Don Holt and myself birded Sunday (1/15) and Monday (1/16) in
the counties of Greene, Washington (TN/VA), and Sullivan Counties. We
visited ponds, lakes, neighborhoods, woods, and places in between. Here is
our tally: (note - all counties in TN except Washington County, VA)

Sunday:

Canada Goose ++
Gadwall: 9 - Pleasant Valley Rd (Washington County), 3 - WalMart Dist Center
(Greene County)
Mallard ++
Northern Pintail 9 - WalMart Dist Center (Greene County)
Green-winged Teal 1 - Bushhog Pond (Washington County)
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture +
Turkey Vulture +
Red-tailed Hawk ++ (quite numerous in Greene County, less than but
approaching 20)
American Kestrel ++ (quite numerous in Greene County, less than but
approaching 20)
Wilson Snipe 2 - Walmart Dist Center (Greene County)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eurasion Collared-Dove 2 - West Greene School - Greene County)
Belted Kingfisher 1 - Bush Hog Pond - (Washington County)
Red-headed Woodpecker 2 - Green Road - (Greene County)
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark 71 - Opie Arnold Rd (Washington County) and a group flying over
field where hwy 107 and hwy 351 intersect (Washington County)
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
European Starling
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird (part of a multi-thousand blackbird roost - Jim Kirk Rd
(Greene County)
Eastern Measdowlark 15 (Washington County)
Common Grackle (part of a multi-thousand blackbird roost - Jim Kirk Rd
(Greene County)
Brown-headed Cowbird (part of a multi-thousand blackbird roost - Jim Kirk Rd
(Greene County)
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Also - at Casa de Holt, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and
White-crowned Sparrow

Monday:

Greater White-fronted Goose 6 - Clear Creek Lake (Washington County, VA)
Ross' Goose 1 - Clear Creek Lake (Washington County, VA)
Gadwall 2 - Weir Dam (Sullivan County)
American Wigeon ++ Weir Dam (Sullivan County)
Mallard
Green-winged Teal 5 - Weir Dam (Sullivan County)
Redhead 7 (5 males/2 females) - Weir Dam (Sullivan County)
Lesser Scaup 5 - Weir Dam (Sullivan County)
Bufflehead ++ Weir Dam (Sullivan County)
Common Goldeneye 1 (male - strikingly beautiful) - Clear Creek Lake
(Washington County, VA)
Hooded Merganser ~144 - Clear Creek Lake (Washington County, VA)
Common Loon 1 - Boone Lake viewed from Goodman Cemetary Rd (Washington
County, TN)
Pied-billed Grebe - 60 (30 - Boone Lake viewed from Sugar Hill Rd and 30 -
South Holston Lake from Musick's Campground Sullivan County TN/Washington
County, VA)
Horned Grebe 1 - South Holston Lake from Musick's Campground (in Sullivan
County)
Eared Grebe 9 - South Holston Lake from Musick's Campground (in Sullivan
County)
Great Blue Heron 2 - South Holston Lake from Musick's Campground (in
Sullivan County)
American Kestrel 4
American Coot ++ - Clear Creek Lake (Washington County, VA)
Ring-billed Gull ++ - Various from Boone Lake/South Holston Lake/Clear Creek
Lake (Washington/Sullivan/ & Washington County, VA)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch

2005/2006 Shady Valley CBC Report
Compiler: Rob Biller

Count Year 106

The Shady Valley/Mountain City Christmas Bird Count was conducted on December 31, 2005. Four parties birded the count area from Shady Valley to Mountain City and from Backbone Rock Recreational Area to over Cross Mountain.

The participants were: Ron Carrico/Rob Biller , Wallace Coffey/Andy Jones/John Moyle, Rick Knight/Bill Grigsby/Dianne Draper , Tom McNeil/Don Holt.

Notes: High winds kept the birds tight in the underbrush most of the day. Afternoon sun and slight relief of wind helped to bring out birds a little bit. The average for all the parties was 40.25, but there was enough variety to bump the count species total to 61. Tough birding!

My personal thanks go out to all the birders and area leaders. It was a brutal day to bird and we still came out with a descent count.

Count Totals:

Total Species : 61
Total Car Hours : 18.25
Total Foot Hours : 16
Total Car Hours : 204.8
Total Foot Miles : 7
Total Owling Miles : 13
Total Owling Hours : 3

Weather:
High 41
Low 29
Wind - High and steady from SW, Gust to 30.5 mph
Ponds - partly frozen
Rain/Snow - none

Total Bird Species

Legend:
C -Ron Carrico's party
Co - Wallace Coffey's Party
K - Rick Knight's Party
M - Tom McNeil's Party

HC - High Count
LC - Low Count
US - Unusual Species

Count 106 2005/2006
Count 105 2004/2005
Count 104 2003/2004
Count 103 2002/2003
Count 102 2001/2002
Count 101 2000/2001
Count 100 1999/2000
Count 99 1998/1999
Count 98 1997/1998
Count 97 1996/1997

Bird Species:

Canada Goose 178, C 0, Co 40, K 0, M 138
Wood Duck 1, C 1
Mallard 53, C 16, Co 22, K 13, M 2
Wild Turkey 51, C 0, Co 20, K 24, M 7 (HC - previous HC 38 in Count 103)
Great Blue Heron 4, C 0, Co 1, K 2, M 1
Black Vulture 51, C 2, Co 2, K 32, M 15 (HC - previous HC 15 in Count 102)
Turkey Vulture 52 C 4, Co 3, K 5, M 40 (HC - previous HC 33 in Count 104)
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, M 1
Cooper's Hawk 2, C 0, Co 1, K 1, M 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 1, C 1
Red-tailed Hawk 11, C 1, Co 0, K 5, M 5 (Ties HC of 11 in Count 101)
American Kestrel 14, C 1, Co 2, K 8, M 3
Merlin 1, M 1 (US - paperwork will be submitted)
Wilson's Snipe 1, C 1
Rock Pigeon 42, C 0, Co 0, K 30, M 12
Mourning Dove 149, C 25, Co 55, K 10, M 59
Eastern Screech Owl 5, C 3, Co 1, K 1, M 0
Great Horned Owl 1, Co 1
Belted Kingfisher 10, C 0, Co 0, K 4, M 6 (HC - previous HC 9 in Count 98)
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5, C 0, Co 3, K 2, M 0
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2, M 2
Downy Woodpecker 10, C 0, Co 3, K 4, M 3
Hairy Woodpecker 5, C 2, Co 0, K 2, M 1
Northern Flicker 7, C 2, Co 1, K 2. 2
Pileated Woodpecker 6, C 2, Co 1, K 3, M 0
Eastern Phoebe 7, C 1, Co 2, K 2, M 2
Blue Jay 77, C 13, Co 13, K 24, M 27
American Crow 1092, C 277, Co 521, K 165, M 129
Common Raven 4, C 0, Co 0, K 3, M 1
Carolina Chickadee 85, C 20, Co 22, K 21, M 22
Tufted Titmouse 44, C 8, Co 13, K 4, M 19
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, C 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 20, C 2, Co 8, K 3, M 7
Brown Creeper 1, Co 1
Carolina Wren 58, C 7, Co 10, K 33, M 8
Winter Wren 6, C 2, Co 0, 4, M 0 (HC - previous HC 4 in Count 99)
Golden-crowned Kinglet 41, C 22, Co 6, K 6, M 7
Eastern Bluebird 62, C 15, Co 14, K 9, M 24
Hermit Thrush 3, C 0, Co 1, K 1, M 1
American Robin 4, C 0, Co 0, K 2, M 2
Northern Mockingbird 19, C 5, Co 1, K 6, M 7 (near HC - HC of 20 in Count 100)
European Starling 437, C 82, Co 177, K 85, M 93
American Pipit 25, C 25
Cedar Waxwing 24, C 24
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10, C 0, Co 1, K 5, M 4
Eastern Towhee 13, C 3, Co 0, K 10, M 0
Chipping Sparrow 8, M 8 (HC - previous HC 6 in Count 105)
Field Sparrow 5, C 0, Co 2, K 0, M 3
Savannah Sparrow 1, C 1
Song Sparrow 188, C 36, Co 52, K 32, M 68
Swamp Sparrow 9, C 0, Co 3, K 0, M 6
White-throated Sparrow 78, C 3, Co 24, K 27, M 24
White-crowned Sparrow 41 C 2, Co 0, K 19, M 20
Dark-eyed Junco 80, C 16, Co 7, K 6, M 51
Northern Cardinal 86, C 14, Co 24, K 16, M 42
Red-winged Blacbird 150, C 150 (HC - previous HC 77 in Count 100)
Eastern Meadowlark 3, C 2, Co 1 (LC)
Rusty Blackbird 25, Co 25
House Finch 19, C 0, Co 10, K 0, M 9
American Goldfinch 69 C 26, Co 10, K 12, M 21
House Sparrow 68, C 0, Co 42, K 15, M 11

Total species: 61
Total Birds Counted: 3526

Group Totals: C 37, Co 40, K 41, M 43

The fellowship of the nine departed Casa de Holt Friday afternoon. Making it for a late seafood dinner at the Charleston Crab Shack and to the motel with just enough time to go to bed. The fellowship birded 2.5 days of both windy/cool and warm/sunny days.

The first day was spent at Huntington Beach State Park. The second day was spent to the areas of the north. Marshes that were accessable, a woodland wildlife preserve (Heritage) was investigated, and Myrtle Beach was birded. The last day we worked our way south stopping at places like Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge (Garris Landing), Santee Coastal Reserve, Breach Inlet that our fearless leader (Tom McNeil) knew about. Brooky and Jean Potter also contributed with a couple of tremendously good stops at the Carolinian Motel Swamp and Yawkey Ferry Preserve ferry landing. All stops on the final day provided more life bird for many of the fellowship and trip list birds for the rest. Every one of the fellowship got a life bird, some got 2 or 3, while others exceeded 12.

The fellowship consisted of Tom McNeil, Don Holt, Diane Draper, Jeff Larson, Larry McDaniel, Brooky and Jean Potter, Kim Stroud, and Rob Biller.

The trip list ended at 132 species with 130 being found in South Carolina.

A couple of interesting notes - We closed out the woodpecker list (~5 Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in Santee WMA), the Nuthatch list, the Mimic Thrush list, and got 4 of the 5 Pigeons and Doves.

I have added more pictures from the trip to my gallery and moved the group folder to page 1. I am particulary fond of these two pictures from the trip.

*links changed - will be updated soon*

Just click on the the folder. Also, the folder for December 2005 South Carolina Coastal Trip is available there.

Complete List:

Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Northern Gannet
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Clapper Rail
King Rail
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
American Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Pigeon
Eurasion Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Cave Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
BLue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow.

Well, we made it to the same Best Western we were staying at last year. I already had to change rooms to get to an Internet connection. Apparently all rooms don't have the free hookup yet. They need to mention this when giving out the room keys or not make it sound like every room has it (as the their web site does).

Anyway, after a minor room change, I am doing this live (sort of) from the Best Western Hammock Inn in Pawley's Island, SC.

Most of today was driving but I did get a LIFE BIRD before we left Tennessee. A CACKLING GOOSE, which used to be a subspecies of the Canada Goose and is now been seperated into a species of its own was still present in Erwin, TN (Ervin) today. We had stopped at Fish Hachery Park to pick up the 9th member of our group and four of us got life birds! Not a bad start to the trip!

Any way, this is a good way to start birding in 2006!

I will try and post tomorrow evening....should be a BIG day.

Last night - in between packing and overloading on antihistamine - I found time to upload the last decent pictures of 2005.

*link has changed and will be back up soon*

Hopefully the trip this weekend will provide a few more descent shots to start off 2006. There are a few select pictures I have not uploaded from 2005 which I hope to get to shortly after I return. I will probably start another folder for 2006. Maybe I can put all the 2005 pics in one folder as well, but that may be more work that I want to do. At least from 2006 on - I can be more organized in my gallery pics.

Here is a pic that I think turned out well from Huntington Beach State Park on 12/28/05. The Hi-Res version is a bit more crisp.

*link has changed and will be back up soon*