We launched our canoe at the Leadvale boat ramp on upper Douglas Lake/lower
French Broad River to survey the mouth of the Nolichucky River, about 1 mile
upstream. There's good shorebird habitat, but viewing from land is limited,
if not impossible. A tight flock of nine SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS was the best
find. About a dozen PECTORAL and twice as many LEAST SANDPIPERS were also
in the area, along with 5 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. Plenty of KILLDEER, of
course.
Rankin Bottoms is on the opposite side of the river/lake, and typical Rankin
waterbirds were also present on the Nolichucky : GREAT EGRET, GREEN HERON,
WOOD DUCK, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, & GREAT BLUE HERON. A hundred+
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS gathered on a midriver shoal, near a small flock
of CANADA GEESE.
As the big red sun dropped over the horizon, we watched great egrets cruise
in from all directions to form a long queue in the watery edge of the
Rankin flats. The two white pelicans stood center stage, dwarfing the
waders to either side of them.
The lake is losing about a foot of water daily. Viewing opportunities from
land at Rankin Bottoms will be optimal for the next few days.
Michael Sledjeski & Leslie Gibbens Cocke County TN
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
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Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
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