Results of Spring Bird Counts Conducted in the Upper Cumberland Region of Kentucky and TennesseeApril and May 2008

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher photographed at Holleman's Bend, Jackson County, Tennessee; photo Edmund K. LeGrand (12 April 2008).

 

During the six Regional Spring Bird Counts (SBC) and Spring BirdBlitzes (SBB) conducted this spring, at least 165 species of birds were detected, well over half of the all-time species total for the Region.  These counts provide a measure of assurance that these species are maintaining a presence in the Region, some as permanent residents, some as summer residents, some as late-departing winter residents, and some as transients.  We also obtain a fairly good indication of the approximate population level of many species from the SBC data, and, because we can compare numbers counted for each species from year to year at a few sites where SBCs have been ongoing for a number of years, we can also obtain a rough idea about the population trends for the more common species found Regionally.

    An interesting feature of this year's counts in the Region was the breaking of the Regional record for total species on a count by the Cumberland County, TN, SBC, which garnered 140 species. The Putnam County, TN, SBC tallied 139 species, most ever for that count and just shy of the new record.

    To go to the BirdPage, to the SBC Central Node, or to complete SBC/SBB results for one of the counties where a SBC or SBB was conducted this spring, click on one of the following links:

    To see a map (Figure 1) depicting the location of counties in which a SBC or SBB was conducted, click on the link below:

 

Table 1. Results of Spring Bird Counts (SBC)and Spring BirdBlitzes (SBB) in the Upper Cumberland Region during 2008.

County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN
Type of Count SBB SBC SBB SBC SBC SBC
Date (April/May) 6 10 26 3 10 17
             
Number Field Observers * 7 3 12 13 21 8
Number Field Parties 4-5 3 5-6 6-8 6-8 5
Number Feederwatchers 0 1 0 0 5 1
             
