The 117th CBC in Tennessee

Thirty counts were conducted in Tennessee during the 117^th CBC season, a couple less than last season. Counts that have been included in CBC tallies recently but missing this year are Cross Creeks N.W.R., Columbia, Clay County, Dekalb County, and Murfreesboro.

The total number of species found during this season’s Tennessee counts was 164, a little above what is usually reported. Ten species were reported to have been seen as count week only and were not seen count day on any counts. Of these ten species, six were found only at Reelfoot Lake where there was a fallout of water birds in the days after the count following the passage of a cold front.

A little more than 600k individual birds were counted during the 117^th CBC. Total blackbird numbers were once again lower than in some previous years with no big communal roosts present in any count circles.

The same four counts as last year topped the 100 species barrier again this season with Reelfoot Lake (123) once again taking the top spot and coming within one species of the record that they set last season! Duck River (117), Big Sandy (113), and Savannah (109) also exceeded the century mark with Knoxville (98), Chattanooga (97) and Memphis (95) coming close again.

Almost half of the counts (14) experienced some sort of precipitation on count day, mostly in the form of rain. While most of the counts with precipitation experienced only light rain, three counts experienced some heavy rain during the day and the Perry County count experienced heavy rain all day, making the 91 species tallied there even more impressive! Only the Knoxville count reported any snow on count day and that was in the form of a light rain/snow mix in the morning. Twelve counts reported temperatures at or below freezing during the count day with two counts at opposite ends of the state, Bristol and Memphis, tying for the coldest reported temperature at 21 degrees F. Reelfoot Lake reported the highest temperature on count day at 76 degrees F on December 17. Four other counts, all also held on December 17, had temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s F.

Geese and Swans

Reelfoot Lake had the high counts for Greater White-fronted and Snow geese, while Duck River tallied the high counts for Ross’s, Cackling, and Canada geese.  The only swan of the CBC season was a single resident Mute Swan at Crossville.

Dabblers and Divers

Wood Ducks were tallied on 21 counts across the state with the high count coming from Duck River (31). Gadwall numbers were down overall from the 116^th count a year ago where 24 counts across the state totaled over 10,000 each! This year only one count broke that threshold; that being Duck River with 11,667 birds. A single male Eurasian Wigeon was found at Reelfoot Lake in the days following the count for a count week species. Duck River produced high counts for American Wigeon (3113) and American Black Duck (95). Every count in the state had Mallard among their species total with Duck River also producing the high count for this species (99,656). A single “Brewer’s Duck” (male Mallard x Gadwall hybrid), on the Big Sandy count, was the only hybrid duck reported this season. Five Blue-winged Teal at Duck River and two on the White County count were the only ones tallied on count day. This scarce winter species was also added as a count week bird at Reelfoot Lake. Duck River, once again, had high count honors for Northern Shoveler (531), Northern Pintail (3612), and Green-winged Teal (1148). A male Common Teal, the Eurasian subspecies of Green-winged Teal, was found as a count week bird on the Duck River count.

Canvasbacks were noted on nine counts, with the season’s high count once again coming from Big Sandy with 931 birds. The high counts for both Redhead (228) and Ring-necked Duck (1210) both came from Cookeville. Redheads were found on 14 counts total, three of those being as a count week species only. Ring-necked Duck was found on 20 of the 30 counts. Greater Scaup was tallied on 10 counts, three of those as a count week species; Franklin-Coffee County had the high count with 22 birds. Lesser Scaup was noted on 14 counts, 11 of those as a count day species. Big Sandy came in with the high count at 589. All three scoter species were found as count week birds on CBC’s in Tennessee this season. Reelfoot Lake had Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and Black Scoter while Elizabethton had both Surf and Black Scoter. Long-tailed Duck was detected as a count week species only at Reelfoot Lake. Duck River broke the record again for Bufflehead numbers – this season’s tally of 1276 broke last year’s record of 1045. More than half of the state total for Common Goldeneye came from Big Sandy where 374 were counted. Hooded Mergansers made a good showing across the state with 25 counts listing this species in their totals. The 465 tallied at Cookeville were the high mark for the state. Common Mergansers showed up on five counts this season, one of those as a count week species only. The three noted at Big Sandy were the high count. Red-breasted Mergansers showed up on a third of the state’s counts, the majority of those from Big Sandy where 49 constituted the high count. A total of 16 counts hosted Ruddy Ducks this season, with 898 at Reelfoot Lake being the high count.

