First I want to apologize for missing the compilation Sunday afternoon for the Lee and Lois Herndon TOS breeding bird summer count. Being caught in a Thunder / Hail Storm while on the Appalachian Trail between Carver's Gap and the Rhododendron Gardens will tend to cause a delay. As the hail was stinging of the back of my neck (as I had no type of rain protection) I knew I wasn't going to make it. I arrived back at my car at Carver's Gap at 2:15, which was too late to even try. Again my apologizes.

I stayed on Roan Mt Friday (June 17) night so I decided to go and check for Saw-whet Owls Friday night / Early Saturday morning. At 11:40pm (Friday) I got a single SAW-WHET OWL to respond to my whistling from the Carver's Gap parking area. This bird was in the general vicinity of the nest box structure off the main road leading up to the rhododendron gardens. I never saw the bird but that is where the sound was coming from. I decided to hang around until 12:01am (Saturday June 18) to officially count this bird before heading back to the house in Burbank where I was staying.

By 5:00, I was again back at Carver's Gap listening to the same Saw-whet Owl (at least this was from the same direction). I found it interesting that before it was really light on top of the mountain, 3 ALDER FLYCATCHERS were singing from their perches deep within the blankets of Alders in the Carver's Gap area. So now I am thinking at that before 6am I have had two pretty rare species for our area and how this could shape up to be a really good day.

Near 6am I walk up the main road for just a little bit where I hear a bird sing with 2 distinct notes at the beginning then sounding like a tired Winter Wren. What I mean is it was bubbling over itself like a Winter Wren does but just not as excited about it. I immediately think RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (especially with the 2 distinct high notes at the beginning). Try as I might, I was not able to get a visual identification. I include it on this list because Nora Schubert, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy's Seasonal Ecologist, described the exact same song as I described (and again with no visual).."two distinct high notes before and the rest just not like a Winter Wren." I will let the powers that be decide whether or not that is enough evidence, but I think that is what it was.

I had decided that from between 6 and 9am I would scramble to as many places on Roan Mt as possible. I did this with the hopes of getting as many birds singing as possible while keeping good records to what I had where as not to count the birds twice upon my return visit.

By 9am I was back at Carver's Gap to sample more high elevation birds (where I saw one of the Alder Flycatchers singing from an Alder branch between the parking areas). I walked with the group from SAHC (led by Nora Schubert) part of the way up the Appalachian Trail heading toward the Rhododendron Gardens. Here we sample Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Winter Wrens, and Veerys.

From here I blanket Roan Mt from top to bottom; hitting all the good spots I know about and get a fair share of more birds to add. Around 11am I turn up to the Miller's Homestead and walk out the trail past the overlook platform. I had high hopes to get a certain bird here and was not disappointed as I heard a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER call and peck from his tree to the west of the trail.

The rest of the day was spent skirting the bottom of the mountain, the town of Roan Mtn (where I did find the elusive Northern Mockingbird, but NO Killdeer), and a lengthly afternoon trip to Ripshin Lake Area (where I had to wait out a 35-40 minute downpour). At 6pm and after 13 hours in the field, I called it quits with 80 species of birds. Big misses were both Vultures, Broad-winged Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Killdeer, Rock Dove, Screech Owl, Louisiana Waterthrush, and both Orioles. The complete list follows:

Rack Cross was doing his point count for the Tennessee State Ornithologist in the Hampton Creek Cove area and his count has been added to this FINAL list. It is signifigant to note that Rack added another 2 species to the count (at least for my area) - Northern Bobwhite and Cedar Waxwings! This ups my area to 82 species. Thanks Rack!!

The complete list:

Start Temp 45F (at Carver's Gap)
End Temp 75F
Total Mileage 127
Owling Miles 20
Birding Miles 107
Owling time 1.5 hours
Birding time 11.5 hours
Total Birding Time 13 hours

Birding Party - Rob Biller with help from Rack Cross, Mike Poe, and Nora Schubert

