FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Various pts west KY May 12

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

Ben's call on the Cal Gull hurried a departure for west KY by Amy and me on 
Friday afternoon. We did get to Lake Barkley before dark, but could not find 
the bird, which apparently departed mid-afternoon. We intended to look for 
warblers and shorebirds in Ballard County, and a mid-afternoon stop by Barkley 
again on Sat produced the same results.
 
There was actually quite a bit of migrant song in the bottoms of Ballard 
County, with 18 species seen/heard including Wilson's, Cape May, 
Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green (male), Blackpoll & Maggie (numerous), and 
a couple of Palms. We also heard a couple of Alder Flycatchers. I was curious 
if such a wonderful day weatherwise would translate into fewer shorebirds and 
predictably it did. Unfortunately, Mitchell Lake appears to be lost for spring 
shorebirds by the recent rains, but Lower Beaverdam Slough on the opposite side 
of the levee has good habitat; pools at Swan Lake are diminishing rapidly. We 
had 12 species in Ballard County (best single White-rump, Dunlin, and 
Black-bellied Plover) with dowitcher sp. added at Lake Barkley. Only different 
waterbirds in the dams area were at least 2 and probably 15-20 Common Terns 
pretty far out on Ky Lake above the dam. 
 
bpb, Frankfort