The ninth annual Unicoi County Summer Count was held Saturday, June 18, with 15 observers in five parties. Participants tallied 102 species, which is below the average of 109 species for this count.

My party of counters included Brookie and Jean Potter, Rob Armistead and myself. We counted in the Limestone Cove community, which meant I had the convenience of counting practically in my own back yard.

Some good birds were found by the count parties, including yellow-billed cuckoo, yellow-bellied sapsucker, warbling vireo and fish crow, which was found for a second consecutive year. Fish crows have been expanding their presence in counties throughout Northeast Tennessee.

My group was pleased to get good looks at birds like rose-breasted grosbeak and yellow-bellied sapsucker.

European starling came out on top as most abundant bird with 339 individuals counted. The American robin came in a distant second with 269 individual robins found.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The European Starling ranked as the most common species on the count.

The list:

Canada goose, 54; wood duck, 6; mallard, 47; wild turkey, 1; rock pigeon, 86; mourning dove, 100; and yellow-billed cuckoo, 1.

Chuck-will’s-widow, 2; Eastern whip-poor-will, 12; chimney swift, 19; ruby-throated hummingbird, 7; and killdeer, 13.

Great blue heron, 3; green heron, 1; black vulture, 10; turkey vulture, 48; Cooper’s hawk, 1; red-shouldered hawk, 1; broad-winged hawk, 6, and red-tailed hawk, 3.

Eastern Screech-Owl, 2; barred owl, 1; belted kingfisher, 3; red-bellied woodpecker, 13; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 4; downy woodpecker, 10; Northern flicker, 5, and pileated woodpecker, 9.

Great crested flycatcher, 1; Eastern kingbird, 13; Eastern wood-pewee, 6; Acadian flycatcher, 23; least flycatcher, 2; and Eastern phoebe, 65.

White-eyed vireo, 4; blue-headed vireo, 36; warbling vireo, 2; red-eyed vireo, 108; blue jay, 56; American crow, 173; fish crow, 2; and common raven, 4.

Tree swallow, 78; Northern rough-winged swallow, 25; purple martin, 40; barn swallow,  50; cliff Swallow  100; Carolina chickadee, 50; tufted titmouse, 37; red-breasted nuthatch, 1; white-breasted nuthatch, 2; and brown creeper, 3.

House wren, 26; Carolina wren, 92; blue-gray gnatcatcher, 12; golden-crowned kinglet, 4; Eastern bluebird, 82; veery, 10; hermit thrush, 1; wood thrush, 36; American robin, 269; gray catbird, 20; brown thrasher, 14; and Northern mockingbird, 25.

European starling, 339; cedar waxwing, 35; house sparrow, 16; house finch, 32; and American goldfinch, 80.

Chipping sparrow, 67; field sparrow, 13; dark-eyed junco, 10; song sparrow, 166; Eastern towhee, 32.

Yellow-breasted chat, 1; Eastern meadowlark, 6; orchard oriole, 2; red-winged blackbird, 67; Brown-headed cowbird, 21; and common grackle, 54.

Ovenbird  37; worm-eating Warbler, 13; Louisiana waterthrush, 6; black-and-white warbler, 10; Swainson’s warbler, 5; Kentucky warbler, 1; common yellowthroat, 3; hooded warbler, 45; American redstart, 1; Magnolia warbler, 1; Northern parula, 20; Blackburnian warbler; 2; yellow warbler; 1; chestnut-sided warbler, 6; black-throated blue warbler, 26; yellow-throated warbler, 7; black-throated green warbler, 27; and Canada warbler, 1.

Scarlet tanager, 17; Northern cardinal, 98; rose-breasted grosbeak, 3; and indigo bunting, 108.