FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Upland Sandpiper -Invasion!

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

April 7, 2007
Ensley Bottoms, Shelby Co. TN
Tunica Co. MS
 
After surveying the Pits this AM, Gail King and I decided to look around  for 
Upland Sandpipers along the levee below Memphis. We found no Upland along  
the levee in TN or MS but did see 100's of Purple Martins laying down in the  
warmer gravel along the top of the levee, evidently conserving crucial energy 
in 
 this cold snap.
 
I decided to check a couple of historic sites that have produced  shorebirds 
over the years and even though the area is hard hit by the on going  drought, 
we watched a female Harrier coursing a field of cotton stalks flush  about 30 
Golden-Plovers and then another 20. We drove over to locate the birds  on the 
ground, when I spotted our first Upland, then another and another till we  
finally ended with 18 in the field, a new one field, high number for me in this 
 
area. We went over to Buck Island Road and flushed another pair that stroll  
along the side of the road and did not mind us trailing along in the truck and  
taking a few photos as close as 30 feet.
 
Back over to the pits in Memphis, where there are a mob of new shorebirds,  
and where we had searched that morning for Uplands with no luck, suddenly  
there were 3 walking along just off the road and then a quarter mile way in  
another field I ran up on a couple that walked right up to the truck getting to 
 
within 20 feet. A total of 25 Upland Sandpipers for the day, beating my old one 
 
day total for the area by 4 birds.
 
I've posted a few shots of these fabulous long-tailed strutters at:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/new_2007&page=all_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/new_2007&page=all) 
 
Scroll down to the last photos and click on any to enlarge.
 
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135

What is this feathered thing that lifts my heart to the  heavens.



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