FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Loons at Pace Point

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

March13-14, 2004
Pace Point / Paris Landing, etc.
Henry Co. TN


Nine birders spent all day Saturday searching the loons around the point. The 
only confirmed species were Common and Red-throated. During the day we could 
find 30-40 loons from various points and coves. There are still at least 3 
Red-throated Loons around with two immatures, one on the TN RV side and one in 
Big Sandy reach and Sunday morning I had an adult off Paris Landing near the 
bridge. Saturday morning I saw a distant Red-necked Grebe which we confirmed 
later as it came into roost that evening on the Big Sandy reach, swimming like 
a 
small tug among the Common Loons. We saw many small Common Loons in the mix, 
some exceptionally so but all turned out to be Common.

A few birders had come down from KY for the YBLO and also lifer Red-throated. 
I found them the very most cooperative Red-throated out from the Point. The 
water was almost glassy still and the bird quit diving and proceeded to preen 
just a couple of hundred yards out. Unbelievable Life looks at a small, pale 
immature Red-throated.

Late that evening, David Chaffin and I put the loons to bed off the cove on 
the TN RV side and in one sweep counted 116+ Common and 1 Red-throated 
immature. The numbers were down but not as much as I first thought. When they 
were 
pretty well settled, we rushed to Rocky Point and counted 56 Common, 1 
Red-throated and 1 Red-necked Grebe in last light. 

Even though gulls were actually seen in relative low numbers all day, they 
filled Big Sandy at their roost. An impressive collection turning the far side 
white but too far for IDs. Needless to say everyone was disappointed that 
evidently both Yellow-billed Loons had moved on. 

I had promised Hap Chambers, Roseanne Denton and Dave Roemer I'd send them 
one of our Yellow-billed Loons to KY. Roseanne called Sunday to thank me as she 
had just viewed an immature found Saturday afternoon, just a little over 20 
miles north of Pace Point in KY. Ask and Ye shall receive........Rarities on 
Demand.

I spent the night up there just to check out other areas to make sure the 
YBLO were not hiding out some where and did Paris Landing, Eagle Creek, Port 
Road 
and Britton Ford. Out from Paris there was a little part of the shoal above 
the high water and it was covered with Herring Gulls and a slick of Greater, 
Lesser Scaup, Red-breasted Mergs and a few Goldeneye. There were 27 Common 
loons 
in Eagle Creek, 6-7 out from Port Road, about the same from Trailer Road. I 
did have a loon keep staring up into the sky and finally I found the object of 
its attention, a single, high flying Great Egret steadily winging its way 
north on its way to Hap at Blood River.

Waterfowl numbers are down at Britton Ford, all the dabblers except for 
Wigeon and Green-winged Teal have plummeted, divers are still good but again no 
scoters.

No doubt the loons are moving and no telling what might show up in the 
transition, Pace Point still holds more and maybe better mysteries. At 10 AM I 
decided to go to Reelfoot.


Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN


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