FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Kentucky Dam etc.

["bennetts" <bennetts@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

May 18, 2002:

I made the trip to Kentucky Dam in hopes of finding the Pacific Loon that I 
thought would be gone last weekend, and therefore missed.

This weekend, the Loon kept his side of the bargain and we missed again. Either 
the Loon was gone or it was concealed by the white-caped waves that were 
present on the west side of the Lake.

The afternoon was not a total wash-out as several terns and a few gulls were 
around the dam.

Above the dam were numerous Forters's/Common Terns.  The exact identification 
was impossible for me.  Below the dam were more terns.  The majority were 
Forters's/Common with some of each species being present.  Also below the dam 
were some Caspian Terns, few Black Terns, and 4 Laughing Gulls along with a few 
Herring and Ring-billed Gulls.  Of course that 50+ Great Blue Herons that are 
always there and the hundreds of Cliff Swallows were also there.

Blackpoll Warblers seemed to be in every clump of trees, but other migrants 
were generally not observed.  An exception was a male Mourning Warbler below 
Barkley Dam in the line of trees/ditch along the drive-up approach on the east 
bank of the Cumberland River.

Other species of interest to me were Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow Warbler, 
Orchard Oriole, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Northern Parula, and 
numerous year round residents.

The Ohio River is backing up rapidly.  The bridge providing access to the area 
below Kentucky Dam was under several feet of water today and water levels were 
obviously rising below the dam, even though the gates were closed.  Water was 
also on the rise behind the dam with the gates shut.  I had to shed my shoes 
and role up my pants to wade to the small hill in the Kentucky Dam Village Park 
Recreation Area to view Kentucky Lake.  Water was obviously flowing "up", away 
from the center of the lake as I waded.

It is certain that many nests of low nesters such as Prothonotary, Hooded, 
Kentucky, Worm-eating and other warblers will be lost in the Ohio river bottoms 
area this year.  Late flooding always does this, but the loss this year will 
probably be exceptional.  I feel certain that the Prothonotary Warbler that I 
saw had lost a nest (just male intuition).

Enough babbling. Brainard called a little while ago and all 4 Red-necked 
Phalaropes remain at Morgan's Pond.  They had been joined by unspecified 
numbers of Sanderlings, but the Ruddy Turnstones were gone.

If Brainard sees the Loon, I will have to kill the boy the next time I see him.

That concludes this report.

Mark Bennett
Russellville, KY
Logan County
bennetts@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


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