Results of Spring Bird Counts Conducted in the Upper Cumberland Region of Kentucky and Tennessee--April and May 2008
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| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher photographed at Holleman's Bend, Jackson County, Tennessee; photo Edmund K. LeGrand (12 April 2008). |
During the six Regional Spring Bird Counts (SBC) and Spring BirdBlitzes (SBB) conducted this spring, at least 165 species of birds were detected, well over half of the all-time species total for the Region. These counts provide a measure of assurance that these species are maintaining a presence in the Region, some as permanent residents, some as summer residents, some as late-departing winter residents, and some as transients. We also obtain a fairly good indication of the approximate population level of many species from the SBC data, and, because we can compare numbers counted for each species from year to year at a few sites where SBCs have been ongoing for a number of years, we can also obtain a rough idea about the population trends for the more common species found Regionally.
An interesting feature of this year's counts in the Region was the breaking of the Regional record for total species on a count by the Cumberland County, TN, SBC, which garnered 140 species. The Putnam County, TN, SBC tallied 139 species, most ever for that count and just shy of the new record.
To go to the BirdPage, to the SBC Central Node, or to complete SBC/SBB results for one of the counties where a SBC or SBB was conducted this spring, click on one of the following links:
To see a map (Figure 1) depicting the location of counties in which a SBC or SBB was conducted, click on the link below:
Table 1. Results of Spring Bird Counts (SBC)and Spring BirdBlitzes (SBB) in the Upper Cumberland Region during 2008.
| Jackson Co., TN | Cumberland Co., TN | Putnam Co., TN | White Co., TN | Adair Co., KY | Pulaski Co., KY | |
| Type of Count | SBB | SBC | SBC | SBC | SBB | SBC |
| Date (April/May) | 26 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 10 |
| Start (CDT/EDT) | 0420 | 0330 | 0201 | 0400 | 0400 | 0520 |
| End (CDT/EDT) | 1930 | 1945 | 1945 | 1930 | 1813 | 2115 |
| Party Hours Daylight | 63 | 82.25 | 83.75 | 49.5 | 42.25 | 20.25 |
| Party Hrs. by Car | 56.75 | 69.25 | 55 | 47.25 | 35 | 15.25 |
| Party Hrs. on Foot | 6.25 | 13 | 28.75 | 2.25 | 5.75 | 5 |
| Party Hrs. by Kayak | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 |
| Party Miles Daylight | 496.5 | 679 | 523.75 | 402.5 | 361.5 | 185 |
| Party Miles by Car | 492.25 | 667 | 508.5 | 397 | 356 | 183 |
| Party Miles on Foot | 4.25 | 12 | 15.25 | 5.5 | 4.75 | 2 |
| Party Miles by Kayak | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.75 | 0 |
| Owling Hours | 1.5 | 3.75 | 5.75 | 3.25 | 2.25 | 1.75 |
| Owling Miles | 22.5 | 39 | 64 | 40 | 37 | 26 |
| Hours Feederwatching | 0 | 0 | 10.5 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| No. Field Observers * | 12 | 13 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| No. Field Parties | 5-6 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 5 | 4-5 | 3 |
| No. Feederwatchers | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Compiler * | SJS | EKL, JEM | SJS | DAD | RMD | RMD |
| Total Species | 117 | 140 | 139 | 125 | 126 | 118 |
| Low Temperature (F) | 59 | 51 | 57 | 46 | 45 | 54 |
| High Temperature (F) | 73 | 72 | 81 | 75 | 81 | 78 |
| Wind Direction | Var. | SSW | Var. | ? | Var. | Var. |
| Wind Speed (Beaufort) | 0-2 | 1-3/4 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-2 |
| A.M. Sky | overcast | cloudy | cloudy | fog; partly cloudy | clear | cloudy |
| P.M. Sky | cloudy | p. cloudy | m. clear | partly cloudy | clear | clear |
| A.M. Precipitation | rain early | rain early | light rain | misting | none | none |
| P.M. Precipitation | none | none | none | none | none | none |
| Canada Goose | 50 | 136 | 137 | 118 | 13 | 3 |
| Wood Duck | 11 | 44 | 13 | 25 | 10 | 3 |
| Mallard | 5 | 49 | 27 | 27 | 4 | 10 |
| Blue-winged Teal | 4 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Ring-necked Duck | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Lesser Scaup | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | |
