[TN-Bird] Rankin Bottoms Sat 26 Aug
- From: K Dean EDWARDS <kde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Tennessee Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:17:01 -0400 (EDT)
A number of birders were out at Rankin Bottoms in Cocke Co., TN,
on Saturday, 26 Aug 2006. The KTOS caravan numbered about 11
people then we met up with Shane and Dennis Adams, Mike Sledjeski
and Leslie Gibbens, and Beth Schilling when we got to Rankin.
Rick Knight and Gary Wallace came by with a van load of students
getting their first birding experience with shorebirds a mile
away -- I think fall warblers and Empidonax flycatchers should
be next for them :-).
The KTOS group and Rick's group stoped at Dutch Bottoms at the
Hwy 25E bridge over Douglas Lake at the Jefferson/Cocke Co. line
on the way to Rankin. I and Rasmus, from Denmark, made a few
extra stops along the road out of Rankin to pick him up a few
more lifers (he averaged a new bird every 12 minutes of today's
trip). Mike and Leslie stayed about an hour longer than the rest
of us and got several nice birds that the rest of us missed by
whimping out just before sunset.
The lake level is still high and the mudflats are pretty far
from the viewing area by the coal tipple but there are lots of
good birds. About 400 shorebirds. A Peregrine made a couple of
passes and after one of them, a flock of about 40 shorebirds
landed on our side of the water about 15-20 yards in front of
us giving some great looks at Least, Western, Semipalmated,
Pectoral and Stilt (adult and juvenile) Sandpipers. Ron Hoff
should have some really good digiscoped pics.
14 shorebird species, 10 heron/ibis/stork/vulture species,
7 raptor species.
I think this is a pretty complete list, all at Rankin unless noted...
most of my counts are pretty "approximate"
Canada Goose, ~100
Wood Duck, ~20
Mallard, ~20
Double-crested Cormorant, 2-3 at Rankin, ~30 at Dutch Bottoms
Great Blue Heron, ~10-20 at Rankin, several at Dutch Bottoms
Great Egret, 176 was Mike and Leslie's final count
LITTLE BLUE HERON, 26 immatures (Mike and Leslie)
CATTLE EGRET, 9 (Mike and Leslie)
Green Heron, 10+ at Rankin, 2 at Dutch Bottoms
Black-crowned Night-Heron, 5-10 adults and immatures
WHITE IBIS, 1 immature (Mike and Leslie)
WOOD STORK, 1 immature
Black Vulture, ~40 in one big kettle
Turkey Vulture, ~5 at Rankin, several more along the way
Osprey, at least 2-3 at Rankin, 1 at Dutch Bottoms
BALD EAGLE, 1 old immature at Rankin 4th year?
Cooper's Hawk, 1
Red-shouldered Hawk, 1
Broad-winged Hawk, at least 3 at Rankin
Red-tailed Hawk, 1 at Dutch Bottoms
PEREGRINE FALCON, 1 at Rankin
Semipalmated Plover, 30+
Killdeer, 200++
Greater Yellowlegs, 1
Lesser Yellowlegs, 15+ most coming in later in the day
WESTERN WILLET, 2
Spotted Sandpiper, 2-3
Semipalmated Sandpiper, over a dozen
Western Sandpiper, maybe a dozen
Least Sandpiper, couple dozen
unIDed over-a-mile-away peeps, 30-40+
Pectoral Sandpiper, 40+
STILT SANDPIPER, 12+ a few basic plumaged adults but most juveniles
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, at least 2
Short-billed Dowitcher, at least 3
Wilson's Snipe, 1
LAUGHING GULL, 1 immature at Dutch Bottoms
Ring-billed Gull, 2 adults at Dutch Bottoms
CASPIAN TERN, 1 at Dutch Bottoms (Rick's group)
BLACK TERN, 6 at Rankin Bottoms
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl, 1, Dean and Rasmus just before getting back to I-81
Common Nighthawk, 20+, Dean and Rasmus around lights at Knoxville & UT
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 2-3 at Rankin
Belted Kingfisher, 2
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee, 2, Dean and Rasmus just across train tracks at Rankin
Eastern Phoebe, 2 Dean and Rasmus, same as above
Great Crested Flycatcher, 1, Dean and Rasmus, same as above
Eastern Kingbird, 40+ at Rankin
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow, a few
BANK SWALLOW, about 3 at Rankin
Cliff Swallow, 8-10 at Rankin
Barn Swallow, a few
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing, ~6, Dean and Rasmus
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, 1
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
BALTIMORE ORIOLE, 1 at Rankin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow, Hardee's, exit 417
Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN
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