[TN-Bird] Prelim. Knox CBC results

From: K Dean EDWARDS <kde@xxxxxxx>
To: Tennessee Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 11:55:03 -0500 (EST)


Just under half of the results are in yet (you can bring them
to me at the KTOS meeting Wed night BTW) but I couldn't resist
letting word out about some of the better birds we had.  Our
All-Star crew has done it again.

As you may remember, this is the 100th anniversary of the first
Audubon Christmas Bird Count in Knoxville (and TN) and we are
hoping to break 100 species in honor of that.  We've got a lot
of really good birds so far and, with some more fill-ins on
some of the more common species (like grackle!)... we may have
a shot.

Two species have been added to the count history so far, both
birds that have been staked out for a month or two.

Unless someone's keeping quite about something else really exciting,
Best Bird award goes to Boyd Sharp with what is likely a new
bird for the count AND a new record for Knox County:  a pair of
Brown-headed Nuthatches.  The birds are on private property in
West Knoxville and we can't divulge location at this time at the
owner's request.  Boyd first located these guys on 15 December 2002.
I said "likely" new to the count because Cornell's online records
show 4 BHNU on the 15th CBC in 1914; however, I believe this may
be a data entry error and am checking on the validity of that
report.

The other new species to the count was 3 Lapland Longspurs at the
UT Plant Science Farm on Alcoa Hwy located by Tome Howe.  Tom
had first reported these birds back in November.  Another
awesome find.  Tom was busy, see below.

Allan Trently and Pennie Jennings had a (Lesser?) Yellowlegs near
Topside Road in Blount County.  The only other record for this
species on the Knoxville CBC was in 1969 (70th CBC).

Tom Howe and Dean and Amber Edwards independently found and IDed
a female Greater Scaup near Louisiville in Blount Co.  This is
also only the second record for the species on the count; the
other being a single bird in 1965 (66th).

Chris Welsh has already reported the Tundra Swan.  This is the
third record of this species on the count with single birds in
1985 (86th) and 1989 (90th).  Chris's report of Wild Turkey
also represents the third report, all consecutive, of this
evermore common species.

The female Rufous Hummingbird has returned to the home of Jean
Stierberger in Farragut for the 5th(!) year in a row.  Fred
Moore recaptured the little gal in November to confirm that she
is indeed the same individual originally banded in New Orleans
in 1996.  This may make her the oldest known individual of the
species (I need to confirm that).  Guess all that banding and
recapturing didn't love her to death.

At least two groups reported Sandhill Cranes along the TN River.
Totals will be fun to decide upon but at least 49 of them.  Jean
Alexander, David Johnson, June Welch, Susan Schott, and Marcia
Davis reported them and Charlie Muise may have been in on that
as well.  This is definitely a high count for the species.

Charlie Muise also found a House Wren.  This is the fourth time
for the count.

Other goodies:
-- Great Egret for the lucky 13th consecutive year,
-- a record 103 (so far) Hooded Mergansers both by Dean and Amber
Edwards and Tom Howe in Louisville in Blount Co;
-- 1 adult Bald Eagle near where the Little River joins the TN River
reported by Allan Trently, Pennie Jennings, Chris Welsh, Marcia
Davis and Barbara Finney;
-- Red-breasted Nuthatch, so far the only northern invader;
-- 13 species of waterfowl;
-- Brown-headed Cowbird, thanks to Dan and Laurie Mooney for finding
these hard-to-find critters... now if someone found grackle and
Red-winged Blackbird... you think I'm joking?  I'm not.



Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN
compiler, Knoxville CBC




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[TN-Bird] Prelim. Knox CBC results

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