The tenth annual Perry County Christmas Bird Count was conducted on
December 25th 2020 by 6 observers in 4 parties and produced a total of 96
species plus one count week only. This is about average for this count over
the past 5 years with the highest total ever being 110 species in 2017.
The weather was mostly clear and cold with a brisk wind. Calm water was
frozen with a low of 12 degrees and a high of 29 degrees. Winds were
Northwest at 10/20 miles per hour.
71 miles were covered in 25 hours by car, 10 miles in 14 hours on foot
and 1 mile in 1 hour by kayak, no owling.
Highlights were 4 species of Warblers including three ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERS and a PALM WARBLER, both new for the count, and 17 species of
waterfowl with a hen LONG-TAILED DUCK seen flying North over the Tennessee
River also a new species for the count. A flyover COMMON LOON while not
totally unexpected was a new species for this count as well.
Other good birds on count day were a GOLDEN EAGLE, three MERLINS, HOUSE
WREN and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
Bufflehead, Barn Owl, Sedge Wren, (first time missed in 6 years)
Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle and Rusty Blackbird were missed
entirely and Northern Harrier was count week only.
Here is the species list:
Greater White fronted Goose 31
Canada Goose 175
Wood Duck 2
Northern Shoveler 6
Gadwall 502
American Wigeon 30
Mallard 836
American Black Duck 2
Northern Pintail 1094
Green winged Teal 1
Canvasback 2
Redhead 6
Ring necked Duck 28
Lesser Scaup 10
LONG TAILED DUCK 1
Common Goldeneye 2
Hooded Merganser 7
Wild Turkey 79
Rock Pigeon 11
Eurasian Collared dove 2
Mourning Dove 188
Killdeer 40
American Woodcock 6
Wilson's Snipe 1
Bonaparte's Gull 317
Ring billed Gull 5040
Herring Gull 16
Common Loon 1
Double crested Cormorant 12
American White Pelican 7
Great Blue Heron 8
Black Vulture 124
Turkey Vulture 98
Golden Eagle 1
Sharp shinned Hawk 3
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 10
Red shouldered Hawk 9
Red tailed hawk 18
Eastern Screech owl 1
Great Horned Owl 1
Barred owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow bellied Sapsucker 15
Red headed Woodpecker 2
Red bellied Woodpecker 22
Downy Woodpecker 29
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 7
Northern Flicker 50
American Kestrel 7
Merlin 3
Eastern Phoebe 24
Blue Jay 51
American Crow 184
Carolina Chickadee 124
Tufted Titmouse 105
Golden crowned Kinglet 93
Ruby crowned Kinglet 80
Red breasted Nuthatch 1
White breasted Nuthatch 31
Brown Creeper 7
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 16
Carolina Wren 93
European Starling 155
Brown Thrasher 23
Northern Mockingbird 39
Eastern Bluebird 197
Hermit Thrush 40
American Robin 509
Cedar Waxwing 347
House Sparrow 26
American Pipit 3
House Finch 47
Purple Finch 25
Pine Siskin 186
American Goldfinch 114
Lapland Longspur 1
Chipping Sparrow 40
Field Sparrow 152
Fox Sparrow 22
Dark eyed Junco 244
White crowned Sparrow 39
White throated Sparrow 561
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 386
Swamp Sparrow 221
Eastern Towhee 52
Eastern Meadowlark 53
Red winged blackbird 22
Orange crowned Warbler 3
Palm Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow rumped Warbler 53
Northern Cardinal 276
Thanks to Adam Beachy, Jamin Beachy, Jubal Beachy, Ez Schwartz and
Victor Stoll for helping me on another successful count.
Ruben Stoll, compiler. Pleasantville Tennessee.
