FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Lake No. 9 and other locales 8/4/2007

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

Yesterday morning at Lake No. 9 in Fulton County was much different than
10 days agor. Numbers of Great Egrets were about 1/10th and numbers of
smaller waders were actually up. I also checked a few other spots on the
Miss River.
 
Lake No. 9: American White Pelican 1; Great Blue Heron; 20-25; Great
Egret ca. 100; Snowy Egret 60+; Little Blue Heron 90+; Wood Ducks
several hundred; Pectoral Sandpiper 400+; no other shorebirds in any
numbers besides Killdeer and nothing unusual.
 
One slough along the Miss River levee just west of Hickman had at least
185 Great Egrets, suggesting that Lake No. 9 simply does not have enough
fish to hold the large numbers of larger waders.
 
The following "water bodies" were dry or nearly enough so as to have no
waterbirds of interest: Willow Pond, Fulton County; Town Creek moist
soils unit on Travis WMA, Hickman Co.; slough near the Ohio River across
from Cairo, IL, Ballard Co. There were at least 3 Sedge Wrens singing at
a spot in Travis WMA where they have been before.
 
On the Mississippi River, I made a couple of quick checks of spots
between Columbus and Wickliffe; there were not a lot of birds with Least
and Pectoral Spipers dominating; did see one relatively early
Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
 
bpb, Frankfort