The Bristol Bird Club's 13th of the Month Field Trip was productive today and participants Jacki Hinshaw, Larry McDaniel and Wallace Coffey enjoyed a nice morning a field. Lunch outdoors on the patio at Bella's was a fine final touch. An immature Little Blue Heron got the day off with a surge at Crumley's Pond on Paddle Creek Rd. in Sullivan Co. A nearby Pied-billed Grebe was neat. A flock of 10 Cedar Waxwings feeding from the top of a sycamore tree at Riverside along the South Fork Holston was fun. It was also enjoyable catching Gary Barrigar getting in his fire chief red jeep as he was coming up from trout fishing in the river. Of course we fussed at him for not being out birding. But, to his credit, we are impressed with his good effort as director of the Fall Roan Mountain Naturalist Ralley scheduled for Sept. 8-9-10. Our group walked right under a tree with an adult Bald Eagle perched just above our heads near River's Way at Central Holston along the river. It flew out in a tight circle at eye level over the river not more than 200 feet from us. The colors and details were astounding at such close range. That was the first time I have ever stood under a tree with a wild Bald Eagle perched above me. That did not go without our exchanging high-fives in the middle of the road. A Savannah Sparrow was found on a fence post at close range on PowerLine Farms along Pemberton Rd. near U.S. 421 in Holston Valley. We got a long, leisurely look at the bird. This is the same site where Dave Worley and Coffey found one 28 June 2005. At that time it was the first breeding season record for the species in Sullivan Co., TN. An interesting discovery was a pair of Mute Swan at Middlebrook Lake with two cygnets (young). The young were about half the size of the adults or a little less. They are gray and have bills that appear somewhat gray instead of orange like their parents. Their plumage will not turn white until they are about two years of age. This is one of the few successful nestings in the region. The species has raised young before at Middlebrook Lake in Bristol Tennessee. Nearby were two immature Black-crowned Night Herons. Otherwise the day was filled with a number of Green Herons, Great Blue Herons, Mallards, Canada Geese, Wood Ducks and other more regular species. Let's go birding...... Wallace Coffey Bristol, TN