Gallinaceous Species

A total of 36 Northern Bobwhites were detected on six CBC’s in the state with 14 of those coming from Perry County. A total of three Ruffed Grouses were detected - one each on the Bristol, Elizabethton, and Great Smokey Mountains National Park counts. Wild Turkeys had a better showing with almost 1462 birds tallied statewide. The most were found at Savannah where 152 were counted.

Loons and Grebes

A single Red-throated Loon on the Big Sandy count and a single Pacific Loon as a count week bird at Reelfoot Lake were the only individuals of these two species that were reported. Over 300 Common Loons were tallied across the state on 13 different counts with the majority of these coming from the big water areas on the Hickory-Priest (90) and Big Sandy (82) counts. Pied-billed Grebes, as usual, were widespread and were found on all but three counts this season; 372 at Chattanooga was the high count for the state. Savannah had the high count for Horned Grebes with 141 individuals. A count week Red-necked Grebe at Reelfoot Lake comprised the only other additional grebe species for the season.

Pelican, Cormorant, and Herons

Double-crested Cormorants were reported on 16 counts for a state-wide total of 2357 birds. More than half of these were tallied on the Duck River count. The state high count for American White Pelican this CBC season was 430 counted at Reelfoot Lake. This represented more than half of the state total of 746 tallied on six different counts. Great Blue Herons were detected on all 30 CBCs this season; Knoxville again hit the high count for the season (122). A total of 25 Great Egrets were tallied on six counts plus one seen on count week at Reelfoot Lake. Seven counts (same number as last year) found Black-crowned Night-Herons on count day for a total of 34 birds. The Hickory-Priest count had almost a third of those with 11 individuals.

New World Vultures and Diurnal Raptors

Black Vulture was tallied on 26 counts, Lebanon count hitting the high mark (515), and Turkey Vulture was represented on 29 counts with Savannah hitting the high total (239). Osprey was found on three counts this CBC season – Hickory-Priest, Kingsport, and Knoxville each reported one individual. An amazing total of eight Golden Eagles were reported from three counts in the Volunteer State with Big Sandy (4), Duck River (3), and Reelfoot Lake (1) all detecting this rare winter visitor. Reelfoot Lake once again had the highest count for Northern Harrier (24), which was noted on 19 counts across the state. The only other count with a double-digit tally was Duck River where 18 were totaled. Five Sharp-shinned Hawks at Buffalo River were the high count for the state; a total of 57 were tallied statewide. Buffalo River and Kingsport tied for the state high count for Cooper’s Hawk with nine each. Cooper’s were found on 29 of the 30 CBC’s in the state this year. All but five counts tallied Bald Eagle during the 117^th CBC, and four counts boasted 30 or more birds each – Duck River (37), Hiwassee (37), Reelfoot Lake (33), and Big Sandy (30). Of the state total of 212 Bald Eagles, 137 were totaled on those four counts! Red-shouldered Hawks were found on 27 counts across the state this CBC season for a total of 273 individuals. The high count for this species was totaled at Savannah (30). It was another good season for Red-tailed Hawks with 628 birds totaled across the state. Reelfoot Lake once again boasted the high count (56). A Krider’s at Reelfoot Lake and a well described abieticola at Duck River were the only additional forms of Red-tailed Hawk reported this CBC season.

Rail, Coot, and Crane

Two Virginia Rails at Chattanooga and one at Savannah were the only rails reported in Tennessee during the 117^th CBC season. Nickajack Lake once again had the high total for American Coot with 2792. A total of 9678 coots were detected on 22 counts across the state. A single Whooping Crane was detected among the hordes of Sandhill Cranes at Hiwassee. The high count of Sandhill Cranes at Hiwassee (18,879) rebounded this year after being somewhat lower on the 116^th CBC. Sandhills were noted 14 counts across the state.

