The last two days a sod farm off New Hope Road in Monroe County has produced
some excellent shorebirds but it has also caused some significant confusion and
frustration to several birders who went down there today. The name of the
property is Crossroads Sod Farm. And the manager is very agreeable to allowing
birders to look at birds on the property so long as we follow his rules.
This sod farm has been here for several years but was usually in very poor
condition. The current owner is really taking care of the property and this
site has the potential to produce better and better birds in the future.
First, much of the property can be viewed from New Hope Road. There is one
intersection where you can park your car then scope the fields along the road.
To go into the property you need the managers’s permission which would make it
an eBird Restricted Access site. The manager is often hanging out at the main
shed next to the road.
Yesterday, Ron, Dollyann, Beth Schilling, Bill Keeler and I were viewing the
Black-bellied Plover from the road. We approached the manager of the property
and he gave us permission to drive in. He said we were welcome anytime so long
as we got permission from him first. While we were there 5 other birders
arrived and joined us.
Today Eric Bodeker was viewing from the road when the manager drives by and
invites him to walk into the property. After he left, several of us got
permission from the manager and went into the property to see the White Ibis.
After we left other birders arrived and went in and did NOT have permission
from the manager. We know this was simply a misunderstanding that we want to
prevent in the future. If we abuse our privileges we will lose access to this
property. I apologize for not sending this information out last night.
As with most sod farms, they can be really good at certain times especially
after heavy rains in migration. Most of the rest of the time they are dead. So
please don’t ask for permission from the manager unless there is a reasonable
chance good birds are there. Again, there is pretty good viewing from the road
most of the time.
In the last two days this location produced 6 new eBird Monroe County records.
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
White Ibis
Morton Massey
Knoxville TN
Sent from my iPhone
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER====================TN-Bird requires you to
sign your message with your first and last name and the
city/town and state where you live. You should also report the county and the
date of
observation of all sightings.
_____________________________________________________________
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
_____________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, send email to:tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe'
in the
Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
TN-Bird Net was created by the late Wallace Coffey, and is owned and managed by
the
Tennessee Ornithological Society. Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at
http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net Archives are at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/