Start CDT/EDT 0400 0520 0420 0330 0201 0400
End CDT/EDT 1813 2115 1930 1945 1945 1930
    Hours on Foot 5.75 5 6.25 13 28.75 2.25
    Hours by Car 35 15.25 56.75 69.25 55 47.25
     Hours by Kayak 1.5 0 0 0 0 0
Total Party Hours 42.25 20.25 63 82.25 83.75 49.5
    Miles on Foot 4.75 2 4.25 12 15.25 5.5
    Miles by Car 356 183 492.25 667 508.5 397
     Miles by Kayak 0.75 0 0 0 0 0
Total Party Miles 361.5 185 496.5 679 523.75 402.5
Owling Hours 2.25 1.75 1.5 3.75 5.75 3.25
Owling Miles 37 26 22.5 39 64 40
Feeder-watching Hours 0 3 0 0 10.5 2
Low Temperature (F) 45 54 59 51 57 46
High Temperature (F) 81 78 73 72 81 75
Wind Direction Var. Var. Var. SSW Var. ?
Wind Speed (Beaufort) 01 02 02 13/4 02 02
Sky AM clear cloudy overcast cloudy cloudy fog; partly cloudy
Sky PM clear clear cloudy p. cloudy m. clear partly cloudy
Precipitation AM none none rain early rain early light rain misting
Precipitation PM none none none none none none
Compiler * RMD RMD SJS EKL, JEM SJS DAD
Total Species 126 118 117 140 139 125
County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN
Canada Goose 13 3 50 136 137 118
Wood Duck 10 3 11 44 13 25
Mallard 4 10 5 49 27 27
Blue-winged Teal -- -- 4 2 -- --
Ring-necked Duck -- -- -- 1 -- --
Lesser Scaup -- -- -- 3 --
Bufflehead -- -- -- 2 -- --
Northern Bobwhite 15 4 2 18 10 23
Ruffed Grouse -- -- -- 2 -- --
Wild Turkey 20 -- 38 11 7 8
Common Loon -- -- -- 2 -- --
Pied-billed Grebe -- -- -- 1 -- --
Double-crested Cormorant -- -- 59 -- 16 --
Great Blue Heron 8 6 66 6 30 18
Great Egret 1 1 -- -- 1 1
Green Heron 4 1 10 11 20 7
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron -- -- -- -- 1 --
Black Vulture 59 17 31 3 25 79
Turkey Vulture 104 68 114 63 110 105
Osprey -- -- 9 -- -- 1
Bald Eagle -- -- 1 -- -- --
Northern Harrier -- -- -- 1 -- --
Cooper's Hawk 2 2 1 5 7 5
    Accipiter sp. 1 -- -- -- -- --
Red-shouldered Hawk 4 -- 4 10 13 18
Broad-winged Hawk 5 1 4 12 8 12
Red-tailed Hawk 2 1 16 13 22 11
County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN
Sora -- -- -- -- 2 1
American Coot -- -- -- 2 1 1
Sandhill Crane 1 -- -- -- -- --
Killdeer 24 16 20 53 62 54
Spotted Sandpiper 5 6 2 6 22 5
Solitary Sandpiper 7 11 8 20 9 6
Greater Yellowlegs -- 2 -- -- -- --
Lesser Yellowlegs 4 8 1 2 -- --
Semipalmated Sandpiper -- 2 -- -- -- --
Least Sandpiper 11 17 -- 6 8 3
Wilson's Snipe -- -- -- 3 -- --
American Woodcock 1 -- -- -- 2 1
Gull sp. -- -- 1 -- -- --
Rock Pigeon 21 1 36 18 43 27
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- -- -- 2 1 4
Mourning Dove 150 63 200 185 424 235
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 4 1 1 -- 4 10
Black-billed Cuckoo -- -- -- -- 1 1
Barn Owl -- -- -- 2 2 --
Eastern Screech-Owl 3 1 1 2 5 1
Great Horned Owl 3 -- -- 1 3 2
Barred Owl 6 -- 6 3 8 4
Common Nighthawk -- 2 -- 2 8 1
Chuck-will's-widow 6 1 2 1 14 7
Eastern Whip-poor-will 8 -- 4 24 15 14
County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN
Chimney Swift 45 72 64 224 238 59
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5 1 9 23 15 11
Belted Kingfisher 4 -- 4 5 8 4
Red-headed Woodpecker 11 -- 1 23 25 10
Red-bellied Woodpecker 42 21 61 37 122 65
Downy Woodpecker 7 4 8 19 44 12
Hairy Woodpecker 2 2 -- 9 6 6
Northern Flicker 15 8 14 24 21 12
Pileated Woodpecker 12 5 27 30 46 24
American Kestrel 13 1 6 11 9 7
Eastern Wood-Pewee 25 23 11 8 124 94
Acadian Flycatcher 9 4 25 6 71 41
Willow Flycatcher -- -- -- 1 -- --
Least Flycatcher 2 -- -- -- 2 --
    Empidonax sp. -- -- -- -- 2 --
Eastern Phoebe 67 10 105 79 107 36
Great Crested Flycatcher 30 12 24 34 72 59
Eastern Kingbird 54 20 66 60 130 81
Loggerhead Shrike -- -- -- -- -- 1
White-eyed Vireo 118 28 277 84 166 60
Yellow-throated Vireo 17 7 41 19 66 26
Blue-headed Vireo 2 3 -- 24 34 6
Warbling Vireo 2 -- -- -- 3 --
Philadelphia Vireo -- -- -- 1 -- --
Red-eyed Vireo 235 89 359 278 672 397
County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN
Blue Jay 89 34 113 144 218 90
American Crow 116 36 254 277 328 170
Horned Lark -- 1 -- 6 -- --
Purple Martin 217 84 75 82 230 114
Tree Swallow 14 19 51 75 69 41
N. Rough-winged Swallow 22 10 98 83 48 27
Cliff Swallow 126 1 250 8 7 6
Barn Swallow 165 37 113 282 323 169
Carolina Chickadee 45 13 67 128 135 60
Tufted Titmouse 134 24 142 191 236 135
White-breasted Nuthatch 19 10 25 39 57 17
Brown-headed Nuthatch -- -- -- -- 3 --
House Wren 8 4 2 18 45 12
Carolina Wren 83 32 162 130 213 146
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 146 33 171 169 226 116
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- -- 5 5 2 --
Eastern Bluebird 85 33 162 168 342 185
Veery 2 1 -- 1 4 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush -- 1 -- 1 1 1
Swainson's Thrush 5 2 1 4 33 22
Wood Thrush 70 19 131 99 179 53
American Robin 227 134 97 512 656 235
Gray Catbird 9 5 13 19 62 5
Northern Mockingbird 77 25 86 59 219 175
Brown Thrasher 39 13 42 60 111 33
European Starling 662 236 378 988 1498 742
American Pipit -- -- -- -- 25 --
Cedar Waxwing 3 1 4 2 118 35
County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN
Ovenbird 40 22 46 147 92 54
Worm-eating Warbler 16 7 7 12 19 5
Louisiana Waterthrush 13 6 24 19 20 3
Northern Waterthrush -- 1 -- 5 2 --
Blue-winged Warbler 15 2 37 5 13 --
Black-and-white Warbler 6 4 16 92 65 19
Prothonotary Warbler 7 3 1 -- 8 4
Swainson's Warbler -- 1 -- 1 -- --
Mourning Warbler -- -- -- -- -- 1
Tennessee Warbler 7 4 3 3 47 4
Orange-crowned Warbler -- -- 1 -- -- --
Nashville Warbler 1 -- -- -- 3 --
Kentucky Warbler 37 4 43 31 99 19
Common Yellowthroat 184 40 285 127 237 126
Hooded Warbler 19 28 70 140 102 42
American Redstart 3 11 13 11 58 4
Cape May Warbler 2 2 3 5 5 1
Cerulean Warbler -- 3 31 8 30 1
Northern Parula 25 8 87 22 55 23
Magnolia Warbler 1 1 -- 1 30 7
Bay-breasted Warbler -- -- -- 2 4 --
Blackburnian Warbler 1 -- -- 1 2 1
Yellow Warbler 21 4 15 12 82 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 -- 5 12 9 1
Blackpoll Warbler 12 8 -- 11 21 15
Palm Warbler 10 -- 8 13 1 --
Pine Warbler 10 6 1 36 31 13
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 -- -- 1 -- --
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8 3 6 21 23 --
Yellow-throated Warbler 18 19 24 41 69 35
Prairie Warbler 109 43 106 141 111 24
Black-throated Green Warbler 3 9 -- 17 10 10
Canada Warbler -- ---- -- -- 6 3
Wilson's Warbler -- -- -- -- 1 --
Yellow-breasted Chat 80 30 97 95 110 82
County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN
Eastern Towhee 80 25 201 219 238 66
Chipping Sparrow 141 32 131 206 267 154
Field Sparrow 138 37 196 233 259 153
Savannah Sparrow 12 3 3 33 11 1
Grasshopper Sparrow 15 -- 2 6 12 6
Henslow's Sparrow 4 1 1 12 -- 6
Song Sparrow 108 43 72 180 224 171
Swamp Sparrow -- -- 2 6 -- 1
White-throated Sparrow 3 1 69 12 5 --
White-crowned Sparrow 1 2 3 3 -- --
Summer Tanager 69 6 43 6 114 68
Scarlet Tanager 29 11 28 66 114 42
Northern Cardinal 214 73 330 324 427 250
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 9 9 6 15 41 2
Blue Grosbeak 25 4 12 14 45 37
Indigo Bunting 427 83 382 237 700 401
Dickcissel 17 2 -- -- 2 5
Bobolink 34 1 -- 8 7 --
Red-winged Blackbird 337 103 212 356 475 273
Eastern Meadowlark 227 34 72 203 248 195
Common Grackle 96 69 90 141 251 144
Brown-headed Cowbird 63 25 126 211 245 100
Orchard Oriole 36 15 56 26 60 40
Baltimore Oriole 5 6 1 5 5 --
House Finch 8 6 25 42 117 22
Pine Siskin -- -- -- 1 -- --
American Goldfinch 79 62 203 214 184 74
House Sparrow 195 50 17 91 304 349
Total Individuals 6608 2349 7463 9177 14175 7499
Total Species 126 118 117 140 139 125
County Adair, KY Pulaski, KY Jackson, TN Cumberland, TN Putnam, TN White, TN

