FreeLists / tn-bird / [tn-bird] Black Scoter at Reelfoot and others!

["Anthony Whitted" <doug@xxxxxxxxx>]

On March 1, 2002, a group of 8 East Tennessee State Univ. students and I 
observed a female BLACK SCOTER.  It was seen at first only 15 yards away from 
me near the shore.  The bill, dark cap, and white face all made it easy to I.D. 
especially as close as it was.  It was then seen by the entire group a couple 
of minutes later at a distance of about 30 yards away and seen through a scope 
and all agreed on the I.D.  Believe it or not, I scanned the waters after 
watching the Black Scoter and saw a female ANHINGA.  There are many DC 
cormorants in the area but this was obviously not a cormorant.  The off-white 
head and breast ended abruptly on the lower breast as an Anhinga's does and not 
like an immature DC cormorants that shades into brown low on the belly most 
often does.  The bill was yellow, straight and thin.  There were weak white 
spots on the upper wings and the tail was rather long and had a lighter edge in 
the tip of the tail.  The bird was seen through a scope well as it was sitting 
on a log.  This is probably a rather early date for this bird to be there.  
However, both birds were not seen any of the next two days but we did not try 
to find them other than scanning from our motel on the way to breakfast.  
DIRECTIONS:  These will be bad as I let someone borrow my map today.  Both 
birds were seen from THE PIER RESTARAUNT.  There are not very many restaraunts 
there so if you can get to Reelfoot I'm sure someone can tell you how to get to 
this restaraunt.  It sits right on the lake on the southeast end just off of 
58, I think or whatever the main road is on the southeast end of the lake that 
soon intersects with 22.  You make a left off of that road at the 4-way stop at 
the Amaco and the restaraunt is at the 90 degree left turn and sits right on 
the lake and the birds were seen just down the street from the Pier Rest. about 
50 yards.  Sorry for just now posting this but I forgot Jeff Wilson's number at 
home to call him if I found anything and I didn't have access to a computer 
until now.
Also of interest:
I saw a male PURPLE MARTIN at the same place as the two birds above sitting on 
a wire on the shore and didn't even notice the bird until he was just over my 
head not 8 feet away from me and I watched him a few minutes until he flew out 
over the lake.  Things are moving!
There were large masses of geese everywhere this weekend with plenty of SNOW 
GEESE and a few GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. But we did manage to see a total 
of at least 3 ROSS'S GEESE mixed in with white and blue phase snow geese flocks 
that were close enough to be rather easily identified after careful study.  
Many BALD EAGLES in the area.  EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVE was seen in Hickman, KY.  
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were somewhat common driving down the roads.  BARRED OWLS 
were very plentiful.  We got all of the woodpeckers that are found here.  
HERMIT THRUSHES, WINTER WRENS, HORNED LARKS, AMER. PIPITS, BROWN THRASHERS, FOX 
SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, and all of the other common birds were seen 
with a total of 86 species found there.  A few big misses were Short-eared owls 
which we tried pretty hard for, LeConte's Sparrow and Amer. Tree Sparrow which 
we didn't try hard for whatsoever mostly due to rain the day that we were going 
to try for them.  We also missed Rusty and Brewer's Blackbirds that we tried 
pretty hard for but we could have done better.  
It's a great place to bird!
Sorry for the posting with nothing on it I got a little happy with the send 
button after I put in the subject title.
Anthony Whitted
Knoxville, TN.

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