Thanks to all those of you who have taken the time to document and submit
your rare bird records. Many of the latest reports have been accompanied by
photos, which is valuable documentation, and makes our job as TBRC much
easier.
One of our jobs is to review and discuss your reports, determine and vote
on whether there is sufficient evidence to accept as a record.
If yours has been rejected, that does not imply that we think you have
not observed your bird as reported, but rather as we strive to reach a high
level of accuracy and efficiency, we must use only those records with the
most thorough documentation as we maintain the official list of the birds
of Tennessee.
2016 was a good year for first State records with 5 species added to the
State list. In addition to the LESSER GOLDFINCH from January, a BROWN BOOBY
in Humphrey's, NORTHERN WHEATEAR in Blount, BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Knox, and a
HOODED ORIOLE from Giles County were all new additions for the latest
period. (The latter was actually a second time photographed in the State,
but the first record was rejected by the TBRC due to concerns about
provenance).
SAY'S PHOEBE, 219 South Hall Griffin Road, Obion County on 12-19-13 by
Mark Greene, accepted 6-0
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, Gibson County Lake in Gibson County on
2-4-16 through 2-6-16 by Mark Greene, accepted 6-0
COMMON REDPOLL, Clarksville, Montgomery County at Finch feeder on
1-10-2016 and continuing through 1-21-16 by Rick Shipkowski, accepted 6-0
PAINTED BUNTING, adult male photographed by David Arnold at the J.
Percy Priest WMA Field Trial Area in Rutherford County on 6-5-16, seen by
many observers, documentation submitted by Steve Zipperer, accepted 6-0
HOODED ORIOLE, adult male photographed by David Gross coming to a
hummingbird feeder along TN-245 in Giles Co. Just South of the Maury line
from June 2-4, 2016, accepted 6-0
POMERINE JAEGER, subadult at Paris Landing State Park on Kentucky Lake,
Henry County on 7-30-16 (and continuing through 8-2-16) by Ruben Stoll,
accepted 6-0
SABINE'S GULL, immature at Big Sandy Mudflats in Big Sandy, TN, Henry
County on 10-5-16 by Ruben Stoll, accepted 6-0
BROWN BOOBY, immature at the Pump Station, Duck River Unit TNWR in
Humphreys County on 10-20-16 by Ruben Stoll and seen by others the
following morning, accepted 6-0 as first State record.
SNOW BUNTING found and photographed by Joe Meyer on Viking Mountain Road
in Greene County on 11-5-16, accepted 6-0
NORTHERN WHEATEAR, a cooperative bird found by Tony King at Windy Hill
Farm in Loudon Co. on 11-13-16 and continuing through 11-20-16 for many
observers, accepted 6-0 as first State record.
BOHEMIAN WAXWING, 1 photographed by Colin D. Sumrall at Sequoyah Park in
Knox County on 11-22-16 was accepted 6-0 as a first state record.
The TBRC has also voted 6-0 to add TRUMPETER SWAN to the official state
list given the recent pattern of occurrence in the State from an
established and expanding population.
The WHOOPING CRANE was not added to the State list (vote 4-2) due to
concerns about whether the Eastern population is well enough established at
this time.
If you don't see your report listed here, we are probably still working
on it. We have had a good year for rare birds in Tennessee and still
haven't gotten to all of the records.
Thanks again for all the good documentation, and we look forward to
reviewing many more great birds in the coming year!
Ruben Stoll, secretary for the TBRC.
