Yesterday (August 11) Jim Holt, Alice Loftin, Linda Northrop, and I visited Rankin Wildlife Management Area in Cocke County to check out the progress of fall migration. As is usually the case this time of year, we were not disappointed. Although mudflats were only beginning to appear above the receding water--at considerable distance that made viewing pretty difficult, even through a scope--we were nonetheless able to tweezer out low numbers of the following species: Semipalmated Plover (2); Greater Yellowlegs; Lesser Yellowlegs (3); Solitary Sandpiper (3); Spotted Sandpiper; Least Sandpiper (at least 2); Pectoral Sandpiper (at least 8). In trees along the extensive shoreline, we were able to pick up Black-crowned Night-Heron; Wood Duck; Great-crested Flycatcher; Eastern Kingbird (7); Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (4); Yellow Warbler; Prairie Warbler; Prothonotary Warbler (2). Other notables included Double-crested Cormorant (30); Great Egret (73); Green Heron (7); Osprey; Broad-winged Hawk. One of the best things about Rankin is that it has become an unofficial meeting place for birders who seldom get to see each other. In addition to the fine birds we encountered, we also encountered some fine birders: Wallace Coffey, Dave Worley, and Rack Cross from Bristol-TOS and Boyd Sharp and another member of Knoxville-TOS. (I apologize for not catching the name of Boyd's fellow chapter member. I think it might have been Dave, but I'm just not sure. If he gets this post, I hope he contacts me.) It's always a treat to meet other birders out in the field. [Also present at Rankin were the following butterflies: Pipevine Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Pearl Crescent, Hackberry Emperor, Gulf Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, American Snout, Viceroy, Northern Pearly-eye, Monarch, Silver-spotted Skipper, Least Skipper.] Don Miller, Greeneville, TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958 =========================================================