FALL DATA SEASON BEGAN SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT Fall Season Aug 1 thru Nov 30 Winter Season Dec 1 thru Feb 28 Spring Season Mar 1 thru May 31 Summer Season June 1 thru July 31 Many species have finished nesting. Migration is underway. Our human schedule tells us August is still summer but many local species have left nesting territories and nesting areas. Shorebirds are on the move and terns, waterfowl, herons, eagles and such are passing along rivers and lakes. August is a Fall Season month for data. When you post a bird observation to a region or state listserv, your most relevant and seasonal observations, numbers, dates and observers are reviewed by one or more of the regional data editors. Eventually, Rick Knight of Johnson City, has responsibility for the compilation and editing all Tennessee bird records for reporting in THE SEASON section of the state quarterly journal of ornithology, THE MIGRANT. To do this, he has three regional editors who assist him. He gathers the Cumberland Plateau/Ridge and Valley Region data himself. In Southwest Virginia, Roger and Lynda Mayhorn compile the Southwest counties report which appears in the Virginia Society of Ornithology's quarter publication Virginia Birds. These compilations are among some of the main archives for bird records when it comes to publishing region or state books about bird distribution and occurrence as well as state checklists and other important data used in management decisions for birds. It is for these reasons that posts need specific information about where, when, who and what was seen in such online listserv reports. It is not always fair, best or accurate to assume that every editor who sees or uses such data already knows all they need to know about a specific location or field trip. In addition, several people compile more specific site lists, dates, maximum numbers and such. Christmas Bird Counts are also used to get data for various lists, including the season reports. The same can be said for all types of local observations. Virginia reports data by state and regions. Tennessee reports data by ecologically-based geographical areas and regions which sometimes split counties. Example: Sullivan County is in the valley region compiled by Rick Knight but the Holston Mountain part of the county data is compiled by Richard Lewis for the state mountain region report. Some decisions have been made as to what specific locations are assigned to one region or another which may not exactly fit the region map. It is because of such highly specific reporting and record keeping that very accurate data has been collected for decades and available for publication in books such as The Birds of Northeast Tennessee- Second Edition by Knight and the recent state book, Virginia's Birdlife. Tennessee State Season Editor: Richard (Rick) L. Knight, 804 N. Hills Dr., Johnson City, TN 37604, (423) 282-5297, E-mail: rknight8@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Tennessee Cumberland Plateau/Ridge and Valley Region: Richard (Rick) L. Knight, 804 N. Hills Dr., Johnson City, TN 37604, (423) 282-5297, E-mail: rknight8@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Tennessee counties or portions of counties: Sullivan, Carter, Washington, Greene, Hawkins, Hancock, Claiborne, Grainger, Hamblen, Cocke, Jefferson, Sevier, Campbell, Union, Knox, Blount, Scott, Anderson, Loudon, Monroe, Fentress, Cumberland, Morgan, White, Vanburen, Warren, Grundy, Franklin, Marion, Hamilton, Bradley, Polk, McMinn, Monroe, Roane, Rhea, Meigs, Sequatchie, Pickett, Overton and Putnam. Tennessee Eastern Mountain Region: Richard P. Lewis, 407 V. I. Ranch Road, Bristol, TN 37620, (423) 878-2505. E-mail: mountainbirds@xxxxxxxxx Mountain portions (generally eastern sections for most part but all of Unicoi and Johnson) of Tennessee counties: Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Greene, Cocke, Sevier, Blount, Monroe, McMinn and Polk. Virginia Southwest Region: Roger and Lynda Mayhorn, HC 67 Box 44A, Pilgrims Knob, VA 24634 mayhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxx Virginia counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Grayson, Lee Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe.