Sept. 3, 2016
Lake and Shelby Counties
Travelling
30 birders from 17 counties arrived at the Marathon gas station at 7 AM in
Tiptonville, TN for the 2nd running of the Labor Day Weekend Reelfoot to
Memphis Birding Adventure. It was a beautiful 60 something degree morning, blue
skies, nice North breeze which lasted all day. First I would like to thank
Mark A. Greene for leading us to spots around Lake county, and I would like to
thank Mike Todd for taking over and leading us to Ensley Bottoms (The PITS) in
the afternoon. I would also like to thank Ruben and Victor Stoll, Chris Agee
and Joshua Stevenson for there Friday scouting reports. Thanks also to John T.
O’Barr and Joe Hall for keeping our ebird list. Also thanks to Dick Preston
for running around a head of us at the Pits and TVA Lakes and spotting birds.
Great relocation of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper only a few saw earlier before
it disappeared Congratulations to Allison Salas who hit 600 ABA Area birds with
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at the Pits. Great to be around when some hits a goal
like this one. We had one slight car malfunction which corrected itself after
the vehicle was turned off and back on and one flat tire at the end of the day
which AAA came out and fixed.
We first headed to Tiptonville Ferry on the Mississippi River where we were
treated to Am. White Pelicans, Black and Least Terns, Bald Eagles, Osprey,
Sanderlings, Semipalm Plovers, All the normal swallows and chimney swifts. Next
to KeystonePocket on Reelfoot Lake for Pelicans, Cormorants, Great Egrets and
Caspians Terns. Next we headed out to Flowers Sheep Ridge Rd. (Road out to
Island 13) to a big pocket of water with mud flats. Baird’s Sandpiper,
Dowitchers, Lesser and Great Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpiper, and other shorebirds
along with Snowy Egret where here. Last stop in Lake County was Boothspoint
along the Mississippi River. Here we were treated to Mississippi Kites soaring
and feeding over the adjacent fields. When then crossed the bridge over the
Mississippi River into Missouri and made a much needed pit stop. Then on to
Arkansas and into Memphis to the TVA Lakes. We had our first looks at
Black-necked Stilts here along with Snowy Egrets and a Baird’s Sandpiper along
with other peeps. Final stop was The Pits. Thanks to the North wind and lower
temperatures, first timers to The Pits did not get the full treatment from Big
Stinky and those mysterious little brown flying critters that hang out in your
vehicle for a week after you visit were pleasantly not around. Normal
shorebirds at the Pits along with the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. As
mentioned above everyone got on the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and were treated to
the resident Cooper Hawk fly over which got all the birds up. Great day of
birding. Lots of life birds and State birds were found for different members of
the group. Thanks to all who came. There have already been request for a third
run next year. I will send out a notice and see how many are interested next
June or early July. Good Fall birding and safe journeys everyone.
Stephen Zipperer
Rutherford Co
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