Central Node for UCR Foray in Pickett County, Tennessee—22–25 May 2009

Found in moderate abundance in four foray blocks in the eastern part of Pickett County, the Eastern Whip-poor-will—shown here incubating eggs near Mayland in Cumberland County, Tennessee—was not encountered in the western part of the county during the 2009 foray in Pickett County, although it was recorded in that part of the county, as well as in the eastern part, during the Tennessee Breeding Bird Atlas project (1986–1991); photo DJ Stanley (2 June 2009).

An Upper Cumberland Region (UCR) foray was undertaken in Pickett County 22–25 May 2009, the second effort of its kind, the first foray having been conducted 1–4 June 1979 by members of the TOS; general results of the 2009 UCR foray are included below (Table 1), and more detailed results, including the names of the participants, may be viewed by clicking on the link for Raw Data of the foray at the bottom of the page. Results of the 1979 foray are summarized below (Table 2).

    The general protocol for conducting a foray in the UCR since 2008 may be consulted at a page accessible via this link:

• UCR Foray Protocol

    A map (Figure 1) showing major roadways and watercourses in Pickett County is accessible via the following link:

• Roadway Map of Pickett County

    Pickett County falls into two distinct physiographic provinces--the Cumberland Plateau in the eastern section of the county at elevations of 1600–1800 ft and the Highland Rim in the western section of the county at elevations of 900–1200 ft; these provinces are linked by an escarpment that lies mostly within the relatively inaccessible eastern portions of the Pall Mall 1 block. Links to maps of Pickett County, showing the location of the USGS quadrangles (Figure 2) and the foray blocks (Figure 3) that coincide with it, are available below:

• Physiographic Map of Pickett County Displaying USGS Quadrangles
• Foray Blocks in Pickett County

   A link to a map (Figure 4) displaying the blocks that were covered in Pickett County during the Tennessee Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA) project (Nicholson 1997) is provided below:

• Foray Blocks in Pickett County Covered during the Breeding Bird Atlas Project

Table 1. Species (100) detected during the 2009 UCR Foray in Pickett County 22–25 May and species (105) detected during the Breeding Bird Atlas project (1986-1991) (Nicholson 1997) in that county. Links to maps displaying the distribution and abundance of species detected during the 2009 UCR Foray in Pickett County may be accessed by clicking on the alpha code of each species.

Color Coding of Species Names:

• Maroon—breeding species (92) detected during the 2009 Pickett County foray and during the TN BBA project;
• Red—breeding species (4) detected during the 2009 Pickett County foray but not during the TN BBA project;
• Blue—breeding species (13) detected during the TN BBA project but not during the 2009 Pickett County foray;
• Red italics—transient species (4) detected during 2009 Pickett County foray but not during the TN BBA project;
• Black—breeding species (1) detected during the 1979 Pickett County foray but not during the 2009 Pickett County Foray or during the TN BBA project.

Breeding Categories and Codes:

• POS—Possible Breeder
  • X—Present
• PRB—Probable Breeder
  • P—Pair
  • A—Agitated Behavior
  • C—Courtship/Copulation
• CON—Confirmed Breeder
  • DD—Distraction Display
  • CN—Adult Carrying Nest Material
  • NB—Adult Building Nest
  • UN—Used Nest
  • FY—Adult Carrying Food for Young
  • BG—Begging Young
  • FL—Fledged Young
  • FS—Fecal Sac Removed from Nest by Adult
  • ON—Adult on Nest Incubating/Tending Young or Adult Entering Cavity for Cavity-Nesters
  • NE—Nest with Eggs
  • NY—Nest with Young