Results of Spring Bird Counts in White County, Tennessee, 20042014

 

The SBC data in White County appear to be telling a reliable tale about the expanding population of Eurasian Collared-Doves in that county. White County is one of few UCR counties with a SBC that includes a goodly amount of coverage of the nocturnal species of the Region; judging from the results of the first decade that this count has been in operation, the night birds in White County are doing reasonably well, good news about species for which any news is scarce. The fate of the Loggerhead Shrike in the Region (and in the state and in the eastern half of the continent) is not doing well, but it does appear to be holding its own in White County if the SBC data from White County over the past decade can be trusted to tell the tale of the shrike accurately. The population of Henslow's Sparrows inhabiting the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness has been present at that site for at least seven consecutive years, about the longest string of years for this sparrow to have been present at one site in the Tennessee portion of the UCR, more good news, perhaps due to the changed burning schedule being followed at that site.

The powerful but unpredictable role of weather may be observed in the quite different results caused by rain during the 2011 and 2013 counts, the former count setting a Regional record high count for a SBC and the latter producing a much reduced high count despite the fact that the two counts were conducted on almost identical dates and under similar weather conditions, but note that the number of party hours of effort during those counts differed considerably.

White County tends to turn up more than its share of rare birds, and the SBC in that county has been no exception to this birding rule of thumb. The Red Crossbill found during 2013 and the White-winged Dove found during 2012 are recent indicators of the county's attractiveness to vagrants.

To view 2014 White County SBC data in the context of 2014 SBC data around the Region or to return to the BirdPage or to the SBC Central Node, click on one of the links below:

 

Table 1. Results of White County Spring Bird Counts 2004-2014.

Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Date (May) 1 7 6 19 17 16 1 3 5 4 3
                       
Number Field Observers 2 6 8 4 8 8 11 9 11 10 8
Number Field Parties 1 3 45 2 5 5 5 6 5 5 4
Number Feederwatchers 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Start CDT 0345 0330 0400 0415 0400 0430 0430 0425 0350 0430 0430
End CDT 1930 1930 1915 2015 1930 2000 1905 1730 1900 1330 1630
   Hours on Foot 2 6.5 7.25 2.5 7.25 1.75 1 2.5 7.5 4.5 2.75
   Hours by Car 12.25 29 40.5 23 42.25 52.75 38.5 54.25 49.25 25.75 38
Total Party Hours 14.25 35.5 47.75 25.5 49.5 54.5 39.5 56.75 56.75 30.25 40.75
   Miles on Foot 0.5 4 6.5 2 5.5 1.5 1 3 3.5 3 2
   Miles by Car 157 309 451 316 397 493 317 517 443 259.5 354
Total Party Miles 157.5 313 457.5 318 402.5 494.5 318 520 446.5 262.5 356
Owling Hours 1.5 2.5 3 1 3.25 2 2.5 3.25 3 1.5 1.75
Owling Miles 28 40 46 25 40 26 29 40 41.25 14 26.5
Feeder-watching Hours 0.25 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Low Temperature (F) 60 45 43 39 46 65 64 46 60 46 33
High Temperature (F) 75 78 74 75 75 80 73 64 85 60 76
Wind Direction S NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Wind Speed (mph) 010 010 015 05 010 015 020 05 05 010 0-15
Sky AM mclo cle fog; pclo cle fog; pclo pclo over over over over clear
Sky PM mcle pclo pclo cle pclo over over over cle over clear
Precipitation AM none none none none mist none rain rain occ. show. rain none
Precipitation PM none none none none none rain hrain rain none rain none
Compiler DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD
                     