Canada Goose (Ripshin area) 10
Northern Bobwhite 2 (Rack Cross)
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 40
Great Horned Owl 1
Barred Owl 1
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Miller Homestead) 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 4
Northern Flicker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 4
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Acadian Flycatcher 2
Alder Flycatcher 3
Willow Flycatcher 2
Least Flycatcher 15
Eastern Phoebe 6
Eastern Kingbird 2
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue-headed Vireo 6
Red-eyed Vireo 12
Blue Jay 17
American Crow 62
Common Raven 1
Tree Swallow 6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 6
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 1
House Wren 9
Winter Wren 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 11
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Eastern Bluebird 5
Veery 9
Hermit Thrush 1 (Mike Poe and Rob Biller) [can't count the one in NC!]
Wood Thrush 6
American Robin 106
Gray Catbird 12
Northern Mockingbird 3
Brown Thrasher 2
Cedar Waxwing 18
European Starling 11
Golden-wingeed Warbler 3
Northern Parula 1
Yellow Warbler 10
Chestnut-sided Warbler 21
Black-throated Blue Warbler 13
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 (Nora Schubert)
Black-throated Green Warbler 5
Black-&-White Warbler 1
American Redstart 3
Worm-eating Warbler 1
Ovenbird 7
Common Yellowthroat 8
Hooded Warbler 5
Canada Warbler 4
Yellow-breasted Chat 3
Scarlet Tanager 6
Eastern Towhee 29
Chipping Sparrow 12
Field Sparrow 19
Song Sparrow 38
Dark-eyed Junco 43
Northen Cardinal 3
Indigo Bunting 19
Red-winged Blackbird 43
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 14
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
House Finch 6
Pine Siskin 2
American Goldfinch 15
House Sparrow 1

4/30/05

Area Leader Tom McNeil and birders Rob Biller and Michele Glass. This is the 2nd or 3rd straight year I have gone witih Tom in the Butler / Mountain City area of Carter / Johnson County. Here is our final list:

Canada Goose 22+
Wood Duck 3
Mallard 5
Red-breasted Merganser 5
Ruffed Grouse 2
Wild Turkey 1
Double-creasted Cormorant 4
Great Blue Heron 2
Green Heron 3
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 21+
Osprey 5
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Killdeer 2+
Solitary Sandpiper 38
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Wilson's Snipe 3
Ring-billed Gull 7
Caspian Tern 2

Complete List:

Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 19+
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 11
Belted Kingfisher 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 4
Northern Flicker 8
Pileated Woodpecker 12
Eastern Phoebe 11+
Great-crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 3
White-eyed Vireo 3
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Blue-headed Vireo 28+
Red-eyed Vireo 5+
Blue Jay 15+
American Crow 40+
Tree Swallow 10+
Northern Rough-wing Swallow 34+
Cliff Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 4
Carolina Chickadee 6+
Tufted Titmouse 7+
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 2
Carolina Wren 4+
House Wren 5+
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 20+
Wood Thrush 7
American Robin 74+
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 7
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 30+
Northern Parula 12
Yellow Warbler 7
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 10+
Black-throated Green Warbler 34+
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Yellow-throated Warbler 6
Pine Warbler 2
Black and White Warbler 7
American Redstart 2
Worm-eating Warbler 2
Ovenbird 22
Louisana Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 9
Hooded Warbler 66+
Scarlet Tanager 11
Eastern Towhee 27+
Chipping Sparrow 8
Field Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 32+
White-throated Sparrow 7
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 8
Northern Cardinal 20+
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 4+
Indigo Bunting 12
Red-winged Blackbird 200+
Eastern Meadowlark 22
Common Grackle 10+
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Orchard Oriole 2
House Finch 4
Pine Siskin 9
American Goldfinch 253+
House Sparrow 5

2004 Audubon Count - Count Year 105
Date 1/1/2005

2004 Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count
Shady Valley/Mtn City Report prepared by Robert Biller (compiler)

The Shady Valley / Mtn City CBC is sponsored by the Bristol Bird Club

Count Year 105
Count Name: Shady valley-mountain city (TNSV)
Count Date: 2005-01-01
Compiler: Robert Biller
Number of Party Hours: 46.0
Species reported on count date: 62
Date of Printout: January 4, 2005
Observers In Field:Total Number: 12
Minimum Number of Parties (daylight): 4
Maximum Number of Parties (daylight): 4
At Feeders: 0
Start Time 6:00am
End Time 5:30
Party Hours and Distance (excludes viewing at feeders and nocturnal birding)
(All distances are in miles.)
By Foot: Hours - 16 , Distance - 5.5 mi
By Car: Hours - 30 , Distance - 198.0 mi
Nocturnal Birding: Hours: 3 , Distance: 10.5 mi
Totals Total Party: Hours: 46.0 , Distance: 203.5 mi

Temperature - Minimum: 35, Maximum: 60
Wind Direction: None
AM - Clear, PM Partly Cloudy

Special Aspects for Count Circle

Abnormally warm temperatures attributed to many common species having a high number for this CBC circle. Also this count is still relatively young.

