[Bristol-Birds] NE Tennessee Birding by Daryl Owens, 28 Feb 2015

From: "BBC Net" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'bristol-birds'" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2015 15:51:33 -0500
 

From: Daryl Owens

Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2015 

Subject: NE Tennessee Birding

 

Yesterday [28 February 2015] five birders including Tom Hunter, David
Raines, Don Carrier, Mike Sanders and myself spent a great day birding in
Northeast Tennessee.  It turned 

out to be one of those magical days when all the planets align and the birds


just fall into your lap!

    First stop was Middlebrook Lake where we found Common Merganser, Mute
Swan 

and hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls. 

     Osceola Island proved to be one our best stops giving us great views of
a 

Brown Creeper who put on a show for us just feet away.  Also found there
were 

scores of Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet and White-throated, Field
and 

Swamp sparrows.  The ducks made a good showing at Osceola as well with
Greater 

Scaup, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon and Redhead being found.  Later in the
day, 

Mike returned to Osceola and found two American Pipits, one of which can be 

seen in the fantastic photo below.  

      Next was a stop along  the Holston river near Bluff City where we
found  

two White-winged Scoters, life birds for both David and myself, and also
found 

Canvasback, Hooded Merganser, Redhead and Wood Duck. 

     We then met Don's son and daughter-in-law, Christian and Alexis, at a
very 

good restaurant in Elizabethton called J's Corner for lunch. 

      After filling up on great BBQ we headed for Wilbur Lake finding many 

Buffleheads, Gadwall and the three White-winged Scoters pictured below that 

Mike and I digiscoped. 

     Next stop, Paddle Creek ponds where the top ponds were frozen and the 

partially frozen bottom pond had the near 200 waterfowl concentrated in a
small 

patch of open water.  In this group was found more Redhead, Canvasback, 

Ring-necked, Scaup, Mallard and a lone American Black Duck.

     After dropping Don off at home around 5:00pm we headed back to Paddle 

Creek to try to for the Barn Owl that is sometimes reported at a grain silo 

there and this to no avail. 

     Sensible people may have called it a day here, but we weren't ready to 

throw in the towel just yet.  We'd read Rick Knight's report from Musick's 

campground earlier and with visions of Long-tailed Ducks and Greater 

white-fronted Geese dancing in our heads, headed that direction.  We didn't 

find the Greater white-fronted but "scope master" Mike did find twelve
Oldsquaw 

which added another tic to my life list.  Also we added Bald Eagle, Horned 

Grebe, Common Loon, Red-breasted Merganser, Double-crested Cormorant and 

Cooper's Hawk to round out our day's list.

     With a little daylight remaining we took the short drive to Washington
Co. 

park not expecting much but, I think, just not wanting the day to end.  We 

tried for Brown-headed Nuthatch in the pines at the boat ramp but couldn't 

roust any with our electronic calls.   

    Lastly, with the sunlight gone we transitioned from birding to astronomy


where Dave showed us Jupiter and three of it's moons in Mike's scope.  We
also 

took the pic below of Earth's moon through the scope.

     Alas, nearing exhaustion, with our cabin fever thoroughly vanquished
and 

71 species tucked under our belts, we headed home reliving our glorious day
and 

planning our next adventure!

Daryl Owens,

Oakwood VA
[Bristol-Birds] NE Tennessee Birding by Daryl Owens, 28 Feb 2015

Other related posts:
