Sept.24-25, 2005 Mississippi River Ensley Bottoms Shelby Co. TN Saturday and Sunday there was a movement of DC Cormorants and ducks south but they had to fight a stiff Rita wind on Sunday. I had a total of 15 ADULT Herring Gulls over the weekend, that is a very unusual number of adults for over here. I had 2 sitting on the Dacus bar on Saturday morning and they left heading south. Later three of us stood on the levee at the pits and had 9 more fly right over our heads. On Sunday in the rain I found 1 hiding behind a rock dike out of the wind and late in the day 3 more I guess got tied of fighting the wind and floated into view from the north and pulled out on the Dacus Bar. Rita stopped some birds in their travels south but a total of only 10 shorebird species were seen. I did get some nice photos of a female Semipalmated with a lot of color and a very long bill. Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated, Western and Least Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, Pectoral and Buff Breasted made the list. Rita blew through with bands of heavy rain but the only wind blown birds I saw was a group of 15-20 sterna terns at 8:20 Am on Sunday. They were speeding north in a heavy rain squall. A Ring-billed gull followed shortly and late in the afternoon 5 Forster's Terns went north. Coming south were, 1 Broad-winged Hawk and groups of cormorants fighting the wind. I did have one small dark bird pass but no ID could be made. The resident pair of Osprey did not seem to mind the blustery winds and hunted off and on all day. On Saturday there was a huge number of Rough-winged and Tree Swallows but most were gone on Sunday. There was one Tree with a sparkling white forehead. The big numbers were in Chimney Swifts which worked through the wind and rain and covered the river as far as you could see. Most were foraging just skimming the water and kept me busy all day checking their antics looking for some sneaky petrel of sorts. There may be some residual birds passing on the river today and maybe for the next few days you might get lucky on the lakes in the area. Good birding!!!! Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA 6298 Memphis-Arlington Road Bartlett, TN 38135