[TN-Bird] Birding past couple of days; Reelfoot & Duck River

From: Michael Todd <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: TN Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 4 May 2012 21:16:09 -0700 (PDT)

 5/3/2011 Reelfoot area (Obion & Lake Co)
5/4/2011 Duck River Unit, TNWR (Humphreys Co)

Finally able to get out and do some birding. Spent most of the day Thursday in 
the Reelfoot area, I had planned to work down to at least Island 13 road, but a 
severe migraine sent me home long before that....I started the day at Walnut 
Log, with VERY little evidence of migrants around. Locally breeding species 
were 
in good numbers, including 3 singing Swainson's Warblers and several 
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons. On the migrant front, Magnolia was the most 
prevalent migrant, followed by TN and Palm with singles of Blackpoll and 
Chestnut-sided, a few other migrant warblers (Nashville, Canada) would be seen 
later on the day here and there, for 20 species total; very few numbers though.

I went north around the top end of the lake, to a very dry Long Point in KY. A 
few common shorebirds around, including 25 Semipalmated Plovers on one dry 
flat, 
but the highlight here was watching 3 Soras out at the edge of the mud  along 
the main road. I next went to Phillipy Unit of Black Bayou, which had one 
impoundment with nice water. Shorebird highlights here were a Black-bellied 
Plover, Stilt Sandpiper, basic Short-billed Dowitcher, and lingering Snipe 
amongst the common birds. A few shorebirds, mostly Lesser Yellowlegs (including 
one neat leucistic individual with much white on the head and neck) were at 
Black Bayou, but very little water here. Phillipy itself was bone dry, very 
rare 
for spring. The Ibis Hole nearby though, is perfect right now, mud from end to 
end, but with very little water remaining, without rain it will be dry very 
shortly. There were about 250 American Golden-Plovers on the flats here, with 
30 
Semi Plovers, 10 Dunlin, and a single White-rumped amongst the 500 or so birds 
total here. The Ibis hole is where I threw in the towel with the migraine, 
though did enjoy my only Bobolinks of the day singing in a nearby field.

This morning, Friday, I ventured to Duck River after seeing all the posts of 
late. Had a nice day, though once again warblers and passerine migrants were 
very scarce. Only migrant warblers I heard/saw were a few Blackpolls and TN. I 
saw 2 Sora and heard several more along the auto loop. Also here were some very 
nice side-by-side comparisons of Long and Short-billed Dowitchers. The best 
shorebirding was on the flats out in the river itself, which is several feet 
below winter pool. In one section there were 5 spiffy Black-bellied Plovers  on 
one emerging bar. Also here were 10 more dowitchers too distant to do much 
with. 
The flats out from the new boat launch in the far northeastern part of the 
refuge were also hopping. 14 Short-billed Dowitchers, 5 Stilt Sands, amongst 
the 
horde of Lesser Yellowlegs and peeps. 


I have a lot of photos to go thru, should have some decent Dowitcher comparison 
shots though, will post soon.

Good Birding!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
www.pbase.com/mctodd
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[TN-Bird] Birding past couple of days; Reelfoot & Duck River

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