Shorebirds

Killdeer was noted on 28 of the 30 counts in the state with Savannah tallying the state high count of 347. A Greater Yellowlegs noted as a count week bird in Knoxville was the only one reported. Lesser Yellowlegs were reported at Perry County (14) and Memphis (1). Eighteen Dunlin were noted at Hiwassee, a traditional wintering site; a count week bird was reported from Knoxville.  Least Sandpipers were reported on three counts with a Memphis total of 494 being far and away the high count. Wilson’s Snipe was detected on 18 counts across the state with the high count (65) being reported from Duck River. American Woodcocks were only reported on seven counts this year for a statewide total of 16 birds. This was down quite a bit from the record breaking total of 53 individuals tallied on 13 counts last year on the 116^th CBC. Savannah once again had the high count for woodcocks with four individuals.

Gulls and Terns

A total of 5492 Bonaparte’s Gulls were counted across the state this season with 18 counts locating this species. Knoxville had the high count for this species with almost more than twice the number of Bonies found anywhere else. A single Little Gull was noted at Reelfoot Lake where the species has been present in the past. This individual was very cooperative and was seen and photographed by several birders. A count week Laughing Gull, reported from Reelfoot Lake a couple of days after the count, was the only one of that species reported. Over 33,000 Ring-billed Gulls were tallied on 23 CBC’s across the state with the high count coming from Duck River (9224). Big Sandy was a close second with 9141 Ring-bills. Twelve counts reported Herring Gulls this season for a total of 282 individuals. The high tally once again came from Big Sandy (145). Two Thayer’s Gulls at Duck River were the only ones reported. That species was very recently lumped with Iceland Gull by the A.O.U. so in the future it will only be noted as a form of that species. Single Lesser Black-backed Gulls were reported from the Big Sandy and Duck River counts and from Reelfoot Lake as a count week addition. Reelfoot Lake and Savannah both reported single Forster’s Terns on their counts.

Pigeons, Collared-Doves, and Doves

Rock Pigeons were noted on all but two counts, with the high count (1530) coming from Chattanooga. A total of 356 Eurasian Collared-Doves were counted state-wide, nearly doubling the total from last year; the high count came from Chattanooga (137). Mourning Doves were found on all Tennessee CBC’s, as usual, and numbers were about average.

Owls, Hummingbird, and Kingfishers

Nocturnal owling produced six species of owls on this year’s Tennessee counts. Barn Owls were noted on five counts. Eastern Screech-Owls were tallied on 22 counts, slightly less than the two previous years; Savannah had the high count this year (7).  Great Horned Owl was noted on 18 Tennessee CBCs, down from last year; Savannah also had the high count for this owl (7). Barred Owl was reported from 22 counts, up one from last year and Savannah completed the high count sweep on the three most common Tennessee owls with eight tallied. A single Long-eared Owl photographed on the Cades Cove CBC was the only report of this rare winter owl. Two Short-eared Owls at Reelfoot Lake and one at Savannah were the only ones reported. Lingering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were noted at feeders on the Knoxville and Nashville CBCs. These were the only hummingbirds reported this CBC season. Belted Kingfishers were noted on all Tennessee counts again with the high count once again coming from Knoxville (43).

Woodpeckers and Falcons

Red-headed Woodpeckers were found on 21 state counts with the Buffalo River count once again tallying the high mark for the state with 56. Red-bellied, Downy, and Pileated woodpeckers were all found on each of the 30 Tennessee CBC’s. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Northern Flicker were each missed on only one count and Hairy Woodpecker was missed on two counts. High counts for these species were noted as follows:  Red-bellied (125, Knoxville); sapsucker (32, Knoxville); Downy (87, Knoxville), Hairy (24, Duck River); flicker (140, Duck River); and Pileated (38, Buffalo River).

American Kestrels were noted on 29 of the 30 state counts, only absent at Roan Mountain. For four consecutive the years the high count has come from Buffalo River (88).  Merlins were reported from 11 CBC’s across the state for a total of 16 birds with the high count of four coming from Savannah. Two Peregrine Falcons on the Duck River count and another at Big Sandy were the only ones reported.

