The 80th Elizabethton Spring Bird Count was held Saturday, May 6, covering Carter County and parts of adjacent Johnson, Sullivan, Washington and Unicoi counties, with 35 observers in 16 parties and two feeder watchers.
The annual count was conducted by members and friends of the Elizabethton Bird Club.

I counted with fellow Elizabethton Bird Club members Chris Soto and Rob Armistead in Elizabethton along the Watauga River and on Holston Mountain. Some highlights from the day included a male scarlet tanager that put on an unbelievable show, as well as a pair of female common mergansers on the Watauga River at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.

Participants tallied 153 species, which is exactly the average of the last 20 years. The all-time high was 166 species in 2016.

Longtime count compiler Rick Knight noted that participants tallied 27 species of warblers. In addition, he noted that six different parties found fish crows, a species that would once have been considered a rarity in the region.

The list:

Canada goose, 534; wood duck, 24; blue-winged teal, 13; American wigeon, 1; mallard, 126; hooded merganser, 1; and common merganser, 2.
Ruffed grouse, 1; wild turkey, 33; rock pigeon, 102; Eurasian collared-dove, 1; mourning dove, 194; and yellow-billed cuckoo, 1.

Common nighthawk, 1; chuck-will’s-widow, 12; Eastern whip-poor-will, 17; chimney swift, 97; and ruby-throated hummingbird, 25.

Sora, 1; killdeer, 32; least sandpiper, 27; pectoral sandpiper, 3; semipalmated sandpiper, 2; Wilson’s snipe, 1; spotted sandpiper, 60; solitary sandpiper, 32; lesser yellowlegs, 7; and greater yellowlegs, 3.

Common loon, 8; double-crested cormorant, 186; great blue heron, 78; great egret, 1; green heron, 6; black-crowned night-heron, 1; and yellow-crowned night-heron, 3.
Black vulture, 91; turkey vulture, 94; osprey, 10; Cooper’s hawk, 9; bald eagle, 6; red-shouldered hawk, 6; broad-winged hawk, 8; and red-tailed hawk, 25.

Eastern screech-owl, 7; great horned owl, 1; barred owl, 4; and Northern saw-whet owl, 1.

Belted kingfisher, 15; Red-headed woodpecker, 4; red-bellied woodpecker, 83; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 6; downy woodpecker, 33; hairy woodpecker, 8; Northern flicker, 33; and pileated woodpecker, 31.

American kestrel, 4; great crested flycatcher, 25; Eastern kingbird, 70; Eastern wood-pewee, 13; Acadian flycatcher, 7; least flycatcher, 14; and Eastern phoebe, 86.

White-eyed vireo, 17; yellow-throated vireo, 7; blue-headed vireo, 54; warbling vireo, 18; and red-eyed vireo, 221.

Blue jay, 197; American crow, 294; fish crow, 11; and common raven, 16.
Tree swallow, 193; Northern rough-winged swallow, 75; purple martin, 63; barn swallow, 146; and cliff swallow, 530.

Carolina chickadee, 121; tufted titmouse, 148; red-breasted nuthatch, 12; white-breasted nuthatch, 23; and brown-headed nuthatch, 1.

House wren, 63; winter wren, 7; Carolina wren, 179; blue-gray gnatcatcher, 69; golden-crowned kinglet, 3; and ruby-crowned kinglet 2.

Eastern bluebird, 159; veery, 17; Swainson’s thrush, 1; hermit thrush, 2; wood thrush, 74; American robin, 661; gray catbird, 45; brown thrasher, 69; and Northern mockingbird, 126.

European starling, 540; cedar waxwing, 44; house sparrow, 55; house finch, 61; purple finch, 1; red crossbill, 3; pine siskin, 19; and American goldfinch, 249.

Chipping sparrow, 86; field sparrow, 34; dark-eyed junco, 44; white-crowned sparrow, 1; white-throated sparrow, 9; Savannah sparrow, 2; song sparrow, 252; swamp sparrow, 1; and Eastern towhee, 147.

Yellow-breasted chat, 5; Eastern meadowlark, 62; orchard oriole, 32; Baltimore oriole, 32; red-winged blackbird, 320; brown-headed cowbird, 58; and common grackle, 322.

Ovenbird, 136; worm-eating warbler, 25; Louisiana waterthrush, 26; golden-winged warbler, 4; Black-and-white warbler, 75; Swainson’s warbler,11; Tennessee warbler,1; Kentucky warbler, 3; common yellowthroat, 28; hooded warbler, 152; American redstart, 11; Cape May warbler, 4; Northern parula, 47; magnolia warbler, 6; bay-breasted warbler, 1; Blackburnian warbler, 6; yellow warbler, 7; chestnut-sided warbler, 15; blackpoll warbler, 2; black-throated blue warbler, 79; palm warbler,1; pine warbler, 10; yellow-rumped warbler, 21; yellow-throated warbler, 41; prairie warbler, 1; black-throated green warbler, 61; and Canada warbler, 35.

Scarlet tanager, 55; Northern cardinal, 260; rose-breasted grosbeak, 18; blue grosbeak, 3; indigo bunting, 88; and dickcissel, 2.

Looking over this list perhaps gives a clue to why birders are so excited during spring migration, which stretches out from March to June with the peak in April and May. The region is home to an amazing diversity of birds. Get out and look for some or make your home landscape more inviting for them.

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To share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com. I’m also on Facebook.