Results of Spring Bird Counts and Spring BirdBlitzes Conducted in the Upper Cumberland Region of Kentucky and Tennessee—April and May 2011
During the Regional Spring Bird Counts (SBC) and the Spring BirdBlitz (SBB) conducted this spring, 169 species were detected, considerably more than half (55%) of the all-time species total (306) for the Region and considerably more species than have been typically recorded during collective counts conducted during past spring seasons in the Region. These counts provide assurance that all of 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 spring data, and, because we can compare numbers counted for each species from year to year at various 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.
Congratulations to the folks who counted in White County on a rainy day; they pulled in 142 species, establishing a record high species total (previous high species total = 141) for a bird count conducted during spring, or any other season, in the UCR. Close behind were folks who counted in Overton County during the SBB there, accumulating 140 species, a record for a SBB conducted in the Region, and the folks who counted in Cumberland County during the SBC there, also tallying 140 species.
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 BirdBlitz (SBB) Conducted in the UCR during 2011.
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
| Type of Count | SBB | SBC | SBC | SBC | SBC |
| Date (April/May) | 30 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 14 |
| Number Field Observers * | 7 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 6 |
| Number Field Parties | 4 | 6 | 6–7 | 5 | 5 |
| Number Feeder-watchers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Start CDT/EDT | 0442 | 0425 | 0345 | 0438 | 0500 |
| End CDT/EDT | 2027 | 1730 | 1930 | 1800 | 2115 |
| Hours on Foot | 5.25 | 2.5 | 7 | 8.75 | 4 |
| Hours by Car | 43.5 | 54.25 | 61.25 | 51.75 | 34 |
| Total Party Hours | 48.75 | 56.75 | 68.25 | 60.5 | 48 |
| Miles on Foot | 2.25 | 3 | 6.25 | 6.25 | 2 |
| Miles by Car | 446.5 | 517 | 539 | 412 | 252.5 |
| Total Party Miles | 448.75 | 520 | 545.25 | 418.25 | 254.5 |
| Owling Hours | 2.5 | 3.25 | 3.5 | 0.75 | 1 |
| Owling Miles | 41 | 40 | 54 | 9 | 11 |
| Feeder-watching Hours | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Low Temperature (F) | 42 | 46 | 37 | 61 | 60 |
| High Temperature (F) | 83 | 64 | 71 | 70 | 69 |
| Wind Direction | NA | NA | SW | Var | W |
| Wind Speed (mph) | 0–15 | 0–5 | 0–10 | 0–15 | 0–10 |
| Sky AM | Clear | Overcast | Clear | Cloudy | Overcast |
| Sky PM | Clear | Overcast | Cloudy | Cloudy | Overcast |
| Precipitation AM | None | Rain | None | Int Rain | Rain |
| Precipitation PM | None | Rain | None | Int Rain | Rain |
| Compiler * | SJS | DAD | EKL | SJS | RMD |
| Total Species | 140 | 142 | 140 | 119 | 113 |
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
| Canada Goose | 130 | 99 | 131 | 168 | 86 |
| Wood Duck | 35 | 61 | 33 | 7 | 6 |
| Mallard | 11 | 33 | 42 | 23 | 18 |
| Blue-winged Teal | 10 | 5 | -- | 2 | -- |
| Ring-necked Duck | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Bufflehead | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Hooded Merganser | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Bobwhite | 14 | 10 | 18 | 5 | 12 |
| Ruffed Grouse | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Wild Turkey | 10 | 37 | 17 | 11 | 14 |
| Common Loon | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Pied-billed Grebe | 1 | -- | -- | 2 | -- |
| Great Blue Heron | 7 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 14 |
| Great Egret | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Green Heron | 4 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 4 |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Black Vulture | 12 | 89 | 1 | 35 | 14 |
| Turkey Vulture | 71 | 45 | 81 | 79 | 38 |
| Osprey | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Bald Eagle | -- | -- | 1 | -- | --- |
| Northern Harrier | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -- |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 11 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 5 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 5 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 3 |
| Buteo Sp. | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- |
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
| Sora | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| American Coot | 7 | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| Semipalmated Plover | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| Killdeer | 42 | 38 | 39 | 12 | 21 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 8 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| Solitary Sandpiper | 15 | 46 | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 3 | 17 | -- | -- | -- |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 10 | 53 | -- | -- | -- |
