FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] 17 May 2004, Henderson County, KY

["Robert Dever" <rdever@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Great Blue rookery near Henderson is teeming with hundreds of 'Little'
Great Blues in all sizes. What a sight to see. Even surpasses the Eagle on
her nest with at least one young Eagle at her side. I went from there over
to the Sloughs WMA in the afternoon but was tethered to my car by
thundershowers. After finding no shorebirds on the WMA, by choosing not to
walk too far from the car, I drove west on 268 & 136 and found a nice
collection between the road and the river spread out over at least a quarter
of a mile including 40+ Semipalmated Plovers, Killdeer, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs,
75+ Semipalmated Sandpipers, 35 Dunlins & 12 STILT SANDPIPERS. The numbers
are conservative due to much vegetation near the water. It was interesting
to note that the Stilt Sandpipers stayed together along with a few Dunlins
forming a small ecumenical community. The other birds were scattered all
along the mud flat on the south side. While watching the birds a COPPERBELLY
WATER SNAKE moved across the mud and seemed to be stalking first a
Semipalmated Plover and then a Killdeer but after ten minutes the snake gave
up an slid into the water and swam away. Wonder if the snake was up to a
Killdeer?  Amazing that Wind Birds were making this incredible journey
perhaps 50 million years ago!
Robert


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