FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: West Ky September 1-2

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx]

Mark Monroe and I visited the Camp Mines complex in Union County late
Wednesday. One Peabody impoundment had 12 spp of shorebirds including 9
adult Am Golden-Plovers, a juv. Ruddy Turnstone, 5 Baird's Sandpipers, 3
Western Sandpipers and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Another impoundment had a
juvenile Common Moorhen but only 5 adult Am Coots (which must not have
nested there this year) and only a few common shorebirds, waders, and
waterfowl. We returned to the "hot spot" at sunset to find most of these
birds gone already!  That turned out to be the best stuff we saw on the trip
(other than the jaeger, of course!).

On Thursday morning, we met up with Beth Ciuzio and Nicole Ranalli to check
Ballard WMA. Mitchell Lake had a somewhat smaller and less diverse
collection of shorebirds than has been reported recently even though the
habitat still is great.  We tallied 9 spp of shorebirds including 3
Buff-breasted.  Most of the Least (50+) and Semipalm (32) peeps and all of
the Semi Plovers (12) were juvies.  About 50 Least Terns (1/3 or so juvies)
continue to use the area.  Wader numbers were also reduced.  

After lunch we went by Kentucky Dam and did another boat trip out to the
jaeger, which was again as cooperative as it could be. While we were 15-20
feet away the bird was actually dozing some!  David Roemer's photo
wonderfully captures the essence of this beautiful being when you are that
close; we are certainly fortunate to have someone around with David's knack
and skills for getting such nice images!

Mark spotted nine raptor species on the day (all the regulars except for
Miss Kite).

A couple of miscellaneous stops during the day yielded some passerine
migrants including Least Flycat and Blackburnian and Black-throated Green
warblers.

Late afternoon, Mark and I visited the Eddy Creek mudflats east of KY 730 in
Lyon County. There were good flats exposed and we again had nine spp of
shorebirds including 8 juv. Baird's and a juv. Stilt Spiper.

bpb, Louisville 
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