[TN-Bird] shorebird habitat - Rutherford County

From: Terry Witt <terrywitt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tn-bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:52:11 -0700 (PDT)
Shorebird habitat in this part of the state is in short supply, so any 
site available is well worth checking.
There is an area of flooded fields SW of Murfreesboro that has been quite 
attractive in the past to shorebirds, waders, ducks etc.
All the usual shorebirds have been seen here, and also uncommon species 
including Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Wilson's Phalarope, Common 
Moorhen, and others. In the past, there was always water here each winter into 
spring, and the owner had a duck blind with hunting during season.
Several years ago, the drainage changed, and I have not seen any standing water 
here for some time.  Water levels are excellent now, and depending upon the 
amount of rain, there will be good habitat into May.  When the water does fall, 
it can disappear rather quickly,
This morning there were 50+ Blue-winged Teals, 4 N Shovelers, a few Mallards, 
and 10 A Coots.  2 Lesser Yellowlegs were the only shorebirds seen today.
There were also hundreds of swallows present, I only saw N Rough-winged, Tree, 
and Barn.

You can access the area from Hwy 99 SW of Murfreesboro
Turn left (south) on St Andrews (3 miles SW of I-24)
Turn left on Kimbro road when St Andrews ends and the ponds are ahead on the 
right across from Three Rivers Storage
Parking is a bit tricky and there is plenty of traffic
With care, one can pull off into the grass parallel to the road on the same 
side 
as the water near the mailboxes, and can even use the car as a blind
The farmer/landowner was not very accomodating in the past, and I would advise 
not walking in the fields; a scope is essential as some of the birds will be 
rather distant 

Terry Witt
Murfreesboro Tn
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[TN-Bird] shorebird habitat - Rutherford County

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