This year's count is dedicated to Howard Langridge who passed away in November of 2004. He was a tremendous birder, known from Florida to Tennessee, and was our bird dog for Quarry bog in Shady Valley. He produced the LeConte's Sparrow and provided hours of humerous conversation on the really cold counts. This count missed Howard deeply.

Organizations and Sponsors: Bristol Bird Club

Participants:

Robert Biller (Compiler)
Moyle, John
Draper, Diane
McNeil, Thomas
Hay, John
Knight, Rick
Carrico, Ron
Coffey, Wallace
Cross, Rack
O'Bryan, Chris
Holt, Don
Jones, Andy

Total Species:

Currrent Count Year 105 (2004) - 62

Past Count Years
Count Year 104 (2003) - 62
Count Year 103 (2002) - 58
Count Year 102 (2001) - 61
Count Year 101 (2000) - 65
Count Year 100 (1999) - 66
Count Year 99 (1998) - 61
Count Year 98 (1997) - 53

Species Checklist for Count 105 (2004)- 62

Janruary 1, 2005

Area Leaders: Thomas McNeil (T), Rick Knight (R), Wallace Coffey (W), Ron Carrico (C)

HC - High Count

Species List

Canada Goose - T- 89,R-39,W-23,C-0, Total=151

American Black Duck - T-0,R-1,W-10,C-0, Total=11
(This is a HC for Black Ducks, previous HC in Count 101 with 10 Black Ducks)

Mallard - T-1,R-2,W-83,C-38 Total=124
(This is a HC for Mallards, previous HC in Count 99 with 59 Mallards)

Great Blue Heron (Blue Form) - T-1,R-3,W-1,C-1, Total=6

Wild Turkey T-0, R-44, W-1, C-0, Total=44
(This is a HC count for Wild Turkeys, previous HC on Count 103 was 38)

Black Vulture - T-2,R-2,W-0,C-1, Total=5

Turkey Vulture - T-1,R-1,W-1,C-11, Total=14

Cooper's Hawk - T-1,R-2,W-0,C-1, Total=4

Red-shouldered Hawk - T-1,R-0,W-1,C-1, Total=3

Red-tailed Hawk - T-4,R-7,W-1,C-2, Total=14
(This is a HC for Red-tailed Hawk, previous HC in Count 101 with 11 Red-tails)

American Kestrel - T-2,R-3,W-1,C-0, Total=6

Killdeer T-1,R-1,W-1,C-0, Total=3

Wilson's Snipe - T-0,R-0,W-0,C-4, Total=4
(This is a HC for Wilson's Snipe, previous HC in Count 103 with 3 W.Snipes)

Rock Pigeon - T-0,R-6,W-0,C-0, Total=6
(This is the first time Rock Pigeon has been recorded on this count)

Mourning Dove - T-39,R-127,W-12,C-50, Total=228

Eastern Screech Owl - T-0,R-6,W-(NA),C-3, Total=9

Great Horned Owl - T-1,R-0,W-(NA),C-0, Total=1

Belted Kingfisher - T-2,R-4,W-0,C-3, Total=9
(This ties the HC for B.Kingfishers in Count 98)

Red-bellied Woodpecker - T-4,R-5,W-2,C-3, Total=14
(This is the HC for RB Woodpecker, previous HC in Count 104 with 10)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - T-1,R-0,W-2,C-0, Total=3

Downy Woodpecker - T-3,R-6,W-5,C-4, Total=18

Hairy Woodpecker T-2, R-0, W-2, C-4, Total=8

Northern (Yellow-shafted) Flicker - T-1,R-3,W-0,C-1, Total=5

Pileated Woodpecker - T-4,R-4,W-1,C-2, Total=11

Eastern Phoebe - T-4,R-2,W-2,C-4, Total=12
(This is a HC for Eastern Phoebe, previous HC in Count 104 with 11)

Blue Jay - T-14,R-54,W-16,C-10, Total=94
(This is a HC for Blue Jay, previous HC in Count 100 with 45)

