FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Brief rundown of July 12 LBL area birds

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

For those contemplating a trip to west Ky on Wednesday, sorry for the
tardiness of this post, but I just got back in from that rainy, blustery
region. Following is a brief recap of the day's sightings:

David Roemer and Mark Monroe were the first to arrive at Ky Dam and had
Sooty Tern within a half hour or so of "sunrise." They counted 7 dark terns
in one sweep a couple of times in early AM from the pullouts on the dam.
After mid-morning, the max count was 5 (4 adults and one juv) during the
early to mid-afternoon; then it went to 4 (3 ads and the juv) and none were
seen during the last hour or so of observation in the evening. In addition
to these birds, one adult Sooty was seen on northern Lake Barkley from Green
Turtle Bay marina by Dave and Mark mid-morning. Sootys were most visible
from the pullouts on Ky Dam, but also seen from the beach/rec area parking
lots. All of these birds were only seen in flight.

David first found the Audubon's Shearwater around 8:00 CDT from the Ky Dam
pullouts; it fed above the dam, working the east side; then disappeared
towards the sailboat marina; within an hour later the presumed same
individual flew right up the dam from east to west, giving us great looks as
it passed right below the pullout; it was never seen again. It was mostly
seen flying low over the water, but also sitting for brief periods.

At least twice and maybe three times, we viewed a bird thought to be a
probable juv (because of lack of light cap) Brown Noddy Tern. This bird was
also seen only in the AM. I am a bit wishy-washy on the ID as of this
moment, but need to do some lit/photo review work. Dave and Mark feel good
about it. It was not seen in the afternoon, although the somewhat similar
looking Sooty juv was seen often.

Probable non-hurricane borne birds, but grounded migrants or locals (in the
case of the Laughing Gulls) included the following:

2, then 1, then 4 Willets at Ky Dam Village beach with some interludes of
none
4 Willets at Green Turtle Bay marina beach mid-morning
2 Willets at impoundment at Calvert City
2 fly by Marbled Godwits (by M. Monroe, B. Yandell, M. Stickel, et al.
mid-afternoon) from Ky Dam pullout; they did not land
1 (I think) Caspian Tern
1 Forster's Tern
Laughing Gulls -- 1 first-summer at Calvert City; 1 first-summer, 1
second-summer, and 1 adult at Ky Dam Village beach during the day; and also
occasionally flying by the pullouts
1 Short-billed Dowitcher at Ky Dam Village beach
300+ Ringers and a Herring or two

I may have forgotten a bird or two ...

David and some others will probably be in the Ky Dam vicinity on Wednesday
morning.

bpb, Louisville
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