FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Early Migration?

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Feb. 1-2, 2003
TN-AR-MS

I spent most of Saturday and Sunday running the areas close to the 
Mississippi River in all three states. There was a noticeable difference 
between the two days. Saturday here in Memphis along the river and at Ensley 
everything was about the same with the concentration of Ring-billed Gulls at 
Dacus Bar and more feeding along the river. Anthony Whitted's Peregrine was 
perched on a dead snag on the bar across from Mud Island. 

A few Laps and 3 Western Meadowlarks at Ensley with 13 Red-tailed Hawks in 
the area were far outnumbered by the huge concentration of Lesser and Greater 
Scaup on TVA Lake. At Robco the numbers of waterfowl were down and in Tunica 
Co. Mississippi the geese were the central feature with all four of the 
regular species in good numbers. Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson's Snipe and Least 
Sandpipers were the only shorebirds found. Three Great Egrets were seen but 
no Tri-colored nor Cattle Egrets. Longspur numbers were down but Western 
Meadowlarks were in all their regular locations and seem to be forming larger 
groups as the season would predict.
I did see a couple of groups of Sandhill Cranes but did not stay for the 
Harrier/Short-eared Show.

Early Sunday started off with large flocks of very high flying geese heading 
not just north but following close to the river. These would pass over till 
midday at any location near the river as far north as Osceola. The Peregrine 
had taken possession of the bar and all the gulls had moved to a less 
favorable roosting location. There was still only one Herring Gull and a few 
Bonaparte's Gulls in the 500 plus Ring-billed. 

I decided to follow the geese up river on the Arkansas side to see where they 
were going. It is not the normal behavior of these birds as they usually fly 
lower and spread out into the rice fields just to the west of Memphis and do 
not fly directly or nearly so, along the river. Some flocks did come north at 
a lower altitude and head west but by far the majority were in travel mode, 
flying high and directly along the river. In scanning these high flocks, I 
saw no Greater White-fronted in the groups only a few small flocks were found 
later in the fields. 

More interesting were the American Robins that could only be seen with field 
glasses hurrying along with these geese. As robins do they were spread thinly 
and not bunched up but there was a continuous movement seen from just about 
any location.

I spent most of the rest of the day looking for Sandhill Cranes with no luck 
and ended up trying for a good tail shot of a Western Meadowlark. I took 50 
plus shots of various birds with the wind howling but got very little for my 
efforts. Again the groups of these birds have gotten larger and in one field 
as I scanned, 30 birds were counted. I'll have to get back over to this area 
early one morning to hear the young birds practice their songs.

The Lapland Longspur flocks in Arkansas were decidedly smaller but still each 
numbered in the hundreds. Have they also eased to the north, pushing the 
envelop? February is the month where only the brave or foolish forge north 
but as the month goes on more and more will answer the call. 

Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.


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