FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Reelfoot To Pickwick Weekend

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

March 1-2, 2003
Reelfoot Area - Lauderdale-Dyer-Lake Co.
Pickwick Dam - Hardin Co. TN

We are on the cusp, two seasons meld together at this time with neither 
dominant.

The Mississippi River rose 33 feet in February and the Obion River at Bogota 
rose about 21 feet and water is spreading across the land. The Obion has 
taken the upper hand along Highway 88 in Lauderdale Co. and ducks and geese 
are thick over the area. The drive from there to Highway 79 found crowds of 
waterfowl with mind bogging numbers. Groups of 200 to 300 Canvasback were 
seen in the shallow water at 4 locations with all 4 geese and 16 species of 
ducks rounding out the count. Blue-winged Teal were found at 2 locations but 
only 4 birds. Nancy Moore reported some at Black Bayou during the week. The 
water's rise appears to be leveling off for a while but more rains and snow 
melt could send the waters to a far wider range than even now.

There were Pectoral and Least Sandpipers present at two locations. Wilson's 
Snipe were found in concentrations along the wet edges of whatever land still 
holds its head above the encroaching waters. Killdeer are found in very large 
concentrations with one dry hummock holding 291 of these pacers. Pipits were 
in low numbers and some few hundred Lapland Longspurs still can be found 
around Mooring. 

I had 3 Cooper's Hawks in the area and spotted one adult sitting in a tree at 
Wynnburg. Nancy Moore, Ken Leggett and I shared some knock out looks at this 
classic beauty in the scope. While they looked, I noticed a few birds moving 
around in a brushy area and "pished" up a nice selection of sparrows, 
including: a single Tree, many White-crowned, Song, Swamp, Field, Savannah 
and House Sparrows. Nancy came up with the bird of the day, an immature 
Dickcissel. It took me some time to locate the bird as I bounced around 
picking up House Sparrows but finally the scope revealed the face, bold light 
markings on the upper back and the worn streaking at the sides of the upper 
breast of this special species. I've had a few of these over winter in North 
Mississippi and a couple in the winter in west, TN but I bet there have not 
been too many seen in Lake Co, at this time of the year.

There are good flocks of Snow Geese with token Ross's hanging around Black 
Bayou. The Greater White-fronted numbers are down but Canada Geese numbers 
were up. I took a nice ID photo of a Richardson's type goose with white 
necklace. Quite a few of these diminutive Canada Geese were seen in the 
flocks. Up to 12 Western Meadowlarks and possibly more were seen near 
Phillippy and a single flew across the road again near the Ibis Hole. Fish 
Crows have been calling at Memphis during the past few days and Nancy and I 
had a couple complain about a nice Krider's Red-tail we were scopeing on the 
Great River Road. 

The weather went down hill all day with more mist and wind despite all the 
weatherman's predictions. All the rice fields have been rolled and Harrier 
numbers were drastically down but the males still hold on to a 50/50 split, 
it has been a great year to enjoy these gray ghosts that normally go father 
south and dominate the wintering population in Mexico, leaving the young and 
females up here. I decided to head south to Pickwick and had a run of luck at 
the Humbolt exit off 412, a Barn Owl flew right in front of my truck in the 
twilight.

The early morning at Pickwick found the tail waters swirling with gulls and 
one of the first I picked out was the 2nd year Lesser Black-backed which fed 
for a while and then went down stream not to be seen again. The gull numbers 
thinned after the morning breakfast rush but even then there seemed to be a 
larger number than the week before. This proved to be just more Ring-billed 
but I did get to photograph two Thayer's and see 4 different Lesser 
Black-backs plus a brief look at the Glaucous during a long vigil. 

On the Lake above the dam were few birds, only 1 Common Loon and 1 
Red-breasted Merganser, fewer Pied and Horned than last week. At Bruton 
Branch there were 21 Common Loons but neither Red-throated nor Pacific could 
be found. Three Mallards, a few distant scaup and a Bufflehead filled the 
duck list. One of the imm. Lesser-Black-backed Gulls attended a small group 
of loons.

Four Cooper's Hawks (one adult) and a single high soaring Sharp-shinned keep 
up the run on accipiters that started at Reelfoot. A short try for the 
Brown-headed Nuthatches came up with zero birds. The gull roost started to 
form late in the day but the viewing, because of restricted access, was not 
too good and revealed nothing new.

Good Birding!!!

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


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