What Bird Is That Forum

Thought it was time to start up the old thread.

Here’s a list from last weekend https://ebird.org/checklist/S293530272

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been 7 days since my last checklist.

The cold has brought them to the feeders all week. The Hermit Thrush that's wintering under the deck showed up. I've seen at least two female Ruby-throateds most of the winter but I had a male today. The bi-weekly Yellow-throated Warbler put in an appearance. The 'first of year' Swamp Sparrow ventured up around the bird feeders, 30 feet from the nearest cover in the marsh.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S297250425

Chased a White-winged Scoter that I needed for the year, and found a bonus Long-tailed Duck! 7 Red-throated Loons and a Common Merganser were nice too. https://ebird.org/checklist/S299213110

AveryF wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 12:56 am Chased a White-winged Scoter that I needed for the year, and found a bonus Long-tailed Duck! 7 Red-throated Loons and a Common Merganser were nice too. https://ebird.org/checklist/S299213110

What's the status of Red-throated Loon in Tennessee? I know in California they are quite rare away from the immediate coast, and in most counties by the time you get more than fifty miles inland they occur somewhere around every 3-7 years. I literally can't imagine seeing more than one or two at a time anywhere outside of coastal areas.

Aidan B wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 9:18 am

AveryF wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 12:56 am Chased a White-winged Scoter that I needed for the year, and found a bonus Long-tailed Duck! 7 Red-throated Loons and a Common Merganser were nice too. https://ebird.org/checklist/S299213110

What's the status of Red-throated Loon in Tennessee? I know in California they are quite rare away from the immediate coast, and in most counties by the time you get more than fifty miles inland they occur somewhere around every 3-7 years. I literally can't imagine seeing more than one or two at a time anywhere outside of coastal areas.

Tennessee has a plethora of man-made lakes thanks to the TVA, which provide ample wintering grounds for loons. If you go to a big enough lake at the right time, you can see hundreds. Last couple of years we’ve even had one or two spend the summer. Most I’ve ever seen was over 500 from one spot. We get both Red-throated and Pacific annually, with Red-throated being the more numerous rarity. I tied the state high count with 10 Red-throated’s a couple winters back on and this same lake (other high count was I believe on our only natural lake, Reelfoot), and the most Pacifics I’ve seen at once is 2 (same lake, this winter), while the high count for the state is 7 (bonkers). This winter I’ve seen Red-throated in 4 counties, and Pacific in 3.

26 species for my neighborhood's GBBC event, including the first Black-crowned Night no-hyphen Heron I've spotted in the neighborhood.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S300553415

Other GBBC highlights include the first Baltimore Oriole in my backyard, my state-first Savannah Sparrows and American Kestrel, and seven snipes drilling for oil in the fields around the grocery parking lot.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S312158941

Got a lifer LeConte's Thrasher this morning on a trail starting from the road outside of Corn Creek, within Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.