[TN-Bird] Re: [ALBIRDS] TVA Shorebird Meeting
- From: "Henry, Travis H." <thhenry@xxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <albirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 08:31:26 -0400
May 10-11 Agency Shorebird Meeting
Thanks to Jeff Wilson for the kind words, the shorebird meeting went
amazingly well. It must be said that much of the success was due to
Jeff Wilson identifying sites and making prior arrangements to access
Ensley Bottoms. The site visit was the highlight of the meeting. Jeff
spent a great deal of time with all participants making sure that each
person was shown the finer points of shorebird identification. As
usual, Jeff knew where to go and when to get there to see the shorebirds
in the greatest light. Thanks Jeff for your efforts I continue to learn
more about shorebirds with every visit to the pits. Thanks are also
extended to Mike Rodel (TWRA) and Dwight Cooley (USFWS-Wheeler) for
having their staff on board to attend the shorebird meeting. Everyone
walked away from the meeting knowing a bit more about shorebirds.
For those that are not aware of the multi-agency shorebird meeting,
several agencies are expecting to study shorebirds in the Tennessee
River Valley for the next few years. These agencies have formed a group
to collectively study shorebirds in the region. Once the group develops
a shorebird monitoring plan, we will be contacting interested
individuals to elicit help in monitoring shorebirds in the Tennessee
River Valley. This will be a chance for all of us to examine shorebird
resources at sites throughout the Tennessee River Valley.
Thanks for the interest, I will keep everyone informed as the group
moves forward.
Hill Henry
Senior Scientist
TVA Regional Natural Heritage Program
Knoxville, TN
865-632-6360
-----Original Message-----
From: albirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:albirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:58 AM
To: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; albirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ALBIRDS] TVA Shorebird Meeting
May 12, 2005
Memphis/ Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
=20
I've played hooky from work the last two days and been in a meeting at
Ducks=20
Unlimited and also in the field at Ensley Bottoms in Memphis. The
Tennessee=20
River Valley Shorebird Monitoring Meeting was attended by over 30 TVA =20
officials, members of the USFW Service and wildlife officials from
TN-AL-KY.=20
=20
The first day was filled with discussions on Goals and Objectives in =20
initiating and identifying potential monitored sites within the TN River
Valley,=20
from which data could be used to set baselines for habitat and its usage
by=20
shorebirds. Randy Wilson, USFW from Vicksburg, MS presented an
informative=20
overview and insights of the goals, objectives, partners, lessons
learned and=20
successes of the Lower Mississippi Joint Venture shorebird monitoring
program, to=20
give TVA a jump start on organizing such for the Tennessee River
Valley.=20
=20
The afternoon session was turned over to Brian Harrington, Senior
Scientist,=20
Manomet, Center for Conservation Sciences in Massachusetts. Mr.
Harrington=20
for took us through the protocols, methods and census techniques of the
International Shorebird Survey. A time was spent with break out groups
looking at=20
maps of the TN River Valley and identifying sites and exchanging info
on=20
prioritization and responsible agencies of potential monitoring sites
within the=20
valley drainage. The rest of the afternoon. Brian Harrington went
through=20
surveying techniques, estimating concentration of shorebirds and key
points and=20
tips on ID.
=20
The following day was spent in the field at Ensley Bottoms, where we
applied=20
Brian Harrington's methods of flock estimates when we separated into
groups=20
and were amazed at the general consensus reached by the 7 groups on
numbers=20
and species in a flock of 4,000 Wind Birds. We had a break for lunch,
at where=20
else, Interstate Bar-B-Q after which some had to leave to travel back
to=20
their jobs but some of us stayed through the evening, in fact 3 of us
stayed=20
till dark.=20
=20
In the afternoon, the group was treated to two exciting and up close =20
encounters with a hunting Peregrine Falcon and the evasive maneuvers of
a Lesser =20
Yellowlegs, taken again and again to escape being a lunch item. Later we
were to=20
witness a mass exodus of shorebirds as they gathered in front of us and
took=20
off in clamorous groups again and again, flying over the steam plant to
destinations far to the north.=20
=20
We enjoyed 17 species over the day: Semipalmated Sandpiper, Killdeer
with=20
young, Black-necked Stilts-many on nests, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs
with=20
great comparisons, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated =20
Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper -1, Least Sandpipers-huge number,
White-rumped =20
Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers -second in total numbers, Dunlin, Stilt
Sandpiper,=20
Short-billed Dowitcher-just getting here in the last few days in
numbers,=20
Long-billed -1 exact reverse in species between the two from last
weekend, Wilson's=20
Phalarope-3 males which later we were to watch, in the setting sun,
migrate=20
north.
=20
I'd like to thank, Hill Henry, Jason Mitchell and the others on the TVA
staff, for the invitation and organizing the meeting, bringing together
and =20
keeping this large group in focus and running on time and especially
Brian =20
Harrington for sharing his extensive, in depth knowledge and expertise
of my beloved=20
Wind Birds.=20
=20
The efforts and time put in by these individuals at this meeting will =20
benefit both the birds and the people of our region and beyond, in
providing=20
another, fast dwindling group of birds, stop over habitat during their
migration=20
time through the TN River Valley.
=20
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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