FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] BKY: RPT - various west KY locations May 18-19

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Amy Covert and I birded a variety of locations in west KY Sat/Sun.

No one posted on the spectacular concentration of shorebirds at Morgan's
Pond on Sat.  It included 16 Blk-bel Plovers, at least 125 Dunlin, at least
250-300 Semi Sandpipers, 4 Red-necked Phalaropes, 4-6 (perhaps more)
Sanderlings, 5 Stilt Sandpipers, and 8-10 White-rumped Sandpipers.  Today at
mid-day, there were only a handful of birds there total, attesting to the
great variation in conditions that one can see from day to day at shorebird
spots.  I think the biggest factor in the mass departure was the rise in the
lake from Friday's rains (similar factor to what David Roemer noted for
McElroy Lake).  I bet the birds hung in there between Friday and Saturday,
not realizing that finding food was going to be so hard on Saturday . . . as
it was, most of the birds were stacked up on the downwind side, bickering
over midges that were being blown into the southern shoreline (I'd never
heard so many interactive shorebird notes . . . a constant chatter of
bickering!); I bet most left on Saturday evening.

Western Fulton County yielded few shorebirds on Sunday; I am wondering if
there is SO much habitat along the Miss that the birds are all spread out
over there.  Was disappointed not to see some newly arrived Black-necked
Stilts that could have been flooded out of other areas.  The Mississippi is
as high as it has been in nearly 10 years. Did see the regular western
Fulton Co. specialties.

Below Ky Dam on Sat were numerous terns of 4 species (all but Least); 3 or 4
Laughing Gulls, and 1 Franklin's Gull with the commoners.  On Sunday
evening, there were 3 Ruddy Turnstones with most of the same larids.

This morning single Mourning and Connecticut warblers were observed in
northern Land Between the Lakes.

bpb, Louisville
brainard.palmer-ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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