[TN-Bird] Migration delivers the Goods
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2003 08:13:07 EDT
Oct. 18, 2003
Ensley Bottoms,
Dacus Bar and Eagle Lake
Shelby Co. TN
Saturday morning, the fog on the Mississippi River was so thick I could not
see the tree line on the other side of the river. Even then an occasional ghost
like gull could be seen flying close to the water and heading south. I worked
my way south and on Riverport Road found a large group of 78 Gadwall and
later 122 Shoveler along with the regular cast of dabblers. I searched for any
dark duck but found none. On McKellar Lake, I counted 26 Ring-billed Gulls
along
with 100+ DC Cormorants.
The pits were pretty well socked in so I retraced my steps and tried a few
spots finding a lot of Indigo Buntings but the sparrows would come later in the
day. Finally at 10:30, I made my way back to the pits to find a few thousand
Least Sandpipers, a sprinkling of Killdeer, 48 Lesser Yellowlegs, 27 Stilt
Sandpipers, 2 LB Dowitchers, 1 Pectoral, 2 Western Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin and 6
Wilson's Snipe. The best find was 2 Virginia Rails in a territorial scuffle.
Two
more special wind bird species were waiting on the sandbars in the Mississippi
for a total of 11 shorebird species for the day.
I started following the gaze of the shorebirds and had a Sharp-shinned, 2
Harrier and a few Red-tailed Hawks called to my attention, all high and going
south. There was a little too much mud so I headed back to see what was
traveling
down the river at Mud Island. The next 3 hours sitting and scanning produced
some fine birds and numbers. I picked up 2 Black-bellied Plovers on the far
sandbar and soon saw 3 large and 2 small shorebirds skimming the water and they
turned and set down on the tip of the closest bar. This group produced 3 Red
Knots, my latest sighting by 2 weeks and the two small birds trying to keep up
with them were a pair of Least Sandpipers.
Nine Ring-billed Gulls flew past during the vigil, along with small groups of
DC Cormorants speeding south. The biggest movement of the day was the 2033
American White Pelicans that swirled past in 6 different flights over the time
period. No telling how many passed undetected in the bright blue sky. Only 1
Chimney Swift was seen cleaving the blue, hurriedly filling its tank; there
were
thousands just a couple of weeks ago. Scattered groups of Tree Swallows fed
south with a few Barn and a single Rough-winged in tow.
There was almost never a scan of the horizon that did not produce a new
traveler, with the raptor totals for the period as follows; Sharp-shinned - 2,
Cooper's - 2, Broad-winged-1, Red-shouldered - 3, Red-tailed - 12 and as usual
the
day after a front passes, 6 Harrier loped high over the river. The high
Harrier always heightens your attention because of their flight, shape and long
wings but the long tail gives them away as they close the distance.
In the afternoon, I visited the grassy fields at Eagle Lake Refuge and spent
almost 2 hours in slow stalk mode. The fields and their brushy edges paid off
with 5 species of Wrens, with my first (2), cock-tailed Winter Wrens for the
season. In the vast seedy fields, I found 4 Bobolink and 8 species of sparrows
among the hordes of Indigo Buntings. The best of the sparrows were 2 colorful,
Nelson's Sharp-tailed that popped up in the bright evening sun and swung
briefly on one of their favorite stalks of seed, Barnyard Grass. Slow mode with
long stops is the best way to work these birds. The habitat is prime for this
species along with the many Field, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp,
White-throated and another first of season species, adult and immature
White-crowned
Sparrows. Try as I might, I found no LeConte's in the few patches of Spangle
and
Panicum Grass but they can't be far behind.
In the tree lines, I added; Tennessee, Orange-crowned (2 within 8 feet),
Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Common Yellowthroat and
Ovenbird.
The Giant Ragweed produced Rose-breasted Grosbeaks galore, with their beaks
stained red from the ripening seeds of this bane of hay-fever afflicted. It
makes for a great food source for all kinds of birds as the seeds provides more
crude protein than even sunflower seeds and insects abound.
The wintering birds are fast increasing and the migrants passing through are
slowly decreasing; niches are filled and vacated in the time and order
dictated.
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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