Results of Pickett County, Tennessee, Christmas Bird Counts
Data for 88 species of wintering birds are available from 13 Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) conducted in Pickett County, Tennessee, beginning in the late 1970s and running intermittently through the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Counts designated with a source code of "RCH" were provided courtesy of Robbie C. Hassler; counts designated with a source code of "MIG" were published in and obtained from the annual summary of CBCs included in The Migrant for these CBC seasons (but not in the tri-continental CBC publication or database); and counts designated with an asterisk (*) were provided by each of these sources.
A feature of this count that is perhaps unique in Tennessee is that the same observers followed almost exactly the same 65-mile long route in conducting the count each year, minimizing variability in the resulting data by so doing. Other CBCs might be reformed to emulate this feature of the Pickett County CBC. A map of the route used by the Hasslers is on file with SJS, as well as with Robbie Hassler.
The data from the Pickett County CBC reflect such matters as the status of Loggerhead Shrike during the period covered by Pickett County CBCs, the arrival of House Finches into the vicinity of Pickett County, and the presence of wintering Bald Eagles and Ospreys on Dale Hollow Lake, large parts of which are included within the circle of this CBC.
Table 1. Results of intermittent Christmas Bird Counts conducted in Pickett County, Tennessee, from the 79th season to the 102nd season.
| CBC | 1978– | 1982– | 1983– | 1985– | 1986– | 1988– | 1991– | 1993– | 1994– | 1997– | 1999– | 2000– | 2001– |
| Season | 1979 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Source of Count | MIG | MIG | MIG | MIG | * | * | RCH | RCH | RCH | RCH | RCH | RCH | RCH |
| Date | 23 Dec | 29 Dec | 31 Dec | 27 Dec | 22 Dec | 30 Dec | 27 Dec | 22 Dec | 29 Dec | 2 Jan | 30 Dec | 6 Jan # | 4 Jan |
| Number of Observers | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Total Party Hours | 11 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 7.5 | 9.25 | 9.5 | 10.75 | 10 | 9 | 10.75 | 10.5 | 9.75 |
| Total Species | 50 | 44 a | 51 | 47 | 53 | 55 | 50 | 46 | 45 | 47 | 57 | 48 | 47 |
| Canada Goose | -- | -- | -- | 23 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wood Duck | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| Gadwall | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Black Duck | -- | -- | 6 | 6 | -- | 31 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mallard | 7 | -- | 50 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 32 | -- | 24 | 150 | 42 | 26 | 44 |
| Northern Pintail | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Green-winged Teal | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- |
| Canvasback | 2 | -- | 13 | 8 | -- | 10 | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Redhead | -- | -- | 2 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Ring-necked Duck | 26 | -- | -- | 121 | -- | 35 | 30 | 400 | -- | 100 | 20 | 365 | 425 |
| Lesser Scaup | 15 | -- | 125 | 20 | 47 | 174 | 8 | 10 | -- | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
| Bufflehead | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 2 | -- | 1 |
| Common Goldeneye | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Hooded Merganser | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Ruddy Duck | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 16 | -- |
| 1978– | 1982– | 1983– | 1985– | 1986– | 1988– | 1991– | 1993– | 1994– | 1997– | 1999– | 2000– | 2001– | |
| 1979 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Northern Bobwhite | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | 12 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wild Turkey | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Common Loon | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 4 | -- | 4 | -- | 1 | -- | 6 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | -- | -- | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| Horned Grebe | 4 | -- | -- | 3 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 13 |
| Great Blue Heron | 2 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | 6 | -- | 2 | - | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Black Vulture | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 21 | 21 | -- | 33 | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| Turkey Vulture | -- | -- | -- | -- | 10 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 155 | 2 | -- | 25 | 21 |
| Osprey | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 2 | -- |
| Adult | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 4 | -- | 9 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Immature | -- | 3 | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Harrier | -- | -- | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 2 | -- | -- | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 7 | 1 | -- | -- | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| American Coot | 10 | 62 | -- | -- | 4 | 300 | 20 | 8 | 360 | 60 | 83 | 68 | 52 |
| Sandhill Crane | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
| Killdeer | 12 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | 6 | -- | 5 | -- | 1 |
| Bonaparte's Gull | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 4 | -- | 3 | 25 | -- |
| Ring-billed Gull | 1 | 7 | -- | -- | 1 | 13 | 15 | -- | 9 | 43 | 39 | 200 | 1 |
| Herring Gull | -- | -- | 5 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 | -- | -- |
| 1978– | 1982– | 1983– | 1985– | 1986– | 1988– | 1991– | 1993– | 1994– | 1997– | 1999– | 2000– | 2001– | |
| 1979 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Rock Pigeon | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 11 | -- | 12 | 50 | -- | 7 | 3 | 25 | -- |
