FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] From Show to Snow weekend.

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Feb. 8-9, 2003

Mark Greene and I enjoyed the Hiwassee Refuge trip Saturday morning, the 
exhibits at Birchwood and an extended visit with Kenn Kaufman but a bird 
called. We decided to travel north to try to add a bird to Mark's TN list. 
The Allen's Hummingbird was not too far away. We stopped by Bonnie "the dairy 
queen" Johnson's new Cookie Jar Restaurant near Dunlap for a great meal. (I 
have no financial connections, blah, blah but wish I did) If you are in the 
area it is well worth a visit, if they only would pass out pillows for a 
little nap afterward!!!!

We made our way north and were treated to views of the Allen's before we got 
out of the truck. We were invited in and enjoyed great views and got a few 
photos. The host and hostess are truly great people and are getting to know a 
lot about us birders.
If anyone is planning a trip would you please get in touch with me before you 
go. I have a message I need delivered to them. Thanks............

Sunday morning broke bright and clear but it was all down hill weather wise 
from there. It really got prettier as the snow started to fall big time about 
1 PM. In all of our running around we only saw 2 Common Loons all day long! 
We did have 20 species of waterfowl with 19 seen at Britton Ford and Greater 
White-fronted Geese added at the Big Sandy Flats. The real treat of the day 
was 4 male Common Mergansers courting a female up close to the observation 
platform. I got some nice photos of these elegant birds. We had all 3 
mergansers in view from the platform and we had over 100 Common Goldeneye to 
scan but no prize!

Also at Britton Ford, I picked up a Horned Lark, probably of the prairie race 
"rubea". It was very reddish all over to the point that you could pick it out 
of the flock at a distance from the color of its back without using your 
field glasses. American Pipits were in every field and on every mud flat, 
maybe indicating they are moving back north. On the Big Sandy Flats to the 
south we found Killdeer galore with 20 Least Sandpipers, 3 Dunlin and 18 
Wilson's Snipe.

We located an immature Lesser Black-backed Gull at Paris Landing and another 
immature and a 2nd year bird south of New Hope Landing. I had another gull at 
that point that appeared to be a Thayer's and we walked a considerable 
distance to get a better look at this bird that was tucked into the flock. 
Just as we set up, I noticed that the trees across the lake had disappeared. 
The snow was marching across the lake and chased us back to the truck. We 
were soon in a winter wonderland. We visited a few other points and bays but 
it was soon almost a white out. I did get a nice winter shot of a few turkeys 
foraging in the snow fall. Sparrows and Juncos were forming huge flocks, 
feeding and gritting before the covering was complete. I love birding in 
snow......... 

Good Birding!!!

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


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