[tn-bird] Reelfoot area shorebird count 8/10/02 & Olive-sided Flycatcher 8/12/02

From: Mikectodd@xxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 11:12:37 EDT
Mark Greene, Nancy Moore, Ken Leggett, and myself covered the northwest TN 
area for the shorebird count this last Saturday. Numbers and habitat were 
both down considerably from the last time I was in the area, but we still had 
18 species with some nice surprises.

Island 13 was out first stop, and the habitat has mostly been lost since the 
last time I was there. The pool still should hold some water for a little 
while longer, but nothing like it was a couple of weeks ago. Island 13 held 
no surprises, with a heavily molted Western Sandpiper being the best of the 
few birds present.

White Lake on the other hand should continue to have suitable habitat, as it 
is being managed. At White Lake we had 20+ Black-necked Stilts, and a very 
worn Short-billed Dowitcher among the horde of Killdeer, Solitary, Pectoral, 
and both Yellowlegs, with a sprinkling of Least Sandpiper thrown in.  The 
south end of Everett Lake looks like it will have habitat for a while also, 
with a good number of birds present here, nothing out of the ordinary though.

Tiptonville Bar produced the best birds of the day. It took a while to work 
the birds out due to the distance, but we eventually worked out a molting 
adult Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, and 2 Red Knots. The Knots were 
first picked-up by their distinctive short-legged, short-billed football 
shape and very methodical feeding habits, together with being clearly bulkier 
than all the nearby Killdeer. They were molting adults, with very dull red 
left on the breast, although this was hard to see due to the orientation of 
the Sun (slightly backlit). We looked long and hard but were unable to locate 
a Sanderling.

The recently flooded area at Black Bayou produced a basic-plumage adult 
Wilson's Phalarope, swimming 90 to nothing the whole time we were there. The 
young Tricolored Heron also obliged us while we were there with good looks.

We had hoped for Baird's and Buff-breasted Sandpipers along with Sanderling 
for the day, but no luck. Mark heard an Upland Sandpiper while we driving, 
but we were unable to get a look at the bird.

Our final shorebird list for the day is as follows:

Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Upland Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Pectoral Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope

On a different note I had my 1st Olive-sided of the fall on the way home from 
work this morning. The bird was teed-up in the top of a dead snag between 
Trezevant and McKenzie, in Carroll Co.

Good birding!!!!!!!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
Carroll Co
mikectodd@xxxxxx
 
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[tn-bird] Reelfoot area shorebird count 8/10/02 & Olive-sided Flycatcher 8/12/02

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