Results of the Seventh Annual Fall Bird Count in White County, Tennessee—18 September 2010

Always one of the more frequently counted warblers during September in the Region, this Magnolia Warbler
displays the classic black tail-tip of the species, as well as a prominent eye-ring that occasionally causes confusion
with Nashville Warbler; photo Carol D. Williams (25 September 2010).

 

The seventh annual Fall Bird Count (FBC) in White County took place September 18, 2010, with 16 field observers taking part in this effort to monitor the bird populations in the county.  These observers worked in seven parties and tallied over 7000 individuals of 125 species during the course of this day-long event.

    Some public sites that were included in the coverage of the county undertaken last Saturday were the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness and the north side of Rock Island State Park.  Many miles of public roadsides were also covered by observers on count day.

    Results of this count are not only compiled locally, but they are also incorporated into a state-wide database as a means of assisting land managers in making long-term decisions that might affect bird populations.

    Only one Loggerhead Shrike was found during the count, a possible sign that this predatory songbird is not successfully maintaining a population in the county.  Clearing of hedgerows and roadsides has probably been a major factor in the decrease of this species in many areas of the UCR.

    Observers this fall included Brenda Curtis, Doug Downs (compiler), Janie Finch, Judy Fuson, Michael Hawkins, Peggy Huffstetler, Nancy Layzer, Ed LeGrand, Joseph Mast, Michelle O'Rourke, Mike O'Rourke, Tom Saya, Barb Stedman, Steve Stedman, Winston Walden, and Carol Williams.

    To see a table of results for all fall counts conducted in the Upper Cumberland Region during 2010 or a table with results of all FBCs conducted in White County, click on one of the following links:

 

Table 1. Results of Fall Bird Count in White County—18 September 2010.

Location NW SW NE SE E W Cent. 1 W Cent. 2 Total
                 
Party Leaders MPO SJS BHS DAD EKL JCF-2 MJH  
Party Members TMS   BKC   JEM PBH CDW  
  WAW   JCF-1     NSL    
  MSO              
                 
Number of Field Parties 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7
Number of Field Observers 4 1 3 1 2 3 2 16
               
Start CDT 0615 0456 0615 0430 0530 0700 0700 0430
End CDT 1730 1741 1800 1700 1730 1530 1530 1800
Hrs by Car 11.25 11 9.25 12.5 5.25 7.5 6.5 63.25
Hrs on Foot 0 0.5 1.5 0 6 0 0 8
Total Daylight Hrs in Field 11.25 11.5 10.75 12.5 11.25 7.5 6.5 71.25
Mi by Car 110 100 65 80 96 34 22 507
Mi on Foot 0 0.5 2 0 2 0 0 4.5
Total Daylight Mi in Field 110 100.5 67 80 98 34 22 511.5
Owling Hrs 0 1.25 0.5 1.5 0.75 0 0 4
Owling Mi 0 7 5.5 18 5 0 0 35.5
                 
Low Temperature (F)               53
High Temperature (F)               94
Sky AM               clear
Sky PM               clear
Precipitation AM               none
Precipitation PM               none
Wind AM (mph)               0-10
Wind PM (mph)               0-10
Moon               1st quart.
                 