Total Species 116 134 129 113 125 113 123 142 135 117 124
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Brant -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Canada Goose 64 145 108 102 118 120 130 99 148 53 121
Wood Duck 28 25 24 23 25 10 22 61 40 24 15
Mallard 9 9 21 12 27 24 15 33 32 19 8
Blue-winged Teal -- 2 11 -- -- -- 2 5 11 2 16
Ring-necked Duck -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- 2 1 -- --
Redhead 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Hooded Merganser 5 2 -- 1 -- -- -- 1 -- 3 --
Northern Bobwhite 10 16 18 12 23 28 25 10 21 8 8
Ruffed Grouse -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
Wild Turkey 2 9 8 6 8 27 37 37 25 27 38
Common Loon -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
Pied-billed Grebe 1 -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
Double-crested Cormorant -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- --
Great Blue Heron 5 13 25 8 18 17 13 13 17 15 24
Great Egret 3 -- -- -- 1 1 -- 2 1 -- --
Snowy Egret -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- --
Cattle Egret -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
Green Heron 4 10 10 7 7 11 5 12 11 2 17
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Black Vulture 11 24 99 10 79 13 11 89 149 2 38
Turkey Vulture 20 60 100 64 105 99 57 45 120 41 88
Osprey -- 2 -- -- 1 -- 1 2 -- -- 1
Bald Eagle -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- 1 1
Northern Harrier -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 -- --
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 2 -- 1 -- 2 1 1 -- -- --
Cooper's Hawk 1 2 7 1 5 2 2 3 5 3 --
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 14 10 1 18 7 3 5 12 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk -- 2 2 3 12 7 4 1 5 4 7
Red-tailed Hawk 4 15 10 6 11 15 4 4 11 6 11
     Buteo sp. -- -- -- 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
 
Sora -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- 1 -- -- --
American Coot -- -- -- -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 2 --
Semipalmated Plover -- 1 -- 1 -- -- -- 3 8 -- --
Killdeer 27 60 42 27 54 70 34 38 48 38 30
Spotted Sandpiper 5 9 3 9 5 1 5 7 9 2 10
Solitary Sandpiper 19 19 26 1 6 5 13 46 13 14 19
Greater Yellowlegs 1 1 5 -- -- -- 1 17 10 -- 3
Lesser Yellowlegs 18 11 24 1 -- -- -- 53 10 -- 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper -- -- -- 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- --
White-rumped Sandpiper -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
Least Sandpiper 12 4 2 6 3 -- -- 6 4 4 20
Pectoral Sandpiper -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- -- --
Stilt Sandpiper -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Short-billed Dowitcher -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 19 -- -- --
Long-billed Dowitcher -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2
Dowitcher sp. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 5 -- --
Wilson's Snipe -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 5 1 -- 2
American Woodcock -- 3 -- -- 1 3 2 1 -- -- 1
Rock Pigeon 23 54 57 32 27 43 39 56 34 4 8
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- 4 8 1 4 8 6 18 11 7 39
Mourning Dove 70 143 266 109 235 231 229 220 339 152 142
White-winged Dove -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- --
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 1 8 1 10 8 -- -- 6 1 --
Black-billed Cuckoo -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- --
Eastern Screech-Owl -- 1 4 2 1 2 5 2 2 -- 2
Great Horned Owl -- -- 2 3 2 -- 2 1 2 -- --
Barred Owl 1 3 5 1 4 2 5 6 1 2 3
Common Nighthawk -- 3 1 2 1 5 -- 2 4 -- --
Chuck-will's-widow -- 2 4 2 7 1 5 3 9 2 7
Eastern Whip-poor-will -- -- 6 2 14 4 5 19 33 5 8
 
