Photo by Hans Toom/Pixabay * A single bay-breasted warbler was likely a late migrant traveling through Unicoi County to reach nesting territory in Canada.
The 10th Unicoi County Summer Bird Count was held Saturday, June 3, with 19 observers in five parties. Participants tallied 110 species, which was slightly above the average of 108 species.
The weather was good: clear to partly cloudy with a temperature range from 48 to 84 degrees and little wind.
I counted close to home in Limestone Cove and along Highway 107 to the North Carolina state line. I was accompanied by Brookie and Jean Potter.
As always, the count had some unexpected misses, including chuck-will’s-widow, Cooper’s hawk, great horned owl, yellow- throated vireo, Baltimore oriole, common yellow-throat and prairie warbler.
Three Northern bobwhites represented only the second record for the species in the history of this count.
Osprey also made its debut on this year’s count.
The list
Canada goose, 40; wood duck, 2; mallard, 13; Northern bobwhite, 3; ruffed grouse, 1; and wild turkey, 10.
Rock pigeon, 37; mourning dove, 81; yellow-billed cuckoo, 2; Eastern whip-poor-will, 11; chimney swift, 27; and ruby-throated hummingbird, 8.
Killdeer, 6; great blue heron, 4; green heron, 2; black vulture, 4; and turkey vulture, 43.
Osprey, 1; bald eagle, 1; red-shouldered hawk, 1; broad-winged hawk, 5; and red-tailed hawk, 1.
Eastern screech-owl, 6; barred owl, 1; belted kingfisher, 9; red-bellied woodpecker, 20; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 2; downy woodpecker, 12; hairy woodpecker, 1; Northern flicker, 11; and pileated woodpecker, 18.
American kestrel, 1; great crested flycatcher, 1; Eastern kingbird, 1;
Eastern wood-pewee, 9; Acadian flycatcher, 33; least flycatcher, 5; and Eastern phoebe, 56.
White-eyed vireo, 5; blue-headed vireo, 48; warbling vireo, 1; and red-eyed vireo, 165.
Blue jay, 82; American crow, 111; fish crow, 3; and common raven, 4.
Tree swallow, 73; Northern rough-winged swallow 41; purple martin, 41; barn swallow, 39; and cliff swallow, 47.
Carolina chickadee, 56; tufted titmouse, 75; red-breasted nuthatch, 4; white-breasted nuthatch, 9; and brown creeper, 2.
House wren, 22; winter wren, 8; Carolina wren, 98; blue-gray gnatcatcher, 16; and golden-crowned kinglet, 8.
Eastern bluebird, 55; veery, 14; hermit thrush, 2; wood thrush, 16; American robin, 239; gray catbird, 16; brown thrasher, 9; and Northern mockingbird, 23.
European starling, 264; cedar waxwing, 22; house sparrow, 20; house finch, 30; red crossbill, 1; and American goldfinch, 41.
Chipping sparrow, 52; field sparrow, 5; dark-eyed junco, 19; song sparrow, 141; Eastern towhee, 53; and yellow-breasted chat, 3.
Eastern meadowlark, 10; orchard oriole, 2; red-winged blackbird, 74; brown-headed cowbird 19; and common grackle, 119.
Ovenbird 44; worm-eating warbler, 11; Louisiana waterthrush, 11; black-and-white warbler, 23; Swainson’s warbler, 13; Kentucky warbler, 2; hooded warbler, 91; American redstart, 4; Northern parula, 21; magnolia warbler, 1; bay-breasted warbler, 1; Blackburnian warbler, 6; yellow warbler, 6; chestnut-sided warbler, 9; black-throated blue warbler, 30; pine warbler; 1; yellow-throated warbler, 20; black-throated green warbler, 23; and Canada warbler, 15.
Scarlet tanager, 24; Northern cardinal, 87; rose-breasted grosbeak, 1; blue grosbeak, 1; and indigo bunting,106.
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Bryan Stevens has birded in Northeast Tennessee since the early 1990s. He has written about birds and birding since 1995. To ask a question, make a comment or share a sighting, email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.
Our Fine Feathered Friends 