Rankin Bottoms Cocke County, TN 9:10am - 12:15pm Great morning after the rains. Lots of great close views from the kayak. The mudflats continue to grow. The shorebirds extended from the bank directly across from the coal tipple to the right (southeast) at the end of the cove. The shorebirds are definitely starting to build at the end of the cove in the area where the gravel road reappears. One of the Baird’s and the Buff-breasted Sandpiper were in that area. To the view the end of the cove with a scope, park at the first gravel parking area on the right about 1/4 mile from the railroad crossing. Last week I was able to clear a path through the poison ivy to the shoreline. Scoping from this area may give you some good views as the water drops. Great to see Steve Zipper from middle TN and Dr. Buehler from UT with a small group. Black-bellied Plover - 1 American Golden-Plover - 1 Semipalmated Plover - 20+ Killdeer - 60+ Greater Yellowlegs - 4 Lesser Yellowlegs - 25+ Spotted Sandpiper - 2 Solitary Sandpiper - 3 Buff-breasted Sandpiper - 1 Sanderling - 1 Pectoral Sandpiper - 20+ Baird's Sandpiper - 2 Semipalmated Sandpiper - 30+ Western Sandpiper - 10+ Least Sandpiper - 45+ Stilt Sandpiper - 1 Short-billed Dowitcher - 12+ Mallard - 10+ Canada Goose - 30+ Double-breasted Cormorant - 40+ Great Blue Heron - 10+ Green Heron - 2 Great Egret - 35+ Osprey - 2 Ring-billed Gull - 30+ Black Tern - 1 Caspian Tern - 2 Chuck Estes Oak Ridge, TN