[Bristol-Birds] pelicans fallout at South Holston
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 22:07:21 -0400
Spring Creek
South Holston Lake
Sullivan Co., TN
Washington Co., VA
17 May 2010
Seven American White Pelicans were loafing in the Spring Creek
Embayment of South Holston Lake this evening, just before dark.
I was first able to see them by driving out into a neighbor's yard
near Washington County Park and observing them at 1,100 yards.
I went to Musick's Campground and found them just offshore and
made this digiscope photo from there.
The birds are an apparent fallout from the heavy rainstorms which
hit the area. Four white pelicans were found at Musick's Campground
8 April 2006 following a similar rain event and storm fallout.
Malcolm Sprinkle and neighbors saw the birds earlier today
and he called me. Carolyn and I went to his home to see the
birds which were well south by the time we got there.
The species is considered "accidental" in the Northeast Tennessee
five-county area by Knight (BNET, 2nd., 2008), who lists five
records for the species. These seven pelicans represent the maximum
count for NET. The previous high was four.
Of the six NET records, three are from South Holston Lake. The
first was a single bird 21-23 Dec 1991 (Coffey, John Shumate
and others). It was a found near Avens Bridge in Virginia and
later just below U.S. 421 bridge in Tennessee.
The region maximum count for the species is eight photographed
by Susan Hubley of Rogersville and observed on John Sevier Lake
behind her house in Hawkins County, TN on 18 April 2007.
Other than the South Holston records reported above, the only
other Southwest Virginia record of which I am aware is a 26 Sep
2007 bird seen on the Levisa River of Buchanan County VA and
photographed by a fellow using a small digital camera. I do not
know his name.
Let's go birding . . . .
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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