[TN-Bird] Weekend Ramble and surprise find.
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 20:07:14 EDT
June 27-28-29, 2003
McNairy, Shelby, Dyer and Lake Co. TN
Fulton Co. KY
I drove up to McNairy Co. late Friday, to fill in a few year bird blanks. The
new bionic ears paid off with two Bachman's Sparrows and a bunch of Prairie
Warblers along with some Pine Warblers. At dusk, I had a Whip briefly calling
at Big Hill Pond and I was back home by 10 PM.
Saturday morning, a quick run through Ensley and down to North, Robco and Mud
Lake produced few birds. The Black-necked Stills are hatching right and left
at Ensley. A single Pectoral Sandpiper was the only new returning shorebird. A
brief stop by the TVA Plant produced 2 Western Kingbirds but no activity at
either nest which is puzzling as the female was setting eggs earlier in the
week. Another Loggerhead Shrike juvenile was photographed at the waste
treatment
plant and the male Painted Bunting was singing his head off. At Robco Lake,
there were no Ruddy Ducks to be seen and only a few DC Cormorants and Least
Terns. At Mud Lake, the trees have grown to the point that they now block any
view
into the Cocklebur area. A few Least Terns were seen there and some Wood
Ducks with young. North Lake had 3 American White Pelicans and the expected DC
Cormorants and Least Terns. The Mississippi River is just clearing out of the
area for the second time this year and to see much you have to do some walking.
Black-necked Stilts are spread over most of the area to our north. Found the
birds in 3 new areas for me, a male and female were hiding in a little water
hole off 79 Highway, 2 pair (one suspected nest) in the Tiger-tail area and a
single male near Chic (female on nest maybe?). The good news is, the birds
nesting off the Great River Road have hatched two broods of chicks. Between
mile
markers 18 and 19, one pair was chasing Great Egrets away from 4 freshly
hatched young on Saturday at noon. Another pair had brought 2 chicks that
looked to
be about one week old into the same area on Sunday and the first pair had
moved their small young away from the area where all the Egrets were feeding.
The
little ones would be just bite size for these birds. Mom and Dad put on a show
driving the huge egrets away from the chicks. A little farther south in the
same field, but in a dry area that already had been planted, another pair have
a nest that they were protecting from a bunch of crows on Saturday. All seemed
well Sunday morning as I watched them trade places at the nest. A
Black-necked Stilt nest that I had been watching north of 103 Highway lost its
battle
with a tractor Saturday. These eggs appeared to be just a day from hatching.
The
pair was seen standing next to the nest Sunday morning and they could attempt
another nesting nearby.
In Fulton Co. KY, two broods were found at different locations plus I suspect
there is a third nest. One nest I had been watching for two weeks but the
other pair just showed up with very small young, both broods were only a day
old,
at the most. I never saw more than two chicks at either of the locations at
any one time but distance and deep grass were the limiting factors. I only
spent about 30 minutes with the scope at each location. It took over an hour to
see all four of the small young off the Great River Road. I had another female
show up (I checked the other four out and when I came back she was still taking
her bath and preening) which would indicate there might be another nest
somewhere. The Mississippi River will fall enough in the next few days for the
gates to be open and the water will drain from the area in a matter of just a
couple of more days. At Lake #9, I had one Semipalmated Plover drop into to a
flat
as a surprise new fall migration bird and spend about 15 minutes sleeping and
preening before it headed south.
Late Saturday I walked back into an area where 3 states come together on the
Mississippi River and got a line on what apparently is just a roost of herons
and egrets plus thousands of Purple Martins. It will have to dry a little more
before I can nail it down. This roost is showing up on Nexrad in the early
morning and it saves a lot of time knowing where to look. I think it might be
in
Arkansas but there is a little strip of TN on the other side of the river.
Now to locate a rookery which might be further north. Reelfoot Lake had no
birds
on it except the expected Great Blues and Great Egrets, an adult Bald Eagle,
Least Terns, Mallards and the 4 Ruddy Ducks (3 males and a female).
At an emerging sandbar on the Mississippi off Hoe Cake Road in Lake Co, I saw
a bunch of happy Least Terns plus a Black Tern. In Lauderdale Co, I found a
Cooper's Hawk fledgling begging for food.
By far the best find of the weekend was a dead bird that I found on a back
road, south of Open Lake in Lauderdale Co. this (Sunday) afternoon. I'll write
about it in a separate post.
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.
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