12/15/18
Lincoln County
Fowler Rd Irrigation Pond
11:45am-2:00pm
There was an adult male Yellow-headed Blackbird (picture taken in flight- will
try to get e-bird checklist up soon) feeding with a mega-flock of Red-winged
Blackbird/Brown-headed Cowbirds. The 5,000+ flock was feeding in the still
drawn down areas of the Irrigation Pond (easily seen from Fowler Road and pull
off area). The area was actually planted in late fall with herbaceous matter
that will favor ducks for a food mast resource.
There were probably at least 20,000 blackbirds in this area today. There are
mixed flocks of Common Grackles, Starlings, cowbirds, RWBL all harboring in the
nearby woodlots. Occasionally a flock of thousands would take wing. I saw a
flock that shaped like a cloud that size-wise was at least half the length of
the pond (0.5 mile long).
A large amount of ducks (counted over 1,300 individuals) were on the pond
today. surprisingly besides the solo resident Domesticated Goose, there were no
other geese here during my visit.
Other birds included:
Merlin (along Rush Rd side) and American Kestrels
2 Red-tailed Hawks working in tandom flying and flushing the blackbird flocks
at the irrigation pond water's edge
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle (adult)
Eastern Meadowlarks (20+ near Fowler/Rush Rd intersection)
Sandhill Crane (heard)
Mallard (482)
Gadwall (325)
Ring-necked Duck (273)
Green-winged Teal (126)- with one possible male "Eurasian"- far out in pond did
not see the white"american" shoulder mark on body side
Redhead (65)
Northern Shoveler (15)
Ruddy Duck (12)
Bufflehead (9)
American Wigeon (8)
Lesser Scaup (7)
Northern Pintail (3)
American Black Duck (2)
Canvasback (1-female)
This place can be hit or miss- but when it hits, it HITS. Today was a birding
overload day (which happens for me during swallow, blackbird, duck migrations)
so much to see. Hopefully the masses will continue tomorrow.
Good Birding,
Dan Snell
Lynchburg,TN
