The 73rd consecutive Elizabethton Spring Bird Count was held on 30 April
with favorable weather. The coverage area was Carter Co. and parts of
adjacent Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, & Washington Cos. 59 observers in
13 parties participated; both were record high numbers.
We tallied 166 species, eclipsing the previous record of 161 set in 2005.
By comparison, the average number over the last 30 years was 147 species.
Highlights: American Golden-Plover and Fish Crow were new to the count.
Also notable: Hooded Merganser (hen with 2 young), Com. Merganser (lingering
pair), Virginia Rail, Black-billed Cuckoo, N. Saw-whet Owl, Peregrine Falcon,
Sedge Wren, and Cerulean Warbler.
Amazingly (given the history of this count), 21 species occurred in record
high numbers for this count. The increased number of observers and parties
certainly contributed to this.
The record highs were: Canada Goose (653), Mallard (332), Wild Turkey (57),
Great Blue Heron (107), Yellow-cr. Night-Heron (14), Black Vulture (152),
Sora (4 - tie), Spotted Sandpiper (83), Barred Owl (12), N. Saw-whet Owl (3 -
tie),
Belted Kingfisher (30), Red-bellied Woodpecker (97), Warbling Vireo (20),
Red-eyed Vireo (257), Ovenbird (244), Worm-eating Warbler (39),
Yellow-throated Warbler (44), Eastern Towhee (222), Scarlet Tanager (82),
Orchard Oriole (42 - tie), and Baltimore Oriole (38).
Thanks to all participants for a great count.
The list:
Canada Goose 653
Wood Duck 85
Am. Wigeon 2
Mallard 332
Blue-wg. Teal 6
Bufflehead 5
Hooded Merganser 3
Com. Merganser 2
N. Bobwhite 1
Ruffed Grouse 1
Wild Turkey 57
Com. Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Horned Grebe 1
Dbl-cr. Cormorant 65
Great Blue Heron 107
Green Heron 16
Black-cr. Night-Heron 1
Yellow-cr. Night-Heron 14
Black Vulture 152
Turkey Vulture 212
Osprey 15
Bald Eagle 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 7
Broad-wg. Hawk 16
Red-tailed Hawk 38
Virginia Rail 1
Sora 4
Am. Coot 3
Am. Golden-Plover 1
Killdeer 46
Spotted Sandpiper 83
Solitary Sandpiper 34
Gr. Yellowlegs 2
Lsr. Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 5
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Bonaparte's Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 7
Forster's Tern 7
Rock Pigeon 166
Eur. Collared-Dove 3
Mourning Dove 254
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 9
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
E. Screech-Owl 10
Great Horned Owl 6
Barred Owl 12
N. Saw-whet Owl 3
Com. Nighthawk 1
Chuck-will's-widow 10
E. Whip-poor-will 32
Chimney Swift 209
Ruby-thr. Hummingbird 31
Belted Kingfisher 30
Red-headed Woodpecker 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 97
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4
Downy Woodpecker 37
Hairy Woodpecker 10
N. Flicker 33
Pileated Woodpecker 43
Am. Kestrel 19
Peregrine Falcon 1
E. Wood-Pewee 7
Acadian Flycatcher 12
Least Flycatcher 6
E. Phoebe 77
Great Crested Flycatcher 15
E. Kingbird 57
Loggerhead Shrike 1
White-eyed Vireo 12
Yellow-thr. Vireo 9
Blue-hd. Vireo 78
Warbling Vireo 20
Red-eyed Vireo 257
Blue Jay 320
Am. Crow 338
Fish Crow 1
Com. Raven 14
Horned Lark 2
Purple Martin 81
Tree Swallow 426
N. Rough-wg. Swallow 133
Barn Swallow 217
Cliff Swallow 807
Carolina Chickadee 173
Tufted Titmouse 166
Red-br. Nuthatch 16
White-br. Nuthatch 26
Brown Creeper 4
House Wren 45
Winter Wren 4
Sedge Wren 1
Carolina Wren 129
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 97
Golden-cr. Kinglet 5
Ruby-cr. Kinglet 4
E. Bluebird 157
Veery 13
Swainson's Thrush 2
Wood Thrush 138
Am. Robin 888
Gray Catbird 55
Brown Thrasher 45
N. Mockingbird 122
Eur. Starling 986
Cedar Waxwing 44
Ovenbird 244
Worm-eating Warbler 39
Louisiana Waterthrush 32
Golden-wg. Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 90
Swainson's Warbler 6
Nashville Warbler 1
Kentucky Warbler 5
Com. Yellowthroat 27
Hooded Warbler 208
Am. Redstart 21
Cape May Warbler 4
Cerulean Warbler 2
N. Parula 56
Magnolia Warbler 3
Bay-breasted Warbler 2
Blackburnian Warbler 7
Yellow Warbler 15
Chestnut-sd. Warbler 36
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Black-thr. Blue Warbler 85
Palm Warbler 8
Pine Warbler 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 62
Yellow-thr. Warbler 44
Prairie Warbler 5
Black-thr. Green Warbler 81
Canada Warbler 44
Yellow-br. Chat 8
E. Towhee 222
Chipping Sparrow 126
Field Sparrow 72
Savannah Sparrow 1
Grasshopper Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 276
Swamp Sparrow 5
White-thr. Sparrow 13
White-cr. Sparrow 11
Dark-eyed Junco 63
Summer Tanager 1
Scarlet Tanager 82
N. Cardinal 299
Rose-br. Grosbeak 30
Blue Grosbeak 6
Indigo Bunting 126
Bobolink 1
Red-wg. Blackbird 480
E. Meadowlark 142
Rusty Blackbird 2
Com. Grackle 477
Brown-hd. Cowbird 91
Orchard Oriole 42
Baltimore Oriole 38
House Finch 56
Pine Siskin 59
Am. Goldfinch 354
House Sparrow 80
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compiler:
Rick Knight
Johnson City, TN
