FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Excelent Start to New Year

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Jan. 1, 2005
Tunica Co. MS
20 miles south of Memphis
 
I went back to Tunica to get better photos and the Ferruginous Hawk was  very 
cooperative and put on a show for all that came down. On the way down in  the 
morning, I stopped to glean through the huge flocks of gulls that are in the  
area and pulled an immature Lesser Black-backed Gull out of one flock bathing 
at  a rest stop. I'm sure there are other good species to be discovered like 
the  Slaty-backed Gull down there some years back.
 
At Buck Road, I met back up with Steve Matherly from Houston we had watched  
Short-eared Owls together the night before and we looked for the hawk. I 
finally  noticed a bird coming low over the field but straight out of the 
rising 
sun. The  bird swooped up and landed on the irrigation system and there in its 
glory sat  maybe the bird of the year. We were shortly joined by Q.B. Gray and 
over the day  I know of over a dozen birders that enjoyed perched and 
spectacular flying  antics put on by this bird.
 
We birdied a tight circle around the area and through the day had thousands  
of Laps, Horned Larks and Pipits at close range, 51 Sandhill Cranes, Eastern,  
Light and dark Morph Western Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Krider's, and a Harlan's, 
Plus  Western Meadowlarks at 40 feet in the scope. Joe Guinn and I had 28 
Harrier's in  view at one time late in the day with 25 of those strewn about us 
sitting on the  ground. I think they had given up hunting as the Ferruginous 
regularly takes  their catches from them. In a drizzle at dark time, I had 3 
Short-eared Owls  playing and barking.
 
We had a huge gaggles of geese everywhere and a 5 species flock off  Hambrick 
Road, with Lesser and Cackling Geese photographed. Q.B. showed us where  this 
flock with the Canada and Cackling Geese were and he has a knock out photo  
of same that made me delete mine.
 
Surely if all this is not worth a visit then something in that list would  
be;o)
 
The Ferruginous is ranging over a wide area but always comes back to perch  
low on the east side of Buck Island Road near the center pump irrigation 
system.  From 61 South in Tunica take 304 east and then take the first gravel 
road 
on the  right (Buck Island). From 304 to Hambrick is the best area to look for 
the  bird and this general area with in a very few miles will get all the 
other  species mentioned.    
Good  Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett,  TN



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