| Mourning Dove | 42 | 23 | 14 | 27 | 84 | 117 | 150 | 88 | 54 | 70 | 232 | 42 | 43 |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Great Horned Owl | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | 1 | cw | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Barred Owl | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Belted Kingfisher | 2 | -- | 1 | 3 | 2 | -- | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | -- | 14 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 4 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 10 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 2 | 1 | 2 | -- | 6 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 2 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Northern Flicker | 2 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| American Kestrel | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 26 | 16 | 8 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 1 | 1 | -- | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | -- | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| Loggerhead Shrike | -- | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 3 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1978– | 1982– | 1983– | 1985– | 1986– | 1988– | 1991– | 1993– | 1994– | 1997– | 1999– | 2000– | 2001– | |
| 1979 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Blue Jay | 6 | 10 | 20 | 82 | 106 | 96 | 75 | 52 | 200 | 98 | 131 | 17 | 59 |
| American Crow | 37 | 25 | 50 | 47 | 102 | 60 | 60 | 73 | 160 | 33 | 557 | 48 | 196 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 7 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 21 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 25 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 27 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 34 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 29 | 6 | 18 | 16 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 3 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 17 | 9 |
| Brown Creeper | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Winter Wren | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Carolina Wren | 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 3 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Eastern Bluebird | 14 | 24 | 39 | 18 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 57 | 94 | 26 |
| Hermit Thrush | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Robin | 29 | 11 | -- | 81 | 6 | 63 | 105 | 40 | 180 | 20 | 9 | 40 | 9 |
| Brown Thrasher | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 8 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Northern Mockingbird | 2 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 8 |
| European Starling | 21 | 368 | 800 | 127 | 130 | 64 | 500 | 66 | 213 | 350 | 157 | 703 | 250 |
| American Pipit | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 60 | -- | -- |
| Cedar Waxwing | 100 | 14 | -- | -- | 16 | 297 | 34 | 18 | 16 | -- | 96 | -- | 20 |
| 1978– | 1982– | 1983– | 1985– | 1986– | 1988– | 1991– | 1993– | 1994– | 1997– | 1999– | 2000– | 2001– | |
| 1979 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 14 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 11 | 21 | 57 | 37 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 79 | 5 |
| Chipping Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- |
| Field Sparrow | 6 | 61 | 12 | 17 | 33 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 3 | -- |
| Fox Sparrow | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 50 | 145 | 120 | 56 | 52 | 62 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 40 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 2 | 1 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| White-throated Sparrow | 50 | 53 | 50 | 59 | 49 | 18 | 10 | 24 | -- | 16 | 25 | 40 | 47 |
| Song Sparrow | 20 | 22 | 25 | 12 | 32 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 11 |
| Swamp Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 50 | 145 | 120 | 56 | 52 | 62 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 40 |
| Eastern Towhee | 1 | 1 | 6 | -- | 11 | 2 | 4 | -- | 7 | -- | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| Northern Cardinal | 13 | 78 | 46 | 58 | 39 | 13 | 21 | 28 | 8 | 48 | 18 | 42 | 38 |
| 1978– | 1982– | 1983– | 1985– | 1986– | 1988– | 1991– | 1993– | 1994– | 1997– | 1999– | 2000– | 2001– | |
| 1979 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 37 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Meadowlark | 102 | 24 | 22 | 9 | 23 | 5 | 35 | 77 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 53 | 21 |
| Common Grackle | 13 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1000 | 3516 | -- | 3 | -- | 257 | 5 | 1000 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- |
| House Finch | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 43 | 160 | 33 | 317 | 84 | 39 | 82 | 35 |
| Purple Finch | 11 | 1 | 13 | 19 | 9 | 13 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 3 | 13 |
| American Goldfinch | 6 | 33 | 3 | 30 | 18 | 58 | 35 | 9 | 20 | 67 | 65 | 45 | 91 |
| House Sparrow | 3 | 31 | 150 | 86 | 9 | 25 | 15 | 41 | -- | 15 | 25 | 67 | 2 |
| Total Individuals | 1069 | 2821 | 5159 | 1283 | 2009 | 1468 | 2109 | 2273 | |||||
| Total Species | 50 | 44 a | 51 | 47 | 53 | 55 | 50 | 46 | 45 | 47 | 57 | 48 | 47 |
| CBC | 1978– | 1982– | 1983– | 1985– | 1986– | 1988– | 1991– | 1993– | 1994– | 1997– | 1999– | 2000– | 2001– |
| Season | 1979 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
# The date of this count is later than recommended for conducting CBCs, but only by one day.
a Although "The 1982 Christmas Bird Count" (Knight 1983) states that 43 species were counted on this CBC, 44 are actually listed.
David and Robbie Hassler were the principal participants in, and compilers of, this CBC during these CBC seasons; additional participants in some years included Charlene, David, and Howard Groce; feeders watchers in some years were Jesse Baker and Margaret Zimmerman.
Literature Cited
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