I had driven up the afternoon before so as to be on site at first light and not be hampered by trees down on the roads. At daybreak, I was at the state park looking toward the dam and I could not believe the variety and number of birds sitting on one of the barge moorings on the upper lake. I could make out Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, gulls and terns of all sizes and colors. There was a black bird that I could just barely make out. I raced to the dam and could then clearly see my first Black Skimmer for TN, I believe this to be the 3rd record, later I added the 4th record of a bird at Memphis. It was raining to beat the band and this was the best I could do. The bird stayed till late in the afternoon when we saw it pass, steadily heading back south.