January 1st, 2017
Victor and I started the new year with 104 species from dawn in Perry
County to dusk at Paris Landing State Park.
Light rain most of the day helped us miss some of our easy target species.
We really didn't find anything rare, so a much better day list could be
made on this route.
We got all the expected waterfowl, including 5 Geese at the Duck River
Unit, Redheads and Canvasback at the New Johnsonville WTP, Common Merganser
at Britton Ford, Red-breasted Merganser and both Scaup at Paris Landing.
(We missed the pair of Tundra Swans that had been at the Duck River Unit.)
The Turkey flock resident at Stoll Farm, and a calling Bobwhite at a
nearby location were the only ones for the day.
The Duck River Unit still has large numbers of Pelicans and Cormorants,
but the Great Egrets have mostly left, and we missed that for the day.
A single Killdeer at Pace Point, a dozen Wilson's Snipe at Rochelle Ponds
and a stakeout American Woodcock at Britton Ford were our only shorebirds
found.
The four common Gull species and several Forster's Terns were seen, with
the only Lesser Black-backed with the Britton Ford Gulls.
A Barred Owl was shrieking at dawn, and an Eastern Screech-owl was
looking out of a Wood Duck box, both at Stoll Farm, but Great Horned Owl
was a miss.
Barn Owl was also quickly added at a local silo.
We heard and saw 2 scolding Sedge Wrens at the Depriest Barns, a
wintering location that is on private property in Perry County.
Only 2 warbler species were seen, with a Pine Warbler at Bennet's Creek
Overlook being nice for the area.
11 species of sparrows, with Vesper Sparrow being the least expected, but
seen at 3 different locations in good numbers. (No Leconte's Sparrow
habitat was found).
Missed birds were Tundra Swan, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Great Horned-Owl,
Merlin and Peregrine Falcon, House Wren, American Pipit, Orange-Crowned and
Palm Warbler, Rusty Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird.
Only one each of the vultures were seen all day, with one cold, stiff,
soaked Black Vulture spotted by Victor sitting deep in the woods!
Good birding! Ruben Stoll, Centerville TN.