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
 
Chimney Swift 14 51 99 35 59 79 37 6 48 17 71
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 4 6 7 11 10 3 3 6 1 4
Belted Kingfisher 3 6 4 2 4 2 1 4 3 -- 5
Red-headed Woodpecker 4 4 12 4 10 5 9 6 19 12 40
Red-bellied Woodpecker 17 42 56 24 65 44 57 29 70 23 35
Downy Woodpecker 2 10 18 9 12 12 9 6 13 3 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1 2 3 -- 6 3 4 3 3 1 1
Northern Flicker 5 13 8 5 12 20 19 9 8 4 4
Pileated Woodpecker 1 21 14 7 24 35 17 13 17 11 5
American Kestrel 4 12 12 10 7 12 22 15 11 13 22
Eastern Wood-Pewee 13 33 50 31 94 80 11 4 81 6 20
Acadian Flycatcher 8 7 18 20 41 41 10 28 27 1 10
Empid sp. -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- 1 -- --
Eastern Phoebe 7 47 47 30 36 76 30 37 46 29 24
Great Crested Flycatcher 16 24 51 18 59 50 8 9 66 11 34
Eastern Kingbird 24 118 82 35 81 82 68 53 81 48 66
Loggerhead Shrike -- 1 2 3 1 5 1 2 2 -- --
White-eyed Vireo 15 72 80 40 60 99 36 54 56 23 58
Yellow-throated Vireo 14 13 31 15 26 18 12 10 27 5 18
Blue-headed Vireo 1 4 3 3 6 12 16 5 5 3 4
Warbling Vireo -- 2 -- -- -- -- 3 -- 1 2 --
Philadelphia Vireo -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 -- --
Red-eyed Vireo 124 213 237 142 397 332 147 139 249 38 137
 
