FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Mississippi Kite Feeding Frenzy TN- California Gull in MS

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

May 5, 2007
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co, TN
 
Mike Todd and I were doing a little recon today and looked up over the  bluff 
area at the Pits and could not believe what we saw. Kites were everywhere,  
multiple counts kept the numbers going higher and higher. I get large  
concentrations in the fall with adults and immature birds, ganging up in  
feeding 
flock of over 100 birds, but our counts today kept rising. In the Spring  20-30 
is 
a pretty good count but today shattered all our previous high numbers,  ONE 
HUNDRED AND EIGHTY + KITES in view in one sweep. You know that some were  
behind the tree tops so we will never know just how many passed this one area  
today. Also in this mass, we found Black and Turkey Vultures, Red-shouldered  
Hawk 
and a single Common Nighthawk.
 
The Painted Bunting found us today west of the treatment plant in Ensley  
Bottoms, it came down and sat above us, singing a whisper song, pretty cool!! 
 
Also down in Mississippi, we ran up on 2 Upland Sandpipers plus one flock  of 
100+ gurgling Bobolinks. Last but not least at Arkabutla Lake, we had a long  
study of an adult plumaged CALIFORNIA GULL from the north end of the parking  
lot, north of the dam.
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
What is this feathered thing that  lifts my heart to the heavens.



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