Canada Goose 23 10 4 197   24 120 378
Wood Duck   6 24 4 4   10 48
American Black Duck 18             18
Mallard   3 3 4 1 2   13
Blue-winged Teal             5 5
Northern Bobwhite         1 12   13
Wild Turkey   3 22 8 15 8   56
Pied-billed Grebe     1         1
Double-crested Cormorant 1             1
Great Blue Heron 5 11 3 2 2 1 4 28
Great Egret     6         6
Green Heron 4 3 5         12
Black Vulture 14 126 12 2   7   161
Turkey Vulture 36 56 20 27 17 22   178
Osprey         1   1 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk     1         1
Cooper's Hawk 1 1 3 1       6
Red-shouldered Hawk 5 1 7   5 4 5 27
Broad-winged Hawk     2 1       3
Red-tailed Hawk   4 2   1     7
American Kestrel 6 4 2 2 1 4 4 23
Merlin         1     1
Killdeer 52 70 88 62 1 33 30 336
Solitary Sandpiper     1 1       2
Greater Yellowlegs       2       2
Lesser Yellowlegs 2 3 1         6
Semipalmated Sandpiper 2             2
Least Sandpiper   4   2       6
Pectoral Sandpiper   1           1
Rock Pigeon 5 1 59 40   8   113
Eurasian Collared-Dove     2 7       9
Mourning Dove 82 21 33 98 24 88 18 364
Yellow-billed Cuckoo     1   1 1 3 6
Eastern Screech-Owl   6 9 4 4     23
Great Horned Owl   5   4       9
Barred Owl   1   1 5     7
Eastern Whip-poor-will         1     1
Chimney Swift 21 1 2 20 4   22 70
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4 1 1 3 10 4 4 27
Belted Kingfisher 2 1 3 1 1     8
Red-headed Woodpecker 7 1   1 4 3 7 23
Red-bellied Woodpecker 24 28 12 7 5 5 5 86
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker         1     1
Downy Woodpecker 19 13 19 8 12 2 6 79
Hairy Woodpecker   3   1 2 1 1 8
Northern Flicker 7 3 6 2 3 6 2 29
Pileated Woodpecker 8 8 8 2 11 1 3 41
Eastern Wood-Pewee 5 8 8 5 7 1 3 37
Empidonax sp.     1     1   2
Eastern Phoebe 9 5 13 4 16 10 5 62
Great Crested Flycatcher     2       1 3
Eastern Kingbird     1 1     1 3
Loggerhead Shrike     1         1
White-eyed Vireo 17 8 15 11 10 8 3 72
Yellow-throated Vireo 2 11 2 2 7 1 2 27
Blue-headed Vireo         13     13
Philadelphia Vireo   2         2 4
Red-eyed Vireo 3 3 1 2 4 2 1 16
Blue Jay 45 41 100 62 41 20 2 311
American Crow 54 55 94 39 70 31 34 377
Tree Swallow 1   49         50
N. Rough-winged Swallow   1           1
Barn Swallow   5           5
Carolina Chickadee 40 23 25 14 40 9 19 170
Tufted Titmouse 54 15 63 36 38 20 20 246
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1             1
White-breasted Nuthatch 20 19 13 12 9 11 25 109
Carolina Wren 59 47 68 35 20 13 13 255
House Wren     1   2     3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     2         2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1   7     1 1 10
Eastern Bluebird 54 8 35 34 18 34 29 212
Veery     1         1
Gray-cheeked Thrush   3     5     8
Swainson's Thrush 2 14 3   25   1 45
Wood Thrush   1 3   8     12
American Robin 4 4 33 12 20 4 20 97
Gray Catbird 1 2 2 2 5   1 13
Northern Mockingbird 14 24 12 18 7 13 16 104
Brown Thrasher 5 1 4 1 4 1 2 18
European Starling 420 130 405 270 41 174 127 1567
Cedar Waxwing   1 1   15   5 22
Ovenbird 1     1 1 3   6
Worm-eating Warbler         1     1
Northern Waterthrush   2 1         3
Golden-winged Warbler     1   1     2
Blue-winged Warbler   1 2   3     6
Black-and-white Warbler 2     2 5 4 3 16
Tennessee Warbler   1 1   16   5 23
Nashville Warbler       1       1
Common Yellowthroat 1 4 1 2 7   2 17
Hooded Warbler 2 2 2   3     9
American Redstart 10 1 2 3       16
Northern Parula 2 1           3
Magnolia Warbler 14 1 12 4 15 4 6 56
Bay-breasted Warbler     1   2     3
Blackburnian Warbler   1     7     8
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2 1     5     8
Palm Warbler 4 1 2 1 1     9
Pine Warbler 1 1 3 1 8   3 17
Yellow-rumped Warbler     1         1
Yellow-throated Warbler       3 3     6
Prairie Warbler     3         3
Black-throated Green Warbler 2       5 1 2 10
Canada Warbler 1             1
Yellow-breasted Chat   1 2         3
Eastern Towhee 3 9 6   3 2 1 24
Chipping Sparrow   30 3 34 37 13 9 126
Field Sparrow   5   9 12 16 1 43
Savannah Sparrow 4   3   1     8
Song Sparrow 5 2 12 9 3     31
Summer Tanager 5 10 5 3 3 5 4 35
Scarlet Tanager 3 6 3 1 14 1 1 29
Northern Cardinal 65 47 21 16 22 32 17 220
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5 2 1   2 4   14
Blue Grosbeak 4 11 2 3   2 12 34
Indigo Bunting 8 16 3 24 15 5 22 93
Bobolink         1     1
Red-winged Blackbird     1         1
Eastern Meadowlark 36 2 44 4       86
Common Grackle 12   2         14
Brown-headed Cowbird 10   1 5     7 23
House Finch 1   1 1 2     5
American Goldfinch 21 10 25 19 16   10 101
House Sparrow   3 54 25     25 107
                 
Total Individuals 1383 1001 1548 1245 777 682 713 7349
                 
Total Species 70 80 91 69 79 51 58 125
               
Key to Observers:                
               
Brenda K. Curtis BKC            
Douglas A. Downs, compiler DAD          
Janie C. Finch JCF-1            
Judy C. Fuson JCF-2            
Michael J. Hawkins MJH            
Peggy B. Huffstetler PBH            
Edmund K. LeGrand EKL            
Nancy S. Layzer NSL            
Joseph E. Mast JEM            
Michelle O'Rourke MSO            
Michael P. O'Rourke MPO            
Tom M. Saya TMS            
Barbara H. Stedman BHS            
Stephen J. Stedman SJS            
Winston A. Walden WAW            
Carol D. Williams CDW            

Comments:

Great Egret―all observed at Randolph Pond.

Osprey―one was observed along the Caney Fork River at the end of Three Island Rd., and an Osprey nest was photographed
(CDW photo) at the same site; the other was noted on the Cumberland Plateau in the eastern end of the county (EKL).

Merlin―one was observed harassing an Osprey in the eastern end of the county (EKL).

Loggerhead Shrike―one was located at the junction of Walter Stone Rd. and Cherry Creek Rd.

 

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