A SNOW BUNTING (an apparent first year bird) was found in the Spring Creek Embayment area of South Holston Lake near Musick's Campground today (Saturday, Nov. 13). The bird was heard as it flew over a group of birders at Musick's Campground. It circled widely over the the lake along the shores of Washington County park in Virginia, down the lake well below the campground, back over the campground observation area and landed on the backside of "Egret Island" in Sullivan Co., TN, just north of the birders. Birders included Don Holt, Diane Draper, Wallace Coffey, Rack Cross, Sam Cross, Ken Hale and Morgan Hale. Ken Hale had just arrived with his fast Sea Ray boat and quickly took everyone by water to the backside of Egret Island were the bird could easily be seen onshore, first perched on a low rock and then walking and feeding in a more open area close to the water's edge. Rack Cross got very good video of the bird. It was observed for at least 10 minutes at a distance of about 40 feet. The bird arrived in the area at 4:40 p.m. and departed at 5:08 p.m., flying off down the lake near sunset. This is the third sighting of a Snow Bunting from Musick's Campground and the second record of a bird on Egret Island. All are November records. Carol Cross, Rack Cross and Coffey observed one on the gravel launching ramp at Musick's Campground November 18, 2002. Coffey observed one November 28, 2002 as it was moving along the shoreline of the island about 20 feet above the water's edge. These are probably the only well-observed birds known from Sullivan County. A casually reported bird from the Bristol Christmas Bird Count of December 26, 1956 by Judith Abbott and her cousin, seen near South Holston Dam, has long been considered questionable. Let's go birding.... Wallace Coffey Bristol, TN ************************************************* BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST Bristol Birds Net Photo Gallery located at: http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jwcoffeyy/album?.dir=/efd5 This is a regional birding list sponsored by the Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. -------------------------------------------------- You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds. To post to this mailing list, simply send an email to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. -------------------------------------------------- Wallace Coffey, Moderator wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (423)764-****