FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Shorebirds, west KY 3 May 2007

["Palmer-Ball, Brainard \(EPPC OOS KNPC\)" <Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx>]

I've been fortunate to have a great two-week period on shorebird
viewing. Yesterday I tallied 20 species, mostly in Ballard County.  As
Scott Record mentioned, Charlie Wilkins, manager of Ballard WMA, has
pulled Mitchell Lake down a little for the spring shorebird migration
and the birds have found the habitat in a hurry. Despite Scott's lower
numbers today, May 2 and 3 there was a nice collection on the "island"
flat that forms just north of the levee road. When I arrived late
Wednesday, there was a flock of 55+ dowitchers (almost all were
Long-billed from calls of the birds, but both species were heard) among
about 300 birds total; although everybody took off at dark, there was a
nice collection yesterday morning (160+ birds). The Cook Slough area is
drying quickly and probably won't have too much soon; however, Mitchell
may be good through the month of May. If you go down to view shorebirds,
please post your results including rough numbers so we can help the Ky
Dept of Fish and Wildlife document the shorebird use. I will pass along
a summary to Charlie at the end of May.
 
Down at Swan Lake WMA, the Ohio/Mississippi Rivers have backed out of
the bottoms as you enter the WMA from US 51 near Wickliffe. This habitat
will not last long, too, but it was excellent yesterday.
 
On my way back east I deviated north to Sauerheber, but was only able to
view the shorebird unit there before dark (but it was good with probably
250 birds of 11 species).
 
Yesterday's highlights:
 
* Black-bellied Plover (4 at Swan Lake)
* Semipalmated Plover (everywhere now in small to medium-sized flocks)
* Killdeer (many now with young)
* Black-necked Stilt (2 pair were on the Swan Lake WMA shorebird unit
... on right as you enter, but Scott did not see them today)
* American Avocet (1 resting on an island in Lake Barkley opposite Green
Turtle Bay)
* Greater Yellowlegs (numbers greatly diminished in most areas, but 30+
seen in one receding field below Barlow)
* Lesser Yellowlegs (maybe still the most common and widespread species)
* Willet (one heard calling over Mitchell Lake but not seen and did not
drop in)
* Solitary Sandpiper (now peaking in numbers; at least 90 and probably
2x that at Mitchell Lake)
* Spotted Sandpiper (starting to peak and present in small numbers
everywhere)
* Semipalmated Sandpiper (I finally saw my first at Swan Lake)
* Western Sandpiper (one bird in near alternate plumage at Swan Lake)
* Least Sandpiper (now beginning to peak with as many as 100 in some
spots)
* White-rumped Sandpiper (now present in most flocks in small numbers)
* Pectoral Sandpiper (still pretty common but now past peak and
decreasing)
* Dunlin (one at Swan Lake and 4 at Sauerheber shorebird unit)
* Stilt Sandpiper (2 at Sauerheber su)
* Short-billed Dowitcher (small numbers at Ballard WMA)
* Long-billed Dowitcher (1 at Mitchell Lake and 4 at Sauerheber su)
* Wilson's Snipe (still a few around wet spots with cover)
 
To this I can add additional highlights from this week:
 
Baird's Sandpiper (one at Ellis Park, Henderson Co., 5/1/07)
Willet (6 at Camp #9 on 5/1/07 with 22 Long-billed Dowitchers)
Alder Flycatcher (one "pip-ing" yesterday at Swan Lake broke into full
"wee-bee-o" song when I played a tape at it :o)
A cloud of several thousand swallows feeding over the Miss River at the
Wickliffe waterfront was really neat
 
bpb, Frankfort