Results of the Clay County, Tennessee, Christmas Bird Count, 1999present

The Fox Sparrow, seen here cracking open a sunflower seed, is an uncommon but regular species on the Clay County CBC; photo Carol D. Williams.

 

The Clay County Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was initiated December 22, 1999, mostly as a result of the efforts of Terry M. Campbell, a resident of Celina and employee at the National Fish Hatchery below Dale Hollow Dam.  Continuation of this count for a decade has also been a direct result of the planning and coordination efforts of Terry, who has compiled the results of this count every year since its inception.

    About 108 species have been recorded on this CBC during its existence, offering a useful "window" on the avifauna of this site.  Results for such species as Horned Grebe and Common Loon are especially helpful in monitoring the wintering populations of these species.

    Some sites of interest lying within the Clay County CBC circle include Dale Hollow Dam and a large portion of Dale Hollow Lake east of the dam, Standing Stone State Park and Forest in Overton County, and Donaldson Park in Celina.  Dale Hollow Lake has been designated an Important Bird Area in Tennessee by TWRA, mainly because of the fairly undeveloped nature of its considerable lakeshore, which hosts a small population of breeding Bald Eagles.

    To see results of the Clay County CBC, peruse the table below; also to see results of this CBC in the context of results from other Regional CBCs conducted during any of the following CBC seasons, click on one of the links below:

 

Table 1. Results of Clay County CBC from 11th through 20th season.

CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
 
Date (Dec) 16
No. Observers 6
No. Party Hrs. 48.25
Compiler TMC
 
Total Species 86
 
Greater White-fronted Goose 1
Snow Goose, white morph --
Canada Goose 280
Wood Duck --
Gadwall 31
American Wigeon --
Am. Black Duck --
Mallard 78
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Northern Shoveler 37
Northern Pintail --
Green-winged Teal --
Ring-necked Duck --
Lesser Scaup --
Bufflehead 21
Common Goldeneye --
Hooded Merganser 21
Red-br. Merganser --
Ruddy Duck 1
Wild Turkey 38
Northern Bobwhite --
Common Loon 21
Pied-billed Grebe 10
Horned Grebe 4
Double-cr. Cormor. --
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Great Blue Heron 9
Bl.-cr. Night-Heron --
Black Vulture 147
Turkey Vulture 296
Bald Eagle 2
      Adult 1
      Immature 1
Northern Harrier --
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Cooper's Hawk 3
Red-sh. Hawk 16
Red-tailed Hawk 24
Golden Eagle --
      Adult --
      Immature --
American Kestrel 30
American Coot 1
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Sandhill Crane 715
Killdeer 51
Spotted Sandpiper --
Wilson's Snipe 1
American Woodcock 1
Bonaparte's Gull 114
Ring-billed Gull 179
Herring Gull 2
Rock Pigeon 81
Eur. Collared-Dove 2
Mourning Dove 133
Eastern Screech-Owl 5
Great Horned Owl 1
Barred Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 6
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Red-headed Woodp. 2
Red-bell. Woodpeck. 51
Yellow-b. Sapsucker 23
Downy Woodpecker 34
Hairy Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker 16
Pileated Woodp. 32
Eastern Phoebe 26
Loggerhead Shrike --
Blue Jay 253
American Crow 431
Horned Lark 7
Carolina Chickadee 103
Tufted Titmouse 132
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Red-br. Nuthatch 2
White-br. Nuthatch 64
Brown Creeper 8
Carolina Wren 115
House Wren --
Winter Wren 5
Golden-cr. Kinglet 28
Ruby-cr. Kinglet 11
Eastern Bluebird 303
Hermit Thrush 32
American Robin 222
N. Mockingbird 60
Brown Thrasher 6
European Starling 1444
American Pipit 1
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Cedar Waxwing 147
Yellow-r. Warbler 210
Pine Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 36
Am. Tree Sparrow --
Chipping Sparrow 55
Field Sparrow 190
Savannah Sparrow 6
Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 236
Lincoln's Sparrow --
Swamp Sparrow 19
White-thr. Sparrow 264
White-cr. Sparrow 7
Dark-eyed Junco 202
Lapland Longspur 1
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Northern Cardinal 207
Red-wing. Blackbird 50
Eastern Meadowlark 175
Rusty Blackbird 10
Common Grackle --
Brown-h. Cowbird --
     Blackbird sp. --
Purple Finch 18
House Finch 27
Pine Siskin cw
American Goldfinch 169
House Sparrow 45
 
Total Individuals 7862
 
Total Species 86
 
CBC Season 2009– 2010– 2011– 2012– 2013– 2014– 2015– 2016– 2017– 2018–
  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

 

Table 2. Results of Clay County CBC from first through tenth season.

CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
                     
Date (Dec) 22 19 18 18   18  16  14  14  18 15
No. Observers 13 8 12  9 9  10  9  8  8  5
No. Party Hrs. 58.75 50.5  59.25  57.5  54.75  55.5  58.5  43.5  45.5  35
Compiler TMC TMC TMC TMC TMC TMC TMC TMC TMC TMC
                     
Total Species 87 85 84 82   86  80  82  83  85  74
                     
Greater White-fronted Goose -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Snow Goose, white morph -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
Canada Goose 56 1  4  24  94  93  60  161  67  280
Wood Duck 3 3  5  2  7  --  1  11  2  3
Gadwall 7 23  8  10  5  10  11  1  11  24
American Wigeon 1 4  --  --  1  --  --  --  --  --
Am. Black Duck 5 16  cw  1  1  --  2  2  2  --
Mallard 139 167  87  58  114  54  183  48  99  47
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Northern Shoveler 22 40  --  5  9  --  16  --  6  2
Northern Pintail 2 1  1  --  --  --  --  --  --  --
Green-winged Teal -- -- 15 -- 8 -- -- 11 -- --
Ring-necked Duck 91 5 23  5  37  28  8 4  18  88
Lesser Scaup 200 191  --  1  4  --  --  --  --  --
Bufflehead 17 1  13  23  41  47  29  41  16  38
Common Goldeneye 6 1  --  4  --  --  --  --  --  --
Hooded Merganser 9 18  9  13  46  31  38  20  73  6
Red-br. Merganser -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 4 -- --
Ruddy Duck 1 3  1  --  --  --  --  --  --  --
Wild Turkey cw 1 17  31  92  43  3  16  214  1
Northern Bobwhite -- -- 17 16 3 2 --