Flycatchers, Shrike, and Vireos

Eastern Phoebe was reported on all 30 counts across the state with 52 at Buffalo River being the high count. Another Ash-throated Flycatcher was found this year – one was documented and photographed at Radnor Lake on the Nashville CBC. This is the third occurrence of this species on a Tennessee CBC, with the most recent being last year. Loggerhead Shrikes were tallied on only five counts this season but the state-wide number was the same as last year (46). The high count once again came from Buffalo River where the 30 birds tallied there supplied 65% of the state total! A single White-eyed Vireo at Reelfoot Lake was the only one of that vireo species reported. Blue-headed Vireos were reported on two counts in West Tennessee – Memphis (2) and Fayette County (1).

Corvids and Larks

Blue Jays and American Crows were recorded on all 30 counts in the Volunteer State and in good numbers. Fish Crows were reported from three counts with the high count (6) coming from an East Tennessee count in Knoxville! Common Raven was noted on five East Tennessee CBCs; the 13 tallied at Elizabethton provided the state’s high count. Horned Lark turned up on nine counts with the vast majority of these coming from Buffalo River and Reelfoot Lake.

Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Creepers

Carolina Chickadee was reported on all 30 counts this year with overall state-wide numbers (3224) close to that recorded last year across the state. A single Black-capped Chickadee on the Great Smoky Mountains N.P. count was the only one noted. Tufted Titmice were also tallied in every count circle across Tennessee with numbers (2839) just slightly less than last year. Red-breasted Nuthatches irrupted from the north in much greater numbers than the two previous years with 123 noted across the state; the high count came from Cades Cove where 58 were counted. Total numbers of White-breasted Nuthatches calculated across the state (939) was slightly higher than last year (920). Brown-headed Nuthatches continue to expand their range with nine counts in the state locating this species; the high count was noted at Savannah (29).  Brown Creeper was absent from only three counts and the high count came from Cades Cove (13), which narrowly edged out the counts at Reelfoot Lake and Savannah, which reported 12 each.

Wrens and Gnatcatchers

All five of the expected wrens were reported again this season. House Wrens were counted on 10 counts across the state, down from last winter. Winter Wren was recorded on all but two count circles across the state with the high count coming from Duck River (41). Single Sedge Wrens in Fayette County and Perry County and one Marsh Wren on the Reelfoot Lake count were the only reports of these secretive wren species this CBC season. Carolina Wren numbers were up slightly from last year’s CBC, with 2168 computed state-wide. Single Blue-gray Gnatcatchers on the Big Sandy and Reelfoot Lake counts were the only ones reported.

Kinglets through Waxwings

Both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned kinglets were noted in about normal numbers across the state; the high number for both Golden-crowned (120) and Ruby-crowned (71) was made at Savannah.  Eastern Bluebirds showed up on all Tennessee CBC lists and American Robin and Hermit Thrush were only missed on the Roan Mountain and Shady Valley counts. Surprisingly, Gray Catbird was not reported from any count in the state this season. Brown Thrasher was recorded on 23 counts across the state with the high count coming from Duck River (30). Our state bird, the Northern Mockingbird, was found in all 30 count circles across the state. American Pipits were reported on 10 counts across the state; 198 at Reelfoot Lake provided the high count for this season.  Cedar Waxwings were absent on only two counts and were recorded in moderate to good numbers across the state. High counts came from Nashville (1140) and Clarksville (1104).

Longspurs and Warblers

Lapland Longspurs appeared only on three counts in the western part of the state and in lower than average numbers than in recent years; the high count, from Reelfoot Lake, was only 32 birds. A single Smith’s Longspur, found in a field on the Reelfoot Lake count where the species has been noted before, was the only report of this species. Orange-crowned Warbler was found on 11 counts, same as last year and in numbers (26) close to last year’s record year count (27) for the species in the state. The high count once again came from Reelfoot Lake (7).  A single Common Yellowthroat on the Reelfoot Lake CBC was the only one reported. Palm Warblers were noted on 14 counts state-wide, the same as last year, but the state total (33) was less than half of that of last year; the high count of five came from Duck River. Pine Warblers made a good showing with the species being reported on 18 counts across the state; the high count once again came from Savannah (58). The most abundant and widely distributed warbler was, as expected, the Yellow-rumped; it was missed one only two counts and the high count was noted at Savannah (762), which boasted almost a fourth of the state’s total of 3228 birds.

