Results of the Fifth Annual Fall Bird Count in White County, Tennessee—4 October 2008

Several Lincoln's Sparrows (above) were observed during the White County Fall  Bird Count; this individual was photographed in neighboring Cumberland County; photo Edmund K. LeGrand (16 October 2008).

 

The fifth annual Fall Bird Count (FBC) in White County took place October 4, 2008, with 10 field observers and one feederwatcher taking part in this effort to monitor the bird populations in the county.  These observers tallied 14,198 individuals of 116 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.

    Two Loggerhead Shrikes were found during the count , a good sign that this predatory songbird is maintaining a small population in the county.  Clearing of hedgerows and roadsides has probably been a major factor in the decline of this species in many areas.

    Observers included Doug Downs (compiler), George Elrod (feederwatcher), Judy Fuson, Peggy Huffstetler, Nancy Layzer, Ed LeGrand, Mike O'Rourke, Tom Saya, Barb Stedman, Steve Stedman, and Carol Williams.

    To see a table of results for all fall counts conducted in the Upper Cumberland Region during 2008 or a table with results of all FBCs conducted in White County, click on one of the following links:

 

Location NW SW NE SE W E
Party Leaders MPO SJS BHS DAD CDW EKL FW Totals
Party Members TMS JCF GTE
PBH
NSL
Number of Field Parties 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 6
Number of Field Observers 2 1 1 1 4 1 0 10
Number of Feederwatchers 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Start (CDT) 635 515 620 415 700 415 0415
End (CDT) 1715 1830 1820 1630 1800 1815 1830
   Hours by Car 10.75 12 7.5 10.5 11 10 0 61.75
   Hours on Foot 0 0.5 4.5 0 0 2.25 0 7.25
Total Daylight Hours in Field 10.75 12.5 12 10.5 11 12.25 0 69
   Miles by Car 94 81 77 89 110 73 0 524
   Miles on Foot 0 0.5 3.5 0 0 1.5 0 5.5
Total Daylight Miles in Field 94 81.5 80.5 89 110 74.5 0 529.5
Hours Feederwatching 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
Owling Hours 0 1 0.5 1.75 0 2 0 5.5
Owling Miles 0 9 9 20 0 5 0 43
Low Temperature (F) 40
High Temperature (F) 84
Sky A.M. clear
Sky P.M. clear
Precipitation A.M. none
Precipitation P.M. none
Wind A.M. (mph) 0–10
Wind P.M. (mph) 0–10
Moon sliver waxing
Species
Canada Goose 36 17 94 3 270 175 0 595
Wood Duck 0 1 2 2 6 5 0 16
Mallard 14 25 0 3 5 10 0 57
Blue-winged Teal 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2
Northern Bobwhite 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 10
Wild Turkey 12 0 16 0 0 29 1 58
Pied-billed Grebe 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Double-crested Cormorant 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3
Great Blue Heron 7 2 8 0 4 2 0 23
Green Heron 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Black Vulture 34 35 1 9 6 3 0 88
Turkey Vulture 42 8 8 18 34 39 0 149
Osprey 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Bald Eagle 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 ad.
Northern Harrier 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
Cooper's Hawk 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 1 8 1 3 4 0 18
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 9
Red-tailed Hawk 6 2 6 7 3 1 0 25
American Kestrel 8 7 14 4 8 3 0 44
Killdeer 25 10 37 24 31 2 0 129
Solitary Sandpiper 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4
Spotted Sandpiper 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Rock Pigeon 19 10 6 8 3 0 0 46
Eurasian Collared-Dove 0 0 4 27 0 0 0 31
Mourning Dove 57 31 160 33 65 10 4 360
Eastern Screech-Owl 0 3 11 1 0 8 0 23
Great Horned Owl 0 5 4 3 0 0 0 12
Barred Owl 0 2 2 0 0 4 0 8
Chimney Swift 20 11 26 0 0 0 0 57
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 4
Belted Kingfisher 2 0 11 1 2 2 0 18
Red-headed Woodpecker 7 0 3 0 4 1 0 15
Red-bellied Woodpecker 20 42 35 15 25 17 0 154
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 3 7 0 2 4 0 18
Downy Woodpecker 7 23 25 5 4 7 0 71
Hairy Woodpecker 1 3 9 0 1 6 0 20
Northern Flicker 14 19 27 2 5 16 1 84
Pileated Woodpecker 2 5 8 8 6 9 0 38
Eastern Wood-Pewee 9 9 4 3 6 2 0 33
Acadian Flycatcher 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
     Empidonax sp. 0 0 8 2 0 0 0 10
Eastern Phoebe 16 12 35 8 19 7 0 97
Loggerhead Shrike 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
White-eyed Vireo 5 1 2 1 0 1 0 10
Yellow-throated Vireo 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 5
Blue-headed Vireo 0 1 3 3 0 5 0 12
Philadelphia Vireo 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 4
Red-eyed Vireo 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 5
Blue Jay 98 133 230 98 94 73 3 729
American Crow 74 86 170 90 24 71 2 517
Tree Swallow 0 0 85 0 0 0 0 85
Carolina Chickadee 11 45 70 26 27 38 0 217
Tufted Titmouse 23 74 80 16 12 37 3 245
White-breasted Nuthatch 13 17 55 5 9 15 1 115
Carolina Wren 43 47 45 30 18 22 1 206
House Wren 0 1 7 0 0 1 0 9
Winter Wren 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
Sedge Wren 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Marsh Wren 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 0 1 8 4 0 2 0 15
Bue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 4
Eastern Bluebird 46 33 155 39 85 53 1 412
Gray-cheeked Thrush 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
Swainson's Thrush 0 1 6 0 0 5 0 12
Wood Thrush 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 5
American Robin 14 5 75 5 6 57 0 162
Gray Catbird 3 3 5 4 0 3 0 18
Northern Mockingbird 46 74 65 29 26 9 2 251
Brown Thrasher 3 2 9 0 2 8 0 24
European Starling 180 105 5240 260 172 34 25 6016
Cedar Waxwing 0 0 268 0 0 0 0 268
Ovenbird 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 3
Black-and-white Warbler 0 2 0 1 3 0 0 6
Tennessee Warbler 1 19 13 7 4 0 0 44
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Nashville Warbler 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
Common Yellowthroat 1 3 5 1 2 6 0 18
Hooded Warbler 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2
American Redstart 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 4
Northern Parula 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
Magnolia Warbler 8 30 43 19 10 7 0 117
Yellow Warbler 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Palm Warbler 6 10 29 3 12 9 0 69
Pine Warbler 1 1 2 1 0 8 0 13
Yellow-rumped Warbler 0 5 5 3 3 10 0 26
Prairie Warbler 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 5
Black-thr. Green Warbler 1 11 1 0 6 5 0 24
Wilson's Warbler 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Eastern Towhee 0 6 14 6 2 3 0 31
Chipping Sparrow 23 31 19 30 106 13 0 222
Field Sparrow 0 8 30 7 2 41 0 88
Savannah Sparrow 0 0 12 1 0 0 0 13
Grasshopper Sparrow 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Fox Sparrow 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Song Sparrow 3 7 55 3 2 16 3 89
Lincoln's Sparrow 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 5
Swamp Sparrow 0 1 12 0 0 10 0 23
White-throated Sparrow 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 3
Summer Tanager 3 9 3 0 4 1 0 20
Scarlet Tanager 1 1 8 0 1 0 0 11
Northern Cardinal 27 66 160 18 13 21 8 313
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 5 2 6 0 10 0 24
Blue Grosbeak 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3
Indigo Bunting 0 12 3 13 2 2 1 33
Bobolink 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Red-winged Blackbird 25 0 45 0 31 2 0 103
Eastern Meadowlark 4 11 307 25 37 18 0 402
Common Grackle 0 0 180 0 0 0 0 180
Brown-headed Cowbird 2 0 415 0 0 0 0 417
House Finch 0 4 9 4 4 3 0 24
American Goldfinch 16 7 9 10 2 11 0 55
House Sparrow 0 12 27 55 1 0 0 95
Total Individuals 1049 1193 8615 1020 1240 1023 58 14,198
Total Species 57 78 98 61 57 72 15 116