American Crow - T-43,R-450,W-320,C-284, Total=1097

Common Raven - T-1,R-0,W-0,C-0, Total=1

Carolina Chickadee - T-32,R-21,W-55,C-23, Total=131
(This is a HC for Carolina Chickadee, previous HC in Count 104 with 115)

Tufted Titmouse - T-19,R-18,W-29,C-9, Total=75
(This is a HC for Tufted Titmouse, previous HC in Count 104 with 59)

Red-breasted Nuthatch - T-4,R-10,W-22,C-1, Total=37
(This is a HC for Red-breasted Nuthatch, previous HC in Count 98 with 8)

White-breasted Nuthatch - T-13,R-7,W-19,C-10, Total=49
(This is a HC for White-breasted Nuthatch, previous HC in Count 100 with 29)

Brown Creeper - T-3,R-2,W-1,C-0, Total=6
(This is a HC for Brown Creeper, previous HC in Count 104 with 2)

Carolina Wren - T-10,R-23,W-34,C-22, Total=89
(This is a HC for Carolina Wren, previous HC in Count 100 with 87)

Winter Wren - T-0,R-2,W-1,C-0, Total=3

Golden-crowned Kinglet - T-4,R-2,W-19,C-7, Total=32

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - T-0,R-0,W-0,C-1, Total=1

Eastern Bluebird - T-36,R-62,W-36,C-44, Total=178
(This is a HC for Eastern Bluebird, previous HC in Count 100 with 103)

Hermit Thrush - T-0,R-4,W-1,C-0, Total=5

American Robin - T-47,R-1,W-0,C-19, Total=67

Northern Mockingbird - T-8,R-10,W-2,C-5, Total=25
(This is a HC for Northern Mockingbird, previous HC in Count 100 with 20)

European Starling - T-91,R-80,W-81,C-86, Total=338

Cedar Waxwing - T-0,R-0,W-6,C-0, Total=6

Yellow-rumped(Myrtle) Warbler - T-2,R-0,W-0,C-2, Total=4

Eastern Towhee - T-6,R-8,W-0,C-0, Total=14

Chipping Sparrow T-0, R-6, W-0, C-0, Total=6
(This is the first appearance of Chipping Sparrows in this Count. Rick had good looks through his spotting scope. It is listed as an Unusual Species.)d Sparrow - T-0,R-13,W-0,C-1, Total=14

Vesper Sparrow - T-0,R-0,W-0,C-1, Total=1
(This is flagged as an Unusual Species as it has only been found on this count on one other occassion - Count 100 [1999])nnah Sparrow - T-0,R-0,W-1,C-0, Total= 1

Song Sparrow - T-37,R-68,W-52,C-38, Total=190

Swamp Sparrow - T-5,R-1,W-4,C-10, Total=20

White-throated Sparrow - T-21,R-35,W-5,C-12, Total=73

White-crowned Sparrow - T-57,R-18,W-0,C-23, Total=98
(This is a HC for WC Sparrow, previous HC in Count 101 with 58)

Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco - T-27,R-42,W-37,C-32, Total=138

Northern Cardinal - T-23,R-51,W-6,C-29, Total=109

Red-winged Blackbird - T-0,R-3,W-117,C-98, Total=218
(This is a HC for RW Blackbird, previous HC in Count 98 with 13)

Eastern Meadowlark - T-1,R-0,W-23,C-3, Total=27

Rusty Blackbird - T-0,R-0,W-1,C-4, Total=5

House Finch - T-23,R-22,W-6,C-1, Total=52

Red Crossbill - T-8,R-0,W-0,C-0, Total=8

Pine Siskin - T-42,R-17,W-0,C-0, Total=59
(This is a HC for Pine Siskin, previous HC in Count 98 with 13)

American Goldfinch - T-32,R-44,W-19,C-17, Total=112

House Sparrow - T-17,R-23,W-11,C-1, Total=52

Total individuals counted: 4099
Total Reported Species : 62

Technical note:

The Rock Pigeon's first appearance on this count is a bit misleading. Technically it is the first time Rock Pigeon is listed, but as Rick Knight pointed out, every count in North America will have this species as a new count bird. Rock Pigeon is the new name for the bird, formely known as Rock Dove, and the good people at Audubon did not make the String Variable reconize the previous name - Rock Pigeons (Doves) have appeared on the Shady Valley/Mountain City CBC before.

Rob Biller
Elizabethton, TN
Shady Valley_Mountain City CBC Compiler