6

-- --
Common Loon 50 30 88 17  38  18  46

 57

 48  3
Pied-billed Grebe 27 17  16  10  15  4  10  31  22  2
Horned Grebe 114 10  51  97  13  127  88  86  27  1
Double-cr. Cormor. -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Great Blue Heron 36 106  30  16  8  11 18   8  12  5
Bl.-cr. Night-Heron cw --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --
Black Vulture 8 --  20  56  155  46  31  93  54  142
Turkey Vulture 7 14  428  102  191  121  25  148  36  142
Bald Eagle 7 3  1  3  8  6  3  4  1  --
      Adult 6 3  1  3  3  1  2  2  --  --
      Immature 1 --  --  --  5 5  1  2  1  --
Northern Harrier 3 4 1  3  4  2  2  2  6  --
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 1 1  2  2  3  2  --  4  --
Cooper's Hawk 3 2 2  3  1  5  --  2  4  1
Red-sh. Hawk 9 6 8  6  9  10  5  7  12  2
Red-tailed Hawk 32 23 37  25  16  40  21  22  22  9
Golden Eagle -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 --
      Adult -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 --
      Immature -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
American Kestrel 51 33 56  46  48  61  57  39  50  17
American Coot 123 173  53  28  7  145  32  101  81  --
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Sandhill Crane 80 115  2  --  --  349  cw  --  102  56
Killdeer 33 24  34  135  86  99  42  10  8  66
Spotted Sandpiper -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- --
Wilson's Snipe 4 --  --  26  2  4  5  6  --  1
American Woodcock 1 --  2  2  1  --  1  5  2  --
Bonaparte's Gull 25 18  288  20  107  232  111  17  108  1
Ring-billed Gull 219 352  83  369  379  187  204  118  80  28
Herring Gull -- cw  --  --  --  --  --  cw  --  --
Rock Pigeon 46 41  73  121  367  143  100  215  124  24
Eur. Collared-Dove -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- --
Mourning Dove 133 98  106  90  293  203  271  141  208  175
Eastern Screech-Owl 16 6  12  8  12  9  7  11  8  2
Great Horned Owl 4 --  9  3  2  4  3  8  3  --
Barred Owl 2 1  6  2  3  4  6  6  3  --
Belted Kingfisher 12 6  11  13  11  8  11  9  7  --
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Red-headed Woodp. 6 --  2  --  3  1 --   2  --  1
Red-bell. Woodpeck. 40 38  58  50  38  19  34  39  39  36
Yellow-b. Sapsucker 34 13  24  3  14  8  17  15  15  17
Downy Woodpecker 52 37  60  35  39  39  33  41  35  16
Hairy Woodpecker 12 5  12  7  11  6  6  9  9  6
Northern Flicker 41 34  76  32  34  29  26  43  24  26
Pileated Woodp. 29 19  53  30  26  11  19  20  16  10
Eastern Phoebe 19 16  18  9  11  25  16  10  14  7
Loggerhead Shrike 2 --  --  1  --  --  --  --  1  --
Blue Jay 418 59  250  90  244  98  58  66  106  205
American Crow 373 671  573  392  343  539  1126  394  364  305
Horned Lark -- 2150  --  --  40  2  --  2  --  7
Carolina Chickadee 167 70  231  131  114  137  173  166  115  71
Tufted Titmouse 117 42  162  92  61  126  85  106  120  57
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Red-br. Nuthatch 25 2  13  --  --  --  --  2  --
White-br. Nuthatch 65 42  125  72  38  81  52  75  78  32
Brown Creeper 14 1  7  4  1  8  3  2  2  3
Carolina Wren 119 61  154  117  71  139  83  113  144  86
House Wren -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 cw 2 --
Winter Wren 9 6  7  10  4  7  7  12  3  4
Golden-cr. Kinglet 87 46  47  30  17  53  61  36  44  21
Ruby-cr. Kinglet 29 12  4  4  4  1  8  2  9  6
Eastern Bluebird 241 174  311  209  113  216  133  300  208  147
Hermit Thrush 40 19  15  4  13 14  27  21  30  24
American Robin 1534 2300  179  20  881  537  503  124  72  372
N. Mockingbird 54 37  52  57  29  66  30  66  89  39
Brown Thrasher 2 4  2  3  7 2  5  5  4  1
European Starling 1154 460  1189  918  2752  776  1053  851  930  1091
American Pipit 7 --  1  --  --  4  14  cw  1  --
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Cedar Waxwing 196 722  91  9  488  --  536  52  65  172
Yellow-r. Warbler 259 234  185  28  281  2  158  43  87  124
Pine Warbler -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 --
Palm Warbler -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Eastern Towhee 103 23  92  47  107  70  53  55  33  47
Am. Tree Sparrow -- 8  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --
Chipping Sparrow 35 2  --  4  15  4  --  21  9  30
Field Sparrow 99 95  149  135  102  203  183  199  95  58
Savannah Sparrow 4 4  3  3  7  7  15  2  6  --
Fox Sparrow 4 6  6  5  2  6  6  3  3  5
Song Sparrow 273 184  317  144  221  260  191  247  112  95
Lincoln's Sparrow -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
Swamp Sparrow 16 4  85  13  53  24  20  26  19  16
White-thr. Sparrow 318 276  378  177  237  284  180  301  103  153
White-cr. Sparrow 38 19  45  21  30  11  27  31  27  22
Dark-eyed Junco 214 243  236  154  111  181  166  133  176  54
Lapland Longspur -- 5  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Northern Cardinal 197 227  270  225  207  342  198  278  241  120
Red-wing. Blackbird 12 5  127  17  650  115  323  56  76  40
Eastern Meadowlark 72 101  116  26  119  37  102  124  44  71
Rusty Blackbird -- -- -- -- 15 2 1 -- -- --
Common Grackle 8002 2  125  90  5017  --  927  9  25  2
Brown-h. Cowbird -- -- 1 -- 61 3 3 1 4 11
     Blackbird sp. -- -- -- -- 5250 -- -- -- -- --
Purple Finch 16 1  5  -- 83   4  62  2  1  21
House Finch 45 135  60  10  48  17  18  32  45  6
Pine Siskin -- -- 1 -- cw -- -- -- -- 1
American Goldfinch 220 90  159  71 212   103  168  131  61  364
House Sparrow 55 11  90  34  51  72  62  138  82  34
                     
Total Individuals 16473 10273 7668  4930  20515  6841  8451  5877 5332   5203
                     
Total Species 87 85 84  82  86  80  82  83  85  74
                     
CBC Season 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

   Terry M. Campbell (TMC) is the compiler of the Clay County, Tennessee, CBC; contact Terry at this email address: terry_campbell@fws.gov