FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] kestrels, kestrels everywhere and not a place to perch

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

American Kestrels have surged into the area in large numbers the past few days, 
no doubt
driven by the frozen northlands covered with snow.  We've watched and recorded 
this
pattern for three decades.

I made a long sweep through much of eastern Sullivan County (areas east of 
I-81) today.
Kestrels were perched on power lines all along the roads.  I should have made a 
count.

I'm satisfied I saw maybe two dozen birds in less than two hours.  Think about 
how that
compares with just 12 birds on the Bristol Christmas Bird County on Dec. 31.  
The
10 year average for the species on the Bristol CBC is 25.0 and the 20 year 
average 28.2.

At least two pairs were seen perched closely as the mating season nears.  This 
small
falcon usually begins to abandon its solitary winter hunting and hang closer as
breeding pairs throughout February.  Such behavior is sometimes seen in late 
January.

One pair was at Muddy Creek on Boone Lake near Tri-City Airport and the second
along TN Rt. 394 not far from Bristol Motor Speedway.  Females with the smaller
males were perched within 20 feet of each other at both locations.

Despite the fact hawk counters at Mendota and other lookouts throughout these
mountains see kestrels passing in migration,  there is still a significant 
component
that winters north of us in the Appalachians.  It appears to push south through
these mountains in January when the lack of access to their food supply moves 
them
on, coupled with winter weather.  We have significant banding data recovery 
from 
earlier research that indicates movements from at least Pennsylvania to Bristol.

The gull build up in the area closely coincides with the surge seen in many 
other
areas.  Jeff Wilson, who lives near Memphis, TN, reported his lifetime best days
Saturday and Sunday along the Mississippi River from one county in Tennessee
and another across the river in Arkansas.  From the delta to the two TVA lakes
there were 50,000 Ring-billed Gulls and 10,000 Bonaparte's Gulls and those 
numbers
were probably way low, he wrote. "On Saturday, I  counted and closely estimated 
24,000 ring-billed just around the dump (most  roosting in 3 fields)and that 
did not 
even touch the gulls at the catfish ponds." 

The nasty winter weather is bringing birds south.  This is a great time to find 
some
really good waterbirds in your area.

Let's go birding.....

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN