FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Weekend birds

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx]

On Saturday, I hung around the family farm and had four species of finches
at the feeders for the first time in probably more than a decade as single
Purple Finches and Pine Siskins joined the goldfinches and House Finches.
While working along the margin of one of the Indian grass fields, I counted
at least 58 Chipping Sparrows fly up to find refuge from a Sharp-shinned
Hawk in some cedar trees.

On Sunday, Matt Stickel and I ventured west to the dams in search of gulls.
As David reported yesterday, an abundance of Larids are still present at Ky
Dam; lesser numbers are at Barkley Dam and on the lakes above the dams. We
also had the same 7 species reported by David and at least some of the same
individuals. All of the gates of the dam were open, making for harder
viewing of the birds as they are now dispersed evenly across the tailwaters
from east to west (two weeks ago they were concentrated below the hydro
portion on the east side).  There was also a nice cover of ice in the back
part of the Ky Dam Village St Pk marina, where probably 3,000-4,000 birds
ended up loafing by late afternoon.

Glaucous Gull -- 2 first-year birds; at least one (maybe both?) were seen
off and on during the day below the dam, mostly on the east side; the two
were seen above Ky Dam in the evening before heading to roost.

Great Black-backed Gull -- saw David's bird very nicely a number of times;
seems to be resting on pilings and barges below the dam and was seen working
the area of the boat ramp on the west side at least three times; the bird's
bill has some intrusion of light color on what is normally a completely
black bill in first years, but the upperparts (including upper tail coverts)
and body feathers of the underparts seemed to have more of a pattern of
first year than second).

Thayer's Gull -- we saw a nicely hooded adult at an industrial pond at
Calvert City, plus the "light" first-year bird that was seen two weeks ago
feeding on the east side below the dam. This bird approaches an Iceland Gull
in plumage, but I am calling it a Thayer's based on the solid tail pattern
of sandy brown, primaries at rest that are the same color as the back,
mostly solid tertial feathers, and a relatively heavy bill.

Lesser Black-backed Gull -- at least 3, probably 4 birds, all perhaps
continuing from two weeks ago and including a second-year bird, a probable
4th yr bird (looks like an adult but has a dark smudge in the bill), and 2
adults, one with more streaking on the head than the other.  All were seen
below Ky Dam, but the 4th yr was also seen loafing on the ice at the park
marina.

Ring-billed Gull -- 5-10,000 in the area at least with birds well
distributed everywhere now.

Herring Gull -- I didn't think there were as many as two weeks ago, with
perhaps the largest concentration at Ky Dam having dispersed out a bit;
250-300+ are still obvious around Ky Dam at any given time if you stop to
count them.

Bonaparte's Gull -- all but one of 35-40 were seen feeding over the main
river channel above the dam; one tiny little first-year bird was feeding
among some Ringers at the boat ramp below the dam on the west side . . .
what a brave little soul :o)

bpb, Louisville
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