[TN-Bird] Wind Blown Birds - AR - TN

From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, ARBIRD-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 08:17:04 -0400 (EDT)
April 15, 2011
Shorebird Migration
AR-TN
 
Across the bridge in AR, the fields were wet, plowed or slick,  stubble or 
fallow for miles. Golden-Plovers had selected historic sites to rest,  where 
sloughs and creeks had lain long before the plow smoothed them over. At  
seven locations, 4200+ plovers were counted ( 1255+ and 1120+ off of Highway 
50  at 2 locations) but few other Wind Birds were present, evidently swept 
out  before the storm front.
 
At the Northern Treatment Plant in Memphis, many Solitary  Sandpipers and 
Lesser Yellowlegs occupied what little solid areas are left  in the rain 
filled ponds. Killdeer with scrapes, eggs and young were  scattered along the 
road sides. Pair after pair of Black-necked Stilts were  amorously involved, 
and I watched the selection of a nest site; the  repeat of a ritual that I 
had watched only once years before in over 20  years. I've watched their nest 
building many times but witnessed this selection  sequence only twice, the 
actual moment of selection.  Rarer than  watching a male Black-necked Stilt 
court, display and attempt to copulate with  an inanimate object, a strange 
activity I've seen 3 times and photographed  once.
 
The only other Wind Birds counted at the lagoons were; 1  Spotted, 2 
Semipalmated Sandpipers, 3 Pectoral Sandpipers and 8 Wilson's Snipe.  Among the 
5 
sparrow species present was a troop of 28 White-crowned Sparrows  graveling 
out in the road, a comic relief of chasing, aggressive displays and  mad 
scurrying about.
 
A sky search over the Mississippi River held a few migrating  raptors and 
DC Cormorants riding the winds rushing behind the front; 6  Broad-wings, 1 
Harrier, 2 Coopers, 4 Red-tail and even a pair of  Mississippi Kites to add to 
a very early single that hurried through last month.  Lots of early 
sightings this year.
 
At home in Bartlett, a Sharp-shinned scattered the  White-throated Sparrows 
feeding among the Oak tassels; the resident Cooper's is  laying low since 
the Crows are feeding young.
 
Now, let's see what the west winds produce  today............   
Jeff R.  Wilson / TLBA
6300 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN   38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
What is this feathered thing that  lifts my heart to the  heavens.



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[TN-Bird] Wind Blown Birds - AR - TN

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