| Least Sandpiper | -- | 6 | 8 | -- | -- |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | -- | 19 | -- | -- | -- |
| Wilson's Snipe | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
| American Woodcock | 3 | 1 | 5 | -- | 2 |
| Rock Pigeon | 6 | 56 | 90 | 23 | 9 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 4 | 18 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Mourning Dove | 182 | 220 | 208 | 319 | 155 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 2 | -- | 3 | 10 | 9 |
| Barn Owl | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | 3 | 2 | 5 | -- | 2 |
| Great Horned Owl | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Barred Owl | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Common Nighthawk | -- | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Chuck-will's-widow | 9 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Eastern Whip-poor-will | 5 | 19 | 63 | -- | 15 |
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
| Chimney Swift | 49 | 6 | 52 | 61 | 76 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 13 | 6 | 31 | 6 | 11 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 66 | 29 | 69 | 58 | 25 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 13 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 10 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 3 | 3 | 11 | 1 | -- |
| Northern Flicker | 18 | 9 | 40 | 22 | 8 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 21 | 13 | 46 | 26 | 10 |
| American Kestrel | 14 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 9 |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | 17 | 4 | 44 | 70 | 37 |
| Acadian Flycatcher | 24 | 28 | 12 | 39 | 12 |
| Willow Flycatcher | 31 | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Least Flycatcher | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 31 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 13 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | 35 | 9 | 41 | 48 | 13 |
| Eastern Kingbird | 67 | 53 | 78 | 68 | 30 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | 1 | 2 | -- | 1 | -- |
| White-eyed Vireo | 67 | 54 | 82 | 54 | 27 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | 29 | 10 | 41 | 16 | 6 |
| Blue-headed Vireo | 5 | 5 | 44 | 1 | 1 |
| Warbling Vireo | 7 | -- | -- | 1 | 1 |
| Philadelphia Vireo | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 343 | 139 | 504 | 264 | 106 |
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
| Blue Jay | 87 | 49 | 120 | 100 | 53 |
| American Crow | 191 | 203 | 298 | 264 | 73 |
| Horned Lark | -- | 2 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Purple Martin | 133 | 295 | 146 | 112 | 58 |
| Tree Swallow | 56 | 107 | 106 | 36 | 13 |
| N. Rough-winged Swallow | 38 | 32 | 54 | 62 | 30 |
| Cliff Swallow | 3 | 6 | 4 | 27 | 20 |
| Barn Swallow | 194 | 461 | 300 | 138 | 105 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 46 | 35 | 104 | 47 | 18 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 112 | 74 | 163 | 145 | 66 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 14 | 5 | 30 | 11 | 6 |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- |
| House Wren | 20 | 4 | 18 | 20 | 3 |
| Winter Wren | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Sedge Wren | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Carolina Wren | 124 | 65 | 136 | 131 | 43 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 108 | 49 | 158 | 81 | 46 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Bluebird | 191 | 127 | 192 | 167 | 62 |
| Veery | 1 | 2 | 3 | -- | -- |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Swainson's Thrush | 9 | 2 | 19 | 7 | 10 |
| Wood Thrush | 56 | 32 | 97 | 33 | 18 |
| American Robin | 213 | 190 | 525 | 491 | 318 |
| Gray Catbird | 12 | 9 | 26 | 9 | 23 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 161 | 94 | 140 | 185 | 62 |
| Brown Thrasher | 48 | 25 | 82 | 64 | 29 |
| European Starling | 525 | 1027 | 625 | 917 | 468 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 2 | 53 | 19 | 228 | 54 |
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
| Ovenbird | 113 | 50 | 183 | 28 | 22 |
| Worm-eating Warbler | 23 | 12 | 18 | 3 | 7 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | 11 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 3 |
| Northern Waterthrush | 4 | 7 | 6 | -- | -- |
| Golden-winged Warbler | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Blue-winged Warbler | 2 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| Black-and-white Warbler | 24 | 25 | 84 | 15 | 14 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 2 | 1 | -- | 3 | 3 |
| Swainson's Warbler | -- | -- | 4 | -- | 3 |
| Tennessee Warbler | 19 | 2 | 11 | 3 | -- |