 

Key to Observers:

DAD Douglas A. Downs, compiler
GTE George T. Elrod (FW--feederwatcher)
JCF Judy C. Fuson
PBH Peggy B.  Huffstetler
NSL Nancy S. Layzer
EKL Edward K. LeGrand
MPO Michael P. O'Rourke
TMS Tom M. Saya
BHS Barbara H. Stedman
SJS Stephen J. Stedman
CDW Carol D. Williams

 

Comments:

Northern Bobwhite—found on Bon Air Mountain (EKL).
Pied-billed Grebe—found on Bon Air Mountain (EKL).
Solitary Sandpiper—found at Randolph Pond (BHS).
Spotted Sandpiper—found at Randolph Pond (BHS).
Lesser Yellowlegs—found at Randolph Pond (BHS).
Acadian Flycatcher—found singing near Randolph Pond (BHS).
Loggerhead Shrike—-found at Hill's Acres (SJS) and on Blue Springs Road (BHS) near Wildcat Road (new location).
Winter Wren—found on Bon Air Mountain (EKL).
Sedge Wren—found on Bon Air Mountain (EKL).
Marsh Wren—found on Bon Air Mountain (EKL).
Black-throated Blue Warbler—found in woods north of Rock Island State Park (SJS).
Wilson's Warbler—found on Lawrence Hudgens Rd. (DAD--new for county list).
Grasshopper Sparrow—found at Randolph Pond (BHS).
Fox Sparrow—found at Randolph Pond (BHS).
Bobolink—found at Randolph Pond (BHS).

 

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