The 48th annual Elizabethton Fall Count was held on Saturday, 30 Sep 2017,
with 54 observers in 12 parties covering Carter Co. and parts of adjacent
Johnson,
Sullivan, Unicoi, & Washington Cos.
We tallied 122 species, which is slightly below the recent 30-year average of
126 species. The all-time high for this count was 137 species in 1993.
Shorebirds were in very short supply due to a shortage of suitable habitat.
Aside from Killdeer, a Solitary Sandpiper was true to his name.
In particular, two sites that formerly attracted shorebirds have undergone
alterations that have essentially eliminated such conditions: Austin Springs &
Bush Hog Pond.
Notable Misses: N. Bobwhite (found only 4 times in last 24 years), Broad-wg.
Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper (first miss in last decade), Winter Wren, Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher.
Thanks to all participants.
The list, with some comments:
Canada Goose 957
Wood Duck 24
Mallard 378
Blue-wg. Teal 2
Hooded Merganser 1
Ruffed Grouse 5
Wild Turkey 79
Pied-billed Grebe 11
Dbl-cr. Cormorant 70 - most ever on this count
Great Blue Heron 66 - most ever on this count
Great Egret 1
Green Heron 4
Blk-cr. Night-Heron 2
Black Vulture 330 - most ever on this count
Turkey Vulture 215 - most ever on this count
Osprey 12
Bald Eagle 6
N. Harrier 2
Sharp-sh. Hawk 7
Cooper's Hawk 7
Red-shld. Hawk 6 - most ever on this count
Red-tailed Hawk 27
Killdeer 50
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Forster's Tern 1
Rock Pigeon 404
Eur. Collared-Dove 2
Mourning Dove 356
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
E. Screech-Owl 12
Great Horned Owl 10
Barred Owl 4
N. Saw-whet Owl 1 - calling at Roan Creek in Johnson Co.
Com. Nighthawk 1
Chimney Swift 254
Ruby-thr. Hummingbird 8
Belted Kingfisher 40 - most ever on this count
Red-headed Woodpecker 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 90 - most ever on this count
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 16
Downy Woodpecker 46
Hairy Woodpecker 8
N. Flicker 63
Pileated Woodpecker 37
Am. Kestrel 16
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
E. Wood-Pewee 6
E. Phoebe 76
E. Kingbird 1
Loggerhead Shrike 1
White-eyed Vireo 2
Yellow-thr. Vireo 1
Blue-hd. Vireo 14
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 447
Am. Crow 424
Fish Crow 2 - in Kingsport along river, first on this count
Com. Raven 19
N. Rough-wg. Swallow 3
Tree Swallow 68
Carolina Chickadee 174
Tufted Titmouse 93
Red-br. Nuthatch 6
White-br. Nuthatch 44
Brown Creeper 2
House Wren 2
Carolina Wren 180
Golden-cr. Kinglet 4
Ruby-cr. Kinglet 14
E. Bluebird 163
Veery 7
Gray-chk. Thrush 26
Swainson's Thrush 70
Hermit Thrush 1 - at Roan Mtn, where they breed
Wood Thrush 19
Am. Robin 301
Gray Catbird 34
Brown Thrasher 11
N. Mockingbird 100
Eur. Starling 2106
Cedar Waxwing 205
Ovenbird 2
Black & white Warbler 6
Tennessee Warbler 32
Com. Yellowthroat 9
Hooded Warbler 2
Am. Redstart 5
Cape May Warbler 8
N. Parula 3
Magnolia Warbler 29
Bay-breasted Warbler 10
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Chestnut-sd. Warbler 2
Black-thr. Blue Warbler 5
Palm Warbler 21
Pine Warbler 11
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Yellow-throated Warbler 4
Prairie Warbler 1
Black-thr. Green Warbler 8
E. Towhee 50
Chipping Sparrow 57
Field Sparrow 14
Song Sparrow 144
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 75
Summer Tanager 1
Scarlet Tanager 11
N. Cardinal 173
Rose-br. Grosbeak 19
Indigo Bunting 15
Red-wg. Blackbird 41
E. Meadowlark 17
Com. Grackle 859
Brown-hd. Cowbird 78
House Finch 44
Pine Siskin 1 - at Roan Mtn, where they breed
Am. Goldfinch 138
House Sparrow 33
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Rick Knight, compiler
Johnson City, TN