* Observers on the Jackson County, TN, Spring BirdBlitz:

Douglas A. Downs
Dale Ensor
Ginger K. Ensor
Janie C. Finch
Judy C. Fuson
Michael J. Hawkins
James Layzer
Michael P. O'Rourke
Thomas M. Saya
Barbara H. Stedman
Stephen J. Stedman, compiler
Carol D. Williams

* Observers on the Cumberland Co., TN, Spring Bird Count:

Nan E. Beesley
Janet Dowlen
Douglas A. Downs
Edmund K. LeGrand, co-compiler
Anita F. Mast
Joseph E. Mast, co-compiler
Michael P. O'Rourke
Thomas M. Saya
DJ Stanley
Kay Stanley
Barbara H. Stedman
Stephen J. Stedman
Winston A. Walden

* Observers on the Putnam County, TN, Spring Bird Count:

Daniel L. Combs
Bettie Doyle (F/YW)
Douglas A. Downs
Janie C. Finch
Richard C. Finch
Caleb R. Hubbard
Nancy S. Layzer
Edmund K. LeGrand
Bo Magnuson
Anita F. Mast
Joseph E. Mast
Michael P. O'Rourke
Handley "Ozzie" Oswalt (F/YW)
John Owens (F/YW)
Susan E. Pirolo
Michele Ramsey (F/YW)
Thomas M. Saya
Richard W. Simmers, Jr.
DJ Stanley
L. Kay Stanley
Barbara H. Stedman
Stephen J. Stedman, compiler
Mark Vance
Catherine E. Walden (F/YW)
Winston A. Walden
Carol D. Williams

* Observers on the White County, TN, Spring Bird Count:

Douglas A. Downs, compiler
George T. Elrod (F/YW)
Nancy S. Layzer
Edmund K. LeGrand
Joseph E. Mast
Michael P. O'Rourke
Thomas M. Saya
Stephen J. Stedman
Winston A. Walden

* Observers on the Adair Co., KY, Spring BirdBlitz:

Roseanna M. Denton, compiler
C. Gay Hodges
Arlene M. Morton
Don Pelly
Thomas M. Saya
Barbara H. Stedman
Stephen J. Stedman

* Observers on the Pulaski County, KY, Spring Bird Count:

Roseanna M. Denton, compiler
C. Gay Hodges (F/YW)
Laura Kamperman
Arlene M. Morton

 

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