FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Birding Out the Old Year

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

DEC. 31, 2005
 
Hatchie NWR, Haywood, Co.TN
Pace Point and environs, Henry Co. TN
 
 
I started out at daylight watching the Tundra Swans at Hatchie feeding in a  
morning haze. It was going to be a good day. By the time I got to Pace  Point, 
the conditions were improving and they did so all day. Almost the first  
birds in view were 2 Red-necked Grebes; they were to stay in the area off the  
right side of the point all day Saturday and Sunday. There was another  bird 
sleeping far out toward Paris Landing that I had high hopes in it being a  
aechmophorus but it was just too far to see anything but size. I wanted to scan 
 
other areas and then come back to get a better look and photograph the  
Red-necked 
Grebes if the weather improved. The skies cleared and the temps went  up and 
the wind died down.
 
At Britton Ford, I found 5 species of geese, including 28 Cackling and 2  
Ross's plus all the regular duck species we usually find there on a good day. I 
 
ended the day with 24 species of waterfowl missing Common Merganser.
 
Returning to the point I stopped by Coot Cove on the east side and struck  
the mother lode. I walked out to the point and found all the gulls, loons and  
ducks one could want to scan. I located an adult and an immature Pacific Loon.  
The adult stayed on the surface long enough on one occasion for one photo. 
There  were gulls everywhere but nothing appeared out of sorts. I located a 
female  Goldeneye with an all yellow bill but that is as far as she went in 
that  
direction, but SOME DAY!
 
Arriving back at the point, the Horned, Pied and Red-necked Grebes  were 
still feeding along with the large number of Common Goldeneye and  scaup. The 
light was great but the heat shimmer was getting worse by the minute.  I 
located 
the sleeping grebe and settled in. Thirty minutes later it raised its  head, a 
Western Grebe with wide black stripe on back of neck, dull greenish  yellow 
bill and eye encased in black. Number 297 for my West TN BIG  YEAR.
 
I ended the year still scanning for a Long-tailed Duck but it was not to  be. 
It was one HELL of A YEAR!!!!
 
 
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135


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