[TN-Bird] West TN Shorebirds
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 11:28:50 EDT
Aug. 16 -17, 2003
Ensley to Reelfoot Area
At the pits on Saturday, the species list was low but numbers were still
high. From Friday, AM, Saturday there was a drop in Semipalmated Sandpipers but
another increase in Pectoral Sandpipers. The first juvenal plumaged Western
Sandpipers numbered about a dozen but had to be hunted down through the 8000
plus
birds present. The percentage of young Least Sandpipers was down but it might
have just been the adult numbers had increased. More time spent scanning might
have produced more than 13 species but Mike and Mark were kept busy pointing
out species and ID points to some of the birders that were just being
inoculated with the shorebird virus. I'm sure there are Uplands around and
maybe a few
Buff-breasted but we spent little time away from the pits to search for those
two.
One good study was provided by 3 mottled and molting adult Long-billed
Dowitchers and 2 immature Short-billed Dowitchers. They provided a few birders
with
both new TN birds and for a couple they were Lifers. A kettle of traveling
raptors provided another study as a single white headed adult Krider's played
with some regular adult and immature Red-tails right above our heads. Also in
the
group were some higher flying Broad-wings and Mississippi Kites and even a
Turkey Vulture got into the act. All a blatant indication that migration is
present all around us if we look. Times are a changin'. A Red-shouldered protes
ted hidden in the tree line and earlier 3 of us were treated to a male Cooper's
harassing the "Wind Birds." Kestrels are present at the pits and surrounding
area in good numbers.
I had to leave at 3:30 to take another couple on a previously promised trip
to introduce them to the wonders of the Reelfoot area that afternoon and
Sunday. They are not birders (yet) so a lot of driving and looking at maps took
up a
lot of time to mark up maps for their future forays. We could not get close
enough to the Purple Martin/Swallow roost showing up every morning on Nexrad
but did see birds streaming to an epicenter behind a tree line. There were
quite
a few shorebirds to look through on Sunday. I added, Baird's, Ruddy-Turnstone
(2 locations) Buff-breasted (two locations) and Black-bellied Plover to round
out the weekend totals to 17.
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.
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