spotting scope on the waterfowl in and around the Bristol area. Our first stop
was Osceola Island where we saw Redheads, Buffleheads, American Widgeon and
Eastern Screech Owl. We then drove to Elizabethton where we birded Wilbur Lake
and were treated to the usual Buffleheads, Canada Geese and more Redheads.
Perhaps the best birds of the day came at Middlebrook Lake which was chock full
of birds and where I was granted four lifebirds, Red-breasted Merganser,
Canvasback, Greater Scaup and Herring Gull. After Middlebrook we headed to
Musick's Campground where we saw Horned Grebe's and also heard a Common Loon
calling. I was very excited for this was the first time I'd had heard a Loon's
call in the wild.
On a side note, I was extremely pleased with the performance of my new
scope and to be able to view four lifebirds with it made it even better.
Here is our list which included 55 species. Sorry that it is not in
taxonomic order, my iBird journal app alphabetizes a checklist and I didn't
take the time to change it back. Also included is a pic of the Red-breasted
Merganser taken with my phone through the scope. It's kind of blurry but you
can still easily ID the bird from the photo.
American Coot
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Robin
American Wigeon
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Black Vulture
Blue Jay
Bufflehead
Canada Goose
Canvasback
Carolina Chickadee
Common Loon
Cooper's Hawk
Dark-eyed Junco
Double-crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Sreech-Owl
Eastern Towhee
European Starling
Field Sparrow
Gadwall
Great Blue Heron
Greater Scaup
Herring Gull
Horned Grebe
House Finch
House Sparrow
killdeer
Loggerhead Shrike
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Northern Mockingbird
Pied-billed Grebe
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-tailed Hawk
Redhead
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-necked Duck
Rock Pigeon
Song Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Vulture
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-crowned Sparrow
Winter Wren
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Attachment:
redbreasted merganser.jpg
Description: JPEG image
