Rare Bird Alert: One-Day-Wonder Whimbrel observed in Hawkins County

Hawkins County resident Susan Hubley got a pleasant surprise, on June 18, 2021, when she noticed a Whimbrel perched on a log just off the back deck of her house.

Ms. Hubley reported the bird to the Tennessee Rare Bird Alert Facebook group, affording several birders the opportunity to go see the bird. She also documented her sighting by submitting an eBird report, which includes two photos.

Thanks go out to Ms. Humbley for quickly reporting the Whimbrel’s presence and allowing fellow birders to view it from her property. Sadly, the bird was a one day wonder, and attempts by Ms. Hubley and other to relocate the bird were unsuccessful.

If you observe a infrequent or rare bird in Tennessee, please use your phone to report its presence to the Tennessee Rare Bird Alert Facebook group. When reporting an infrequent or rare bird, please include the county where the bird is located, as well as the best possible description on where you saw the bird, including address and GPS coordinates, if possible. You are not required to post a photo of the bird, but you are encouraged to post one if you have one. We encourage you to take a photo of the LED screen of your camera to included a diagnostic photo as part of your report. The goal of the group is to share the presence as quickly as possible, so don’t worry about photo quality. You can always post a report and add a photo later to supplement the report.

Photo Credit: Representative photo of a Whimbrel, not the one that was observed as part of this report. Photo used pursuant to a Creative Commons license. Follow this link for more details.