Started the birding today with the goal in mind to reach 100 species for the year in Hamilton County at Standifer Gap Marsh. We searched for the oft-reported Orange-crowned Warbler. This would be one of several expected species I did not see today. The temperature was unseasonably warm but the wind quite ferocious all day long. Nice looks at Winter Wren, Swamp Sparrow, Northern Pintail, and I heard one Virginia Rail. Eastern Meadowlarks and Red-winged Blackbirds were in full song. Dropped by Chickamauga Dam in hopes of Greater Scaup (#97 for the County) to be rewarded by a crisply-plumaged male (1). Janice Chadwell called to report a Great Egret (#98 for the County) at Amnicola Marsh which I observed from 1:15 - 1:30 PM. Also present there were Canada Goose (45), Mallard (2), Northern Shoveler (4), Gadwall (4), and Rusty Blackbird (30+). Janice Chadwell called back to say that Sandy Wilson observed a Greater White-fronted Goose at Soddy Creek yesterday-did I need it? So I headed north via Chester Frost Park and Pinky's Point where I dipped on Fox Sparrow-a sure spot on a not-so-windy day and looked over the fields near TVA Sequoyah for other possibilities. Observed the Greater White-fronted Goose (1 adult) (#99 for the County) in the company of a Swan Goose/Charley Duck mix and 24 Canada Geese from the Soddy Lake Fishing Pier off old Hwy 27 (called Dayton Pike) from 4:00 - 4:20 PM. Also present there were Ring-necked Duck (31), Redhead (1 male), Hooded Merganser (5), Mallard (6), Gadwall (20), N. Pintail (1 male) and 200 + Ring-billed Gulls. At the Thomas Brothers Farm, best observed from the southbound lane of US 27 between the Thrasher Pike and Hwy 153 exits in the field with 36 Canada Geese was a dark phase, adult Snow Goose (#100 for the County). Also present on the farm were approx. 50 Mallards and 50 Gadwall. 4:40 - 4:50 PM. All for now, Daniel Jacobson Hixson, (Hamilton County), TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. You are also required to list the count in which the birds you report were seen. The actual date of observation should appear in the first paragraph. _____________________________________________________________ To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx _____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. ______________________________________________________________ TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx _____________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp _____________________________________________________________