[TN-Bird] Re: Eurasion Wigeon present

  • From: "Nancy Moore" <jaybird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <robert_p_ford@xxxxxxx>, <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2013 23:19:14 -0600

Glenn Criswell had a Eurasian Wigeon April 6, 1998 in Black Bayou WMA at 
Reelfoot Lake, Tn. I went with him to see it. Hopefully this sighting was 
recorded.

Nancy Moore
Reelfoot Lake, Tn

From: Michael Todd 
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 10:04 AM
To: robert_p_ford@xxxxxxx ; tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Eurasion Wigeon present

Eurasian Wigeon occurrence patterns are quite interesting. Back in the 
mid-80's, a male Eurasian wintered at Cross Creeks for 5 or 6 years in a row (I 
don't believe it is known whether same bird or not). The last few years have 
definitely shown an uptick in reports of this bird, with the birds that Bill 
mentioned and at least one I can think of in Memphis Jeff had and at least one 
I can remember posted from NE TN. Prior to these, I think it goes all the way 
back to 2002 when I had one at Britton Ford. Jeff and I also found what I 
believe was the first documented one for AR back in Oct of 2011, just a few 
miles west of the Mississippi. But, just north of us they remain extremely rare 
birds in KY, with practically no modern records, and I don't think any of the 
top KY listers have one in KY. Interesting discussion, and definitely a treat 
for us to be having this species with any regularity.


Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Robert Ford <robert_p_ford@xxxxxxx>
To: birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Sunday, December 1, 2013 8:34 AM
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Eurasion Wigeon present


Hey Bill - FYI, 20 plus years ago Eurasian wigeon showed up every couple of 
years at Wheeler NWR in north Alabama on Tennessee River. Maybe another 
question is "is there a fairly consistent pattern of them showing up on TN 
River between Huntsville and Paris every couple of years?" . . . And as Mike 
says, if we can find them. 

Bob Ford 
Haywood County, TN
 

From: Michael Todd [mailto:birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2013 09:35 PM
To: Tn bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Eurasion Wigeon present 
 



Bill,

I didn't see the Savannah bottoms bird, and don't remember if there were any 
photos of it. I think the Busseltown and Britton Ford birds are different 
though, on plumage. I was a bit distant today, but the bird Terry and David 
found looked to be a classic Eurasian, with a solid rufous head; the Busseltown 
bird Ruben found had an obvious creamy paler area on the cheek below the eye, 
that was visible at a distance. Your scenario does make sense with the scarcity 
of this species in the mid-south, but I guess as with most of these rarities, 
probably more of them around than we realize.

Good Birding!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd


From: Bill Pulliam <littlezz@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Tn bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2013 4:31 PM
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Eurasion Wigeon present


This makes three of the last four winters with an adult male Eurasian Wigeon 
spotted somewhere along the Tennessee River/Kentucky Lake corridor between 
Britton Ford and Savannah Bottoms.  Makes one wonder if they have possibly all 
been the same bird? 

Bill Pulliam
Hohenwald TN

On Nov 30, 2013, at 1:04 PM, Michael Todd wrote:

  11/30/2013
  Britton Ford, Henry Co

  When I arrived about 10 AM, David Kirschke and the Routledges were already 
there, with the bird in and out of view with the large group of Wigeon present. 
They would walk around the point to the north, then fly out in mass a hundred 
yards or so, only to steadily walk back out of view. This went on several 
times, before the drake Eurasian finally decided to take a long nap, on the 
point buried in amongst the various other ducks. Most of the this time, it was 
effectively invisible due to being behind so many other birds. Ruben Stoll 
arrived in time to see it, and Bill Lisowski of KY (finder of the recent Say's 
Phoebe at Reelfoot), arrived just a couple of minutes after the whole group 
flew to the south end of the bay here, which is largely hidden from view. You 
have to move around a lot to try to see into this area, and we hadn't relocated 
the bird when I left about 11:30. It is still in the area though. Also 3 
Cackling Geese flew by trailing a group of White-fronts. Otherwise, just the 
expected birds of the area, with a few Forster's Terns a nice addition. I 
didn't check any of the other areas here, though others were.

  I've placed 2 distant shots of the Eurasian Wigeon in a gallery here:
  http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/gallery/winter_201314   Hopefully others will get 
some better shots of this very sharp bird, showing no signs of hybridization.









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