| Bufflehead | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Ruffed Grouse | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wild Turkey | 38 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 20 | -- |
| Northern Bobwhite | 2 | 18 | 10 | 23 | 15 | 4 |
| Common Loon | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Pied-billed Grebe | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Double-cr. Cormorant | 59 | -- | 16 | -- | -- | -- |
| Great Blue Heron | 66 | 6 | 30 | 18 | 8 | 6 |
| Great Egret | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Green Heron | 10 | 11 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| Yellow-cr. Night-Heron | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Black Vulture | 31 | 3 | 25 | 79 | 59 | 17 |
| Turkey Vulture | 114 | 63 | 110 | 105 | 104 | 68 |
| Osprey | 9 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Harrier | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Accipiter sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 4 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 4 | -- |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 4 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 16 | 13 | 22 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| American Kestrel | 6 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 1 |
| Sora | -- | -- | 2 | 1 | -- | -- |
| American Coot | -- | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Sandhill Crane | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Killdeer | 20 | 53 | 62 | 54 | 24 | 16 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 2 | 6 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Solitary Sandpiper | 8 | 20 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 11 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | 4 | 8 |
| Semipalm. Sandpiper | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 |
| Least Sandpiper | -- | 6 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 17 |
| Wilson's Snipe | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Woodcock | -- | -- | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Gull sp. | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Rock Pigeon | 36 | 18 | 43 | 27 | 21 | 1 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | -- | 2 | 1 | 4 | -- | -- |
| Mourning Dove | 200 | 185 | 424 | 235 | 150 | 63 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 1 | -- | 4 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Barn Owl | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Great Horned Owl | -- | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | -- |
| Barred Owl | 6 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 6 | -- |
| Common Nighthawk | -- | 2 | 8 | 1 | -- | 2 |
| Chuck-will's-widow | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Whip-poor-will | 4 | 24 | 15 | 14 | 8 | -- |
| Chimney Swift | 64 | 224 | 238 | 59 | 45 | 72 |
| Ruby-thr. Hummingbird | 9 | 23 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 4 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | -- |
| Red-head. Woodpecker | 1 | 23 | 25 | 10 | 11 | -- |
| Red-bell. Woodpecker | 61 | 37 | 122 | 65 | 42 | 21 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 8 | 19 | 44 | 12 | 7 | 4 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | -- | 9 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Northern Flicker | 14 | 24 | 21 | 12 | 15 | 8 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 27 | 30 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 5 |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | 11 | 8 | 124 | 94 | 25 | 23 |
| Acadian Flycatcher | 25 | 6 | 71 | 41 | 9 | 4 |
| Willow Flycatcher | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Least Flycatcher | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 2 | -- |
| Empidonax sp. | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Phoebe | 105 | 79 | 107 | 36 | 67 | 10 |
| Great Crest. Flycatcher | 24 | 34 | 72 | 59 | 30 | 12 |
