FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] French Broad - Golden Plovers

["michael sledjeski" <mtnsylva@xxxxxxx>]

(Mental note: go off-line when composing email)

Jefferson County, 9/30/07, 4:30-7:30 PM
Douglas Lake @ 953.1 ft.

Don Miller and I put in at Walters Bridge and headed upriver and around the 
first bend to a rocky riffle, where we went ashore in mud the color and 
consistency of chocolate pudding.  We traversed the grade up to a bluff 
overlooking the Ten Islands area.  A flock of about a dozen shorebirds 
flashed along the far bank, then settled, dispersed and seemed to disappear 
among the rocks at the head of the river bar.  Using a scope, we picked out 
a number of AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS in various stages of plumage - the first 
time in my brief career I've seen more than one at a time.  Don's highest 
number was six at Rankin Bottoms several years ago.
Later on, we drove over to Baneberry and stopped at the turnaround off of 
McCorkle Rd. (Incidentally, the grassy slope that we've used for access to 
the lakeshore is now posted.)  The only shorebirds we spotted were too far 
to i.d., about 2 miles north, near the bend to Swann's Bridge. At this 
stage, potential shorebird habitat extends over 14 miles of river and lake, 
from the mouth of the Nolichucky to the I-40 crossing.
Partial list (Walter's Bridge to Ten Islands):

Wood duck
Blue-winged teal (5)
Great egret (28)
Northern harrier (FOS)
PEREGRINE FALCON
American golden-plover (9, at least)
Killdeer (25+)
Greater yellowlegs
Spotted sandpiper (2)

Michael Sledjeski
Del Rio TN

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