Attached are the results from the "first annual Virginia-Tennessee Bird count that was held on Saturday, May 11, 2013. This was our first attempt at a coordinated big day event in our part of the world and I offer my thanks and appreciation to all who turned in results. We had 111 species for the count Top team results go to "Team Hunter" from Russell County. Tom and company limited their count to Russell County. In ten hours of birding they turned up 85 species which included both bald and golden eagles. The "Virginia Railers", Ed Morgan and Ramsey White, get the prize for most miles driven. Their 188 mile route started in downtown Abingdon and went to South Holston Lake, Bear Tree Campground, the summit of Whitetop, Saltville ponds, Broad Ford, Ward Cove, and Rosedale. Most of this was in the rain. The sun did shine while we were in Saltville where we observed Virginia Rails, an Osprey and a Cormorant that was drying its wings by one of the small ponds. We also located Cliff Swallows at Abrams Bridge on South Holston Lake. It is hard to say what was the best bird of the day. While the Hunter's eagles were certainly contenders, the Lawrence's Warbler Reported by Roger Mayhorn and company in Buchanan County may be the rarest in nature. While not rare in nature, the Clay-colored sparrow seen by Thomas McNeil at sycamore Shoals State Park near Elizabethton was also a very notable bird. Randy Smith and the Master Naturalists found the least flycatchers and Canada Warblers at Grindstone Campground and JoAnn Detta And Marty Huber found the smallest bird of the day, our only blue-gray gnatcatcher. Other participants included Anita Huffman and company at Mouth of Wilson and Ruth and Mary Clark who birded in the City of Bristol, Virginia. I am pleased to report that every team contributed at least one unique bird to the count. We do plan to repeat this event next year we hope as part of the Heartwood Outdoor initiative. We expect it will be a more formal and organized event that can perhaps offer prizes and a get together for participants. A primary goal of this event has been to develop an understanding of what birds we can expect to see at a point at or near peak spring migration . After reviewing the list I believe that it should be at least theoretically possible to get up to approximately 130 species from our region. We are blessed with a wide variety of habitats available to us in our region and there is no telling what birds we will see when we get out in the field and start looking. Your comments and ideas are welcomed and appreciated. Please let me know if you would like to participate in next year's count. Ed Morgan, Abingdon, Virginia
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RESULTS VA.docx
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