Sparrows and Cardinals

Single Le Conte’s Sparrows were noted on only two counts, both in West Tennessee – Big Sandy and Reelfoot Lake. A lone American Tree Sparrow on the Reelfoot Lake CBC was the only representative of this scarce, irruptive sparrow in the state. Chipping Sparrows were missed on only three counts this season and the state total (2103) shattered the record total (1318) set last winter. Three counts tallied totals of over 200 for this sparrow that is slowly shifting its winter range northward – Savannah (229), Big Sandy (229), and Duck River (223). Field Sparrows were present in every count circle across the state with the high count tallied at Buffalo River (351).

Fox Sparrows were found on all but two counts across the state with a high of 42 counted at Memphis. Dark-eyed Junco was widespread and common as usual with the high count for the season achieved at Big Sandy (585). White-crowned Sparrows were found on 24 of the 30 CBCs across the state with high counts recorded at Bristol (43), Memphis (42), Reelfoot Lake (42), and White County (40). White-throated Sparrows were recorded on every count in the state with a high count of 851 tallied at Duck River. Vesper Sparrows were detected on seven counts throughout the state with double-digit counts being recorded at Savannah (38), Buffalo River (20), and Duck River (16).

Not one but two Lark Sparrows were found and photographed on the Lebanon CBC; this is only the 5^th occurrence of this species on a Tennessee CBC. Savannah Sparrows were found on all but five counts across the state with the state’s high tally coming from Savannah (209). Song Sparrows were noted on all 30 Tennessee counts but by far the most seen on any count was the 735 on the Duck River count. Two Lincoln’s Sparrows at Duck River and one at Memphis were the only ones reported. Swamp Sparrows were recorded on all but two counts from the state with almost half the state total coming from Duck River (1074). Eastern Towhee, only missed on the Roan Mountain count, was found in good numbers across the state; the high count was tallied at Buffalo River (128). Northern Cardinal was, as usual, reported from all Tennessee CBC’s; the high count (430) was recorded at Big Sandy.

Blackbirds

Tennessee CBC data indicates that there were no very large (i.e., 100,000+) blackbird roosts in any of the count circles again this season. Red-winged Blackbirds were found on 26 of 30 counts; the high count (20,829) was at Reelfoot Lake where the number tallied accounted for more than 50% of the state total. Western Meadowlark was detected on only one count again; a lone bird identified at Reelfoot Lake. Eastern Meadowlarks had a decent showing across the state and were lacking on only six of the state’s counts this season, four of those being in the eastern mountains. Rusty Blackbirds showed up on 21 state CBCs, in small to moderate numbers on most; the high count (1261) at Duck River represented almost half of the Rusties found in the entire state. Brewer’s Blackbirds were recorded on four counts and in single digits on each. Common Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird were ticked on 24 and 19 counts, respectively.

Finches, Winter Finches, and Weaver Finch

House Finch was recorded on all 30 of the Tennessee counts this season; the state total (1975) nearly doubled last year’s total (1063). Purple Finches were detected on 26 counts across the state in mostly low numbers; the high count (116) was again from Big Sandy where the total represented more than a fourth of the state tally. Red Crossbills were found on three eastern mountain CBCs and 30 found at Cades Cove represented the state high count. Pine Siskins were present in very small numbers across the state; only eight total were tallied on five counts. American Goldfinches were noted on all counts and House Sparrows were only missed at Cades Cove and Fayette County (!).

Closing Thoughts

Thanks to all the compilers and the hundreds of observers across the state for all their work in conducting, completing, and compiling all the state counts this season. A special thanks to all observers who produced good documentation in the form of write-ups and photographs for rare and unusual finds. I want to express my gratitude to Steve Stedman for his many years of service as state editor and in writing this report in past years. His comments and suggestions on my initial draft of this year’s report were most appreciated.