FreeLists / tn-bird / [tn-bird] RPT: West TN 6/5/02 (long)

[Mikectodd@xxxxxx]

I began the day by picking up Don Manning so we could run a Breeding Bird 
Survey route which began in Henry and ended in Weakly Counties. I thought the 
day was off to a good start when a Chuck-wills-widow practically tried to 
perch on Don's head shortly before dawn. This is a nice route, which turned 
up a respectable 69 species. A bird we had on the route last year, Lark 
Sparrow, was one we were hoping to turn up again. We had no luck in the area 
the Lark was last year, so we thought "oh well". On the 48th of the 50 stops 
(Weakly Co.), surrounded by corn fields, a distant bird on an electric wire 
looked interesting through my field glasses, through the scope it proved to 
be a Lark Sparrow which promptly started singing. Interestingly, when we get 
these birds in Henry, Carroll, or Weakly Co., they are invariably in the 
vicinity of corn fields.  Another bird we had hoped for to no avail, was 
Mississippi Kite, which we also had on the count last year. While carrying 
Don home I noticed a kettle of vultures soaring, with what appeared to be 
several smaller birds up higher riding the same thermal. We stopped and the 
1st of these other birds I got on was an adult Mississippi Kite, in company 
with 3, 2nd-year Broad-winged Hawks, which appeared to be migrating. After a 
couple of minutes of observation the Kite set its wings, left the group, and 
promptly disappeared heading due west. Mississippi Kite is a treat for us 
over here in Henry Co.

I next decided to head to the Reelfoot area, on the off-chance the Fulvous 
Whistling-Ducks might still be hanging around, even though they hadn't been 
seen since Monday. Naturally I arrived the same time as the storm that hit. I 
creeped around in a driving rain and wound up at Hwy 79 to hopefully wait the 
storm out. Glen Criswell had the same idea as he was parked there when I got 
there. After an hour or so it finally let up and we got some birding in. Hwy 
79 was pretty slow, so we headed to Mud Lake. As we pulled up to the west 
side of Mud Lake, I noticed a couple of Mallards take off, near us, followed 
shortly by a pair of FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCKS! I jumped out and Glen was able 
to get on them as well, we watched them fly and they eventually went down in 
the flooded wheat on the north side of Mud Lake. Mud Lake was a duck bonanza 
for TN in June. In addition to the Whistling-Ducks, Mallards, Wood Ducks, 
Blue-winged Teal, and Hooded Merg's, were 74 Ruddy Ducks (with many of the 
males displaying) and a pair of American Wigeon.

We drove around to the location that the Whistling-Ducks were last seen, and 
saw them two more times in flight while we were here. We saw them go down 
once, but they disappeared as soon as they hit the flooded wheat. The second 
time they got up here I lost them as they flew south toward the far treeline 
at Mud Lake, but they were low when I lost them and probably stayed in the 
area. Also at this location were two pair of Black-necked Stilts (one bird 
appeared to be sitting on eggs), at least a dozen Coots, and Least Bittern, 
which was calling and seen twice, once in a quick flight and then probably 
another bird perched up in a bush out in the open water.

We continued north and had about a dozen each of White-rumped and Semi 
Sandpipers in a field, along with a few Semi Plovers. I had to depart shortly 
after this, but went by the Cargil elevators on my way home, and had both 
Scissor-tails in view at once, so they are still doing fine. The nest 
location they chose looks like it should ride out the worst of these storms.

Good birding!!!!!!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
Carroll Co.
mikectodd@xxxxxx
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