May 25, 2005 Chickasaw NWR Lauderdale Co. TN Yesterday, after work, I ran up to Chickasaw NWR to try for 3 Whimbrel that were seen on Tuesday. I had no luck on the Whimbrel but did see quite a few shorebirds; most were using the far west area so it was a long but productive walk. I was later joined by Michael Stroeh with the USFW Service and we birdied till dusk. We found 7 Black-bellied Plovers, 16 Semipalmated Plovers, Killdeer, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 3 bright male Ruddy Turnstones, 6 Least Sandpipers, 480 Semipalmated Sandpipers ( a lot more hidden that could not be seen well enough to count) NO Western (consistent with few or none seen in other areas this season), 4 Pectoral Sandpipers, 42 Dunlin in stunning plumage, 15 Short-billed Dowitchers, with some in the best and richest colored plumage that I've seen in years. Again, this is the first really productive Managed shorebird habitat in TN due to Stroeh's efforts. It will with his attention and care become better each season producing numbers and diversity in both duck and shorebird species. This year there were thousands of shorebird using the area (multi-thousand Yellowlegs in one period) and in one freeze period during the winter 100,000 waterfowl. It takes someone that thinks about the habitat and is given the support from others to produce results. Just calling it shorebird habitat does not make it shorebird habitat, it takes prep and forethought, that produces food, which results in numbers using the area. Brian Harrington emphasized a great point in front of quite a few, late on the second day of the TVA meeting, on how important it is for the areas to be large, open and largely free of standing vegetation giving the birds unobstructed views. You can't have small areas surrounded by vegetation and expect anything but small numbers and diversity. Stroeh also had 20 Black Terns on Monday but we had only one but it was in immaculate breeding plumage and a pleasure to watch. We had 50+ Least Terns, with some males courting the females and plying them with fish for sex. I believe there was a nest in one area as I was mobbed and dived on by a bunch when I approached. Besides the resident Canada Geese, there were the expected Mallards with some females escorting young and 4 hen Hooded Mergansers with 21 chicks, Wood Ducks but no young, plus single male Gadwall, Ring-necked and Lesser Scaup. A Pied-billed Grebe on a late nest was observed and there were 2 American White Pelicans trying to blend in with the hundreds of Great Egrets. There were 30+ Snowy Egrets and numerous Great Blue but only 2 Little Blue and they were fly by's. Two immature Bald Eagles were seen playing tag in the air and later perched trying to find a duck or goslings looking the other way. Good Birding!!! Jeff R. Wilson OL'COOT / TLBA Bartlett, TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ========================================================