| Nashville Warbler | 5 | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| Connecticut Warbler | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Mourning Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Kentucky Warbler | 39 | 16 | 29 | 23 | 8 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 151 | 49 | 125 | 69 | 54 |
| Hooded Warbler | 70 | 35 | 168 | 39 | 46 |
| American Redstart | 2 | 3 | 32 | 22 | 2 |
| Cape May Warbler | 3 | 2 | 20 | 1 | -- |
| Cerulean Warbler | 2 | -- | 12 | 14 | 5 |
| Northern Parula | 29 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 7 |
| Magnolia Warbler | 3 | -- | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| Bay-breasted Warbler | -- | -- | 3 | 1 | -- |
| Blackburnian Warbler | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Yellow Warbler | 25 | 13 | 18 | 5 | 3 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | -- | 3 | 25 | -- | 2 |
| Blackpoll Warbler | 5 | 3 | 42 | 4 | 1 |
| Black-thr. Blue Warbler | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Palm Warbler | 4 | -- | 17 | 1 | -- |
| Pine Warbler | 12 | 10 | 21 | 9 | 12 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 10 | 2 | 33 | -- | 4 |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | 38 | 21 | 56 | 30 | 15 |
| Prairie Warbler | 64 | 29 | 82 | 18 | 32 |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | 20 | 7 | 33 | 1 | 7 |
| Canada Warbler | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | 77 | 27 | 104 | 72 | 44 |
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
| Eastern Towhee | 82 | 46 | 122 | 112 | 38 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 137 | 107 | 166 | 118 | 48 |
| Field Sparrow | 94 | 49 | 127 | 80 | 45 |
| Savannah Sparrow | 20 | 5 | 13 | 2 | -- |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | 16 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Henslow's Sparrow | 3 | 7 | -- | -- | -- |
| Song Sparrow | 125 | 80 | 208 | 119 | 88 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 5 | 3 | 3 | -- | -- |
| White-throated Sparrow | 15 | 5 | 3 | -- | -- |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 8 | -- | 3 | -- | -- |
| Summer Tanager | 78 | 13 | 70 | 71 | 19 |
| Scarlet Tanager | 63 | 23 | 110 | 40 | 11 |
| Northern Cardinal | 236 | 166 | 254 | 246 | 142 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| Blue Grosbeak | 53 | 51 | 39 | 24 | 4 |
| Indigo Bunting | 267 | 112 | 431 | 376 | 153 |
| Dickcissel | 4 | 9 | -- | 3 | 3 |
| Bobolink | 7 | 86 | 16 | -- | -- |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 295 | 342 | 448 | 330 | 187 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | 226 | 162 | 227 | 189 | 98 |
| Common Grackle | 87 | 141 | 113 | 143 | 212 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 95 | 96 | 88 | 123 | 52 |
| Orchard Oriole | 105 | 37 | 50 | 40 | 9 |
| Baltimore Oriole | 5 | 3 | 5 | -- | 4 |
| Purple Finch | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| House Finch | 24 | 19 | 59 | 34 | 8 |
| Pine Siskin | 1 | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| American Goldfinch | 49 | 40 | 142 | 70 | 61 |
| House Sparrow | 125 | 110 | 91 | 91 | 35 |
| Total Individuals | 6818 | 6417 | 9418 | 7495 | 3945 |
| Total Species | 140 | 142 | 140 | 119 | 113 |
| Location | Overton, TN | White, TN | Cumberland, TN | Putnam, TN | Pulaski, KY |
* Observers on the Overton County, TN, Spring BirdBlitz:
| Douglas A. Downs |
| Edmund K. LeGrand |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| Barbara H. Stedman |
| Stephen J. Stedman (SJS), compiler |
| Winston A. Walden |
* Observers on the White County, TN, Spring Bird Count:
| Douglas A. Downs (DAD), compiler |
| Judy C. Fuson |
| Peggy B. Huffstetler |
| Michael J. Hawkins |
| Edmund K. LeGrand |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| Barbara H. Stedman |
| Stephen J. Stedman |
* Observers on the Cumberland Co., TN, Spring Bird Count:
| Brad L. Beatty |
| Nan E. Beesley |
| Douglas A. Downs |
| Annell S. Fields |
| Janie C. Finch |
| Edmund K. LeGrand (EKL), compiler |
| Joseph E. Mast |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Michelle S. O'Rourke |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| DJ Stanley |
| Barbara H. Stedman |
| Stephen J. Stedman |
| Winston A. Walden |
* Observers on the Putnam County, TN, Spring Bird Count:
| Daniel L. Combs |
| Douglas A. Downs |
| Ginger K. Ensor |
| Janie C. Finch |
| Judy C. Fuson |
| Michael J. Hawkins |
| Linda Henderson |
| Nancy S. Layzer |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Michelle O'Rourke |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| Stephen J. Stedman (SJS), compiler |
| Winston A. Walden |
| Carol D. Williams |
* Observers on the Pulaski County, KY, Spring Bird Count:
| Granville Cox |
| Roseanna Denton (RMD), compiler |
| Gay Hodges |
| Laura Kamperman |
| Arlene Morton |
| Laura Obiso |
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