[TN-Bird] Turkey Run - Memphis TN - and a Mississippi Prairie Falcon
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, missbird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:44:36 -0500 (EST)
Nov. 27, 2011
MS RV, Ensley, Robco
Shelby Co. -TN
Tunica Co, Arkabutla Lake- MS
I completed my four day, Thanksgiving Turkey Run, visiting the 4 corners
of West TN and dipping down into Mississippi with a really great finish for
the trip.
The Mississippi River at Memphis offered little except water as it has
been on a steady rise, 16 feet in under 2 weeks, so just a few Ring-billed
Gulls and DC Cormorants. The rain was heavy and blowing into my truck window
at TVA Lake but the ducks were happy, moving into and out of McKellar Lake
with 11 species counted including Redhead and Canvasback. At Ensley, the
same shorebird species either hunkered facing the wind or like the Lesser and
Greater Yellowlegs just leaned into the stiff breeze. Not much better
viewing at Robco Lake but at least I was looking south and not facing the
rain;
a Forster's Tern was the best offer but duck numbers are building.
Things were much better in Tunica Co, MS where the gulls were using the
newly flooded fields. Lots of adult and immature Herring present among the
Ring-bills. Things got much better at Arkabutla Lake, gull wise, with an
immature CALIFORNA GULL on the waters edge below the dam and lots of
Bonaparte's
feeding with the Herring and Ring-bills.
The rain eased up and I went back down to the Delta where things were
jumping and I had treat after treat in store. Raptors were everywhere, 9
Harriers were feeding over one field off Buck Island Road; I had a count of 32
on
these graceful floaters in less than 2 hours along with a Short-eared Owl
just sitting in one field about to twist its neck off watching all these
raptors spinning around. Two large flocks of Lapland Longspurs were found
feeding, flying and playing in the wind.
The BEST bird, among all the great birds that my 4 day trip produced, was
the last. A tired, wet and very accommodating immature PRAIRIE FALCON that
sat on a telephone pole and then flew right in front of my truck and down
the road to sit out of the wind and the new rain squall that had moved in.
The lighting was bad but the bird did not mind my stopping between many
passes up and down the road each time traffic cleared. I'll post photos soon!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6300 Memphis-Arlington Rd.
Bartlett, TN. 38135_http://WWW.pbase.com/ol_coot/_
(http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/)
What is this feathered thing that lifts my heart to the heavens.
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- » [TN-Bird] Turkey Run - Memphis TN - and a Mississippi Prairie Falcon - OLCOOT1