| Eastern Kingbird | 66 | 60 | 130 | 81 | 54 | 20 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| White-eyed Vireo | 277 | 84 | 166 | 60 | 118 | 28 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | 41 | 19 | 66 | 26 | 17 | 7 |
| Blue-headed Vireo | -- | 24 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Warbling Vireo | -- | -- | 3 | -- | 2 | -- |
| Philadelphia Vireo | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 359 | 278 | 672 | 397 | 235 | 89 |
| Blue Jay | 113 | 144 | 218 | 90 | 89 | 34 |
| American Crow | 254 | 277 | 328 | 170 | 116 | 36 |
| Horned Lark | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Purple Martin | 75 | 82 | 230 | 114 | 217 | 84 |
| Tree Swallow | 51 | 75 | 69 | 41 | 14 | 19 |
| N. Rough-wing. Swallow | 98 | 83 | 48 | 27 | 22 | 10 |
| Cliff Swallow | 250 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 126 | 1 |
| Barn Swallow | 113 | 282 | 323 | 169 | 165 | 37 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 67 | 128 | 135 | 60 | 45 | 13 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 142 | 191 | 236 | 135 | 134 | 24 |
| White-breast. Nuthatch | 25 | 39 | 57 | 17 | 19 | 10 |
| Brown-head. Nuthatch | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| Carolina Wren | 162 | 130 | 213 | 146 | 83 | 32 |
| House Wren | 2 | 18 | 45 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 5 | 5 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 171 | 169 | 226 | 116 | 146 | 33 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 162 | 168 | 342 | 185 | 85 | 33 |
| Veery | -- | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Swainson's Thrush | 1 | 4 | 33 | 22 | 5 | 2 |
| Wood Thrush | 131 | 99 | 179 | 53 | 70 | 19 |
| American Robin | 97 | 512 | 656 | 235 | 227 | 134 |
| Gray Catbird | 13 | 19 | 62 | 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 86 | 59 | 219 | 175 | 77 | 25 |
| Brown Thrasher | 42 | 60 | 111 | 33 | 39 | 13 |
| European Starling | 378 | 988 | 1498 | 742 | 662 | 236 |
| American Pipit | -- | -- | 25 | -- | -- | -- |
| Cedar Waxwing | 4 | 2 | 118 | 35 | 3 | 1 |
| Blue-winged Warbler | 37 | 5 | 13 | -- | 15 | 2 |
| Tennessee Warbler | 3 | 3 | 47 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| Orange-crown. Warbler | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Nashville Warbler | -- | -- | 3 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Northern Parula | 87 | 22 | 55 | 23 | 25 | 8 |
| Yellow Warbler | 15 | 12 | 82 | 6 | 21 | 4 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | 5 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Magnolia Warbler | -- | 1 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Cape May Warbler | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Black-thr. Blue Warbler | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 6 | 21 | 23 | -- | 8 | 3 |
| Black-thr. Gn. Warbler | -- | 17 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 9 |
| Blackburnian Warbler | -- | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Yellow-throat. Warbler | 24 | 41 | 69 | 35 | 18 | 19 |
| Pine Warbler | 1 | 36 | 31 | 13 | 10 | 6 |
| Prairie Warbler | 106 | 141 | 111 | 24 | 109 | 43 |
| Palm Warbler | 8 | 13 | 1 | -- | 10 | -- |
| Bay-breasted Warbler | -- | 2 | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
| Blackpoll Warbler | -- | 11 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 8 |
| Cerulean Warbler | 31 | 8 | 30 | 1 | -- | 3 |
| Black-and-white Warb. | 16 | 92 | 65 | 19 | 6 | 4 |
| American Redstart | 13 | 11 | 58 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 1 | -- | 8 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| Worm-eating Warbler | 7 | 12 | 19 | 5 | 16 | 7 |
| Swainson's Warbler | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Ovenbird | 46 | 147 | 92 | 54 | 40 | 22 |
| Northern Waterthrush | -- | 5 | 2 | -- | -- | 1 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | 24 | 19 | 20 | 3 | 13 | 6 |
| Kentucky Warbler | 43 | 31 | 99 | 19 | 37 | 4 |
| Mourning Warbler | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Common Yellowthroat | 285 | 127 | 237 | 126 | 184 | 40 |
| Hooded Warbler | 70 | 140 | 102 | 42 | 19 | 28 |