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
 
Blue Jay 24 242 92 31 90 73 73 49 76 32 61
American Crow 71 155 148 121 170 186 233 203 179 165 152
Horned Lark 1 1 -- -- -- 3 -- 2 6 -- --
Purple Martin 15 131 61 113 114 170 166 295 101 47 77
Tree Swallow 20 24 26 8 41 21 50 107 26 84 39
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 33 36 72 23 27 28 15 32 32 66 17
Cliff Swallow -- 3 12 26 6 16 15 6 19 5 12
Barn Swallow 80 289 201 177 169 147 281 461 212 117 110
Carolina Chickadee 12 55 72 20 60 55 39 35 51 25 22
Tufted Titmouse 38 102 102 36 135 129 89 74 163 55 82
Red-breasted Nuthatch -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 --
White-breasted Nuthatch 2 14 15 14 17 13 12 5 16 5 7
House Wren 5 37 14 10 12 13 6 4 10 4 5
Sedge Wren -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Carolina Wren 49 123 187 70 146 208 98 65 163 81 129
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 42 48 68 50 116 144 75 49 105 42 73
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- -- 1 -- -- -- 4 -- -- -- --
Eastern Bluebird 82 192 231 130 185 266 144 127 193 103 121
Veery -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- 2 -- -- --
Gray-cheeked Thrush -- -- -- -- 1 2 -- 1 1 -- --
Swainson's Thrush -- 3 3 -- 22 2 1 2 1 2 5
Hermit Thrush -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- --
Wood Thrush 12 38 49 23 53 36 39 32 32 17 14
American Robin 73 198 202 78 235 176 193 190 210 113 228
Gray Catbird 7 9 14 2 5 2 5 9 9 3 11
Northern Mockingbird 46 125 167 99 175 239 110 94 290 91 44
Brown Thrasher 9 45 65 23 33 43 27 25 39 33 167
European Starling 175 400 722 330 742 1046 594 1027 731 545 510
Cedar Waxwing -- 1 40 47 35 161 2 53 51 62 --
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Ovenbird 25 33 57 8 54 40 52 50 38 16 29
Worm-eating Warbler 7 10 6 7 5 9 16 12 4 4 --
Louisiana Waterthrush 1 6 11 4 3 6 15 11 10 7 2
Northern Waterthrush 1 5 4 -- -- -- -- 7 1 -- 6
Golden-winged Warbler -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
Blue-winged Warbler 3 4 5 1 -- 3 4 3 -- -- 1
Black-and-white Warbler 19 30 33 9 19 23 28 25 26 9 13
Prothonotary Warbler -- 2 2 -- 4 2 4 1 2 1 2
Tennessee Warbler 1 1 6 -- 4 -- 1 2 -- -- 6
Nashville Warbler -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Mourning Warbler -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- --
Kentucky Warbler 8 14 24 15 19 30 9 16 25 10 17
Common Yellowthroat 71 169 157 50 126 105 120 49 98 50 59
Hooded Warbler 21 17 54 28 42 59 49 35 47 11 27
American Redstart 1 1 1 1 4 3 3 3 1 1 3
Cape May Warbler 10 3 7 -- 1 -- -- 2 -- 1 1
Northern Parula 4 16 17 21 23 28 22 12 35 8 22
Cerulean Warbler -- 1 1 -- 1 -- -- -- 1 -- 4
Magnolia Warbler 1 -- 6 -- 7 1 -- -- 1 -- --
Bay-breasted Warbler -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- 2 1 --
Blackburnian Warbler -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- 1 1 1 --
Yellow Warbler 3 22 7 1 6 2 14 13 2 1 11
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 3 16 1 1 -- 1 3 3 -- 1
Blackpoll Warbler 1 5 4 1 15 2 2 3 5 -- 7
Palm Warbler 1 2 1 -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- 12
Pine Warbler 3 8 19 13 13 17 17 10 8 10 11
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5 4 7 1 -- -- 3 2 -- 3 17
Yellow-throated Warbler 15 18 24 18 35 44 23 21 35 17 44
Prairie Warbler 20 30 27 16 24 44 36 29 45 11 30
Black-throated Green Warbler 4 3 10 1 10 1 6 7 6 1 9
Canada Warbler 1 -- -- 1 3 -- -- 1 1 -- --
Yellow-breasted Chat 17 44 57 28 82 70 40 27 60 13 25
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Eastern Towhee 22 97 94 37 66 71 64 46 77 35 51
Bachman's Sparrow 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chipping Sparrow 43 167 112 70 154 140 136 107 140 65 87
Field Sparrow 36 149 158 80 153 170 71 49 105 52 79
Savannah Sparrow -- 1 9 -- 1 -- -- 5 4 6 11
Grasshopper Sparrow 4 9 21 3 6 31 14 14 15 3 1
Henslow's Sparrow -- -- -- 4 6 18 12 7 6 2 4
Song Sparrow 43 206 199 118 171 149 86 80 87 42 75
Lincoln's Sparrow -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- -- -- 1
Swamp Sparrow -- 8 1 -- 1 -- -- 3 -- 1 4
White-throated Sparrow 2 5 1 -- -- -- 4 5 -- 1 8
White-crowned Sparrow 7 3 -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- 11 12
Dark-eyed Junco -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 --
Summer Tanager 15 70 70 20 68 56 20 13 63 1 30
Scarlet Tanager 14 46 33 16 42 26 35 23 36 8 20
Northern Cardinal 67 234 243 126 250 239 241 166 281 133 151
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 4 2 5 -- 2 1 1 6 3 1 8
Blue-Grosbeak 16 86 42 13 37 54 67 51 56 38 31
Indigo Bunting 166 346 408 142 401 507 153 112 500 72 173
Dickcissel 1 -- -- 2 5 34 -- 9 17 -- --
Bobolink -- 5 46 -- -- -- 40 86 8 -- --
Red-winged Blackbird 144 316 474 206 273 265 318 342 415 207 213
Eastern Meadowlark 88 251 205 146 195 242 369 162 418 204 239
Common Grackle 52 231 189 85 144 136 83 141 191 74 78
Brown-headed Cowbird 10 104 95 31 100 63 151 96 137 41 20
Orchard Oriole 15 81 55 12 40 37 39 37 53 18 36
Baltimore Oriole 3 11 6 1 -- -- 3 3 1 2 6
Purple Finch -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
House Finch 3 14 17 24 22 25 14 19 19 14 28
Red Crossbill -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 --
Pine Siskin -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
American Goldfinch 33 93 30 45 74 53 106 40 51 54 52
House Sparrow 25 109 129 61 349 185 114 110 102 53 126
Total Individuals 2478 6755 7517 3799 7499 7968 6087 6417 7963 3714 5043
Total Species 116 134 129 113 125 113 123 142 135 117 124
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

D. A. Downs (DAD) was the compiler of the Spring Bird Count in White County, Tennessee.

 

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