[Bristol-Birds] Middlebrook mergansers increase by nearly a hundred since Dec. 2
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 19:39:10 -0500
Hooded Mergansers at Middlebrook Lake in Bristol, TN (Sullivan.)
were up to 105 birds today. The influx is expected each year about
the first of December. The question is: will they find enough food to
hold them over to mid and late January ? It appears the carrying
capacity of the lake may be down to less than 25 birds. Just a few
years ago, the population at this date could reach almost 300 birds.
The Bristol area carrying capacity reached 308 birds in 2004. We
have hosted an amazing wintering population for 25 consecutive
years dating back to 1986. Since that date, our Bristol Christmas
Bird Count has averaged 111 Hooded Mergansers. Our average
for the past 20 years is 168 and for the past 10 years is 202.
But Middlebrook has begun to slide off significantly well before the
Bristol Christmas Bird Count and was lower than 20 bird last year
with the bulk of the count population at Clear Creek Lake in Washington
County, VA in north Bristol. So we are down to wait and see at
Middlebrook Lake. . . . .
Let's go birding . . . .
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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