| Wilson's Warbler | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Canada Warbler | -- | -- | 6 | 3 | -- | ---- |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | 97 | 95 | 110 | 82 | 80 | 30 |
| Summer Tanager | 43 | 6 | 114 | 68 | 69 | 6 |
| Scarlet Tanager | 28 | 66 | 114 | 42 | 29 | 11 |
| Eastern Towhee | 201 | 219 | 238 | 66 | 80 | 25 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 131 | 206 | 267 | 154 | 141 | 32 |
| Field Sparrow | 196 | 233 | 259 | 153 | 138 | 37 |
| Savannah Sparrow | 3 | 33 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 3 |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | 2 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 15 | -- |
| Henslow's Sparrow | 1 | 12 | -- | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 72 | 180 | 224 | 171 | 108 | 43 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 2 | 6 | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| White-throated Sparrow | 69 | 12 | 5 | -- | 3 | 1 |
| White-crown. Sparrow | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | 1 | 2 |
| Northern Cardinal | 330 | 324 | 427 | 250 | 214 | 73 |
| Rose-breast. Grosbeak | 6 | 15 | 41 | 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Blue Grosbeak | 12 | 14 | 45 | 37 | 25 | 4 |
| Indigo Bunting | 382 | 237 | 700 | 401 | 427 | 83 |
| Dickcissel | -- | -- | 2 | 5 | 17 | 2 |
| Bobolink | -- | 8 | 7 | -- | 34 | 1 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 212 | 356 | 475 | 273 | 337 | 103 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | 72 | 203 | 248 | 195 | 227 | 34 |
| Common Grackle | 90 | 141 | 251 | 144 | 96 | 69 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 126 | 211 | 245 | 100 | 63 | 25 |
| Orchard Oriole | 56 | 26 | 60 | 40 | 36 | 15 |
| Baltimore Oriole | 1 | 5 | 5 | -- | 5 | 6 |
| House Finch | 25 | 42 | 117 | 22 | 8 | 6 |
| Pine Siskin | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Goldfinch | 203 | 214 | 184 | 74 | 79 | 62 |
| House Sparrow | 17 | 91 | 304 | 349 | 195 | 50 |
| Total Individuals | 7463 | 9177 | 14175 | 7499 | 6608 | 2349 |
| Total Species | 117 | 140 | 139 | 125 | 126 | 118 |
* Observers on the Jackson County, TN, Spring BirdBlitz:
| Douglas A. Downs |
| Dale Ensor |
| Ginger K. Ensor |
| Janie C. Finch |
| Judy C. Fuson |
| Michael J. Hawkins |
| James Layzer |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| Barbara H. Stedman |
| Stephen J. Stedman, compiler |
| Carol D. Williams |
* Observers on the Cumberland Co., TN, Spring Bird Count:
| Nan E. Beesley |
| Janet Dowlen |
| Douglas A. Downs |
| Edmund K. LeGrand, co-compiler |
| Anita F. Mast |
| Joseph E. Mast, co-compiler |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| DJ Stanley |
| Kay Stanley |
| Barbara H. Stedman |
| Stephen J. Stedman |
| Winston A. Walden |
* Observers on the Putnam County, TN, Spring Bird Count:
| Daniel L. Combs |
| Bettie Doyle (F/YW) |
| Douglas A. Downs |
| Janie C. Finch |
| Richard C. Finch |
| Caleb R. Hubbard |
| Nancy S. Layzer |
| Edmund K. LeGrand |
| Bo Magnuson |
| Anita F. Mast |
| Joseph E. Mast |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Handley "Ozzie" Oswalt (F/YW) |
| John Owens (F/YW) |
| Susan E. Pirolo |
| Michele Ramsey (F/YW) |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| Richard W. Simmers, Jr. |
| DJ Stanley |
| L. Kay Stanley |
| Barbara H. Stedman |
| Stephen J. Stedman, compiler |
| Mark Vance |
| Catherine E. Walden (F/YW) |
| Winston A. Walden |
| Carol D. Williams |
* Observers on the White County, TN, Spring Bird Count:
| Douglas A. Downs, compiler |
| George T. Elrod (F/YW) |
| Nancy S. Layzer |
| Edmund K. LeGrand |
| Joseph E. Mast |
| Michael P. O'Rourke |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| Stephen J. Stedman |
| Winston A. Walden |
* Observers on the Adair Co., KY, Spring BirdBlitz:
| Roseanna M. Denton, compiler |
| C. Gay Hodges |
| Arlene M. Morton |
| Don Pelly |
| Thomas M. Saya |
| Barbara H. Stedman |
| Stephen J. Stedman |
* Observers on the Pulaski County, KY, Spring Bird Count:
| Roseanna M. Denton, compiler |
| C. Gay Hodges (F/YW) |
| Laura Kamperman |
| Arlene M. Morton |
