FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] Misc updates and info on rarities

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I'm back in the office after much of the past two weeks spent enjoying the
peak of migration.  Will try to get out a few posts today and tomorrow, but
most importantly wanted to give some update on the west KY rarities:

Painted Bunting: I'm not sure it was clearly related that the bird has moved
southwest along KY 94 (towards TN) about 200 yards or so from the jct w/ KY
1282 at the old community of Miller (marked on the maps).  It has still been
easily found in this area, so I hope no one has missed it.  It has been busy
chasing male Indigo Buntings and as far as I am aware was still there on
Friday, May 9th.

White-winged Dove: I was negligent in making sure that someone posted that
the White-winged Dove has been observed flying over to the Bunge grain
terminal on the river, about 1/2 mile west of the main Hickman grain silos
on the west side of town where it was initially found.  It seems the bird
drinks, loafs, and picks up grit at the Hickman silos area and is going over
to Bunge to feed. The bird apparently left the area in town at least twice
last Wednesday to do this.  I have asked permission to enter the Bunge
terminal area on a couple of occasions and it seemed like no big deal to
employees there.  If you go for the dove and can't find it around the silos
in town, you might try returning later or scanning around at the Bunge
terminal (but be sure to stay away from any truck traffic unloading grain! .
. . there is not much activity at either terminal because of the time of
year). I have not received reports of the bird being seen since Wednesday,
but am not sure anyone has looked.

California Gull:  Jon Dunn and I looked for it twice on Thursday without
luck (although we DID have a singing Bewick's Wren there at the marina
headquarters!).  Despite being a first-summer bird, what made the CAGU quite
noticeable was the fact that about 2/3 to 3/4 of the back feathers had
molted, and these new feathers were clean gray and NOTICEABLY darker than
the back feathers of nearby Ringers it was sitting with on the marina roof.
Also, the legs were gray with a slight blue-green cast, and the bill was
really long and was a weird, chalky yellow-flesh color with a VERY clean
black tip.  Unfortunately, we only saw it for about five minutes before it
flew and I was just getting the camera out :o(  It flew out onto Ky Lake to
the SE on it's own. Who knows if it will show again or not.  

LBL Warblers:  Between May 5th and 7th, ALOT of turnover occurred in the
warblers at LBL, but it was still FANTASTIC on the 7th.  There are birds
everywhere, but the ridges seemed to be remaining the best.  32 spp of
warblers were tallied there May 5/7 combined with MANY Cape Mays (mostly on
5th), probably hundreds of Tennessees and Blackpolls, and a good variety of
most of the better migrant species including Blackburnian, Bay-breasted,
Chestnut-sided and Magnolia; also a few early birds like Nashville and
Black-throated Green remained on 7th along with Wilson's and Canada.

bpb, Louisville
brainard.palmer-ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
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