FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: A few west KY highlights

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

I was out in west KY Wed PM-Thurs. Had some time to check a few spots
for waterbirds. Highlights included:
 
Wed: 
 
Falls of the Ohio, quick stop: 2 Buff -breasted Spipers and a Baird's
Spiper still on the more downstream fossil beds. The Peregrines continue
to keep the main beds pretty clear of shorebirds, the other evening I
watched one of the birds frighten off a dozen Caspian Terns through
harassment ... with juveniles in the mix, I guess even birds as large as
Caspians worry about a PEFA :o(
 
Camp Mines, Union County: there have not been many shorebirds at this
locale this fall, but I did have small numbers of 11 species including a
Long-billed Dowitcher and my first Wilson's Snipe of the fall.
 
Kuttawa vic, Lake Barkley: I met up with Tom Fusco and Hap Chambers to
watch the wader roost at the heronry in hopes that the Roseate Spoonbill
might come in. We were disappointed that only a trickle of birds came in
and used the island; I'm thinking maybe some birds are heading south on
Lake Barkley to an unknown island towards US 68. We did have no less
than 250 Caspian Terns on various bars around the mouth of Lick Creek
between Eddyville and Kuttawa.
 
Thurs:
 
Miss River: quick checks of a few spots revealed the river still high
but on the way back down now. Did have one Miss Kite and 2
Yellow-bellied Flycatchers at random stops.
 
Mitchell Lake, Ballard WMA: Similar results to recent visits. 22 Stilt
Sandpipers and 5 Baird's Sandpipers were best counts this fall, I think.
Most of the Least Terns that are left are juvies; I watched one try to
catch minnows by standing in the shallow water and lunging at them when
they came near ... we'll call him "Brainard" for being a little slow at
catching onto the game of life :o)
 
Long Pond, Swan Lake WMA: This floodplain slough is pretty low and had a
decent mix of shorebirds including single juv. Western and Sanderling; a
flock of 150 Purple Martins was still there in the cypress tops.
 
Ledbetter, Livingston Co.: some pools along the Tennessee River have
been drying up in the drought and one had a decent mix of shorebirds
that included 4 Baird's and at least 5 Westerns. 
 
bpb, Frankfort