FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] West TN Shorebirds

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Aug. 16 -17, 2003
Ensley to Reelfoot Area


At the pits on Saturday, the species list was low but numbers were still 
high. From Friday, AM, Saturday there was a drop in Semipalmated Sandpipers but 
another increase in Pectoral Sandpipers. The first juvenal plumaged Western 
Sandpipers numbered about a dozen but had to be hunted down through the 8000 
plus 
birds present. The percentage of young Least Sandpipers was down but it might 
have just been the adult numbers had increased. More time spent scanning might 
have produced more than 13 species but Mike and Mark were kept busy pointing 
out species and ID points to some of the birders that were just being 
inoculated with the shorebird virus. I'm sure there are Uplands around and 
maybe a few 
Buff-breasted but we spent little time away from the pits to search for those 
two.

One good study was provided by 3 mottled and molting adult Long-billed 
Dowitchers and 2 immature Short-billed Dowitchers. They provided a few birders 
with 
both new TN birds and for a couple they were Lifers. A kettle of traveling 
raptors provided another study as a single white headed adult Krider's played 
with some regular adult and immature Red-tails right above our heads. Also in 
the 
group were some higher flying Broad-wings and Mississippi Kites and even a 
Turkey Vulture got into the act. All a blatant indication that migration is 
present all around us if we look. Times are a changin'.  A Red-shouldered protes
ted hidden in the tree line and earlier 3 of us were treated to a male Cooper's 
harassing the "Wind Birds." Kestrels are present at the pits and surrounding 
area in good numbers.

I had to leave at 3:30 to take another couple on a previously promised trip 
to introduce them to the wonders of the Reelfoot area that afternoon and 
Sunday. They are not birders (yet) so a lot of driving and looking at maps took 
up a 
lot of time to mark up maps for their future forays. We could not get close 
enough to the Purple Martin/Swallow roost showing up every morning on Nexrad 
but did see birds streaming to an epicenter behind a tree line. There were 
quite 
a few shorebirds to look through on Sunday. I added, Baird's, Ruddy-Turnstone 
(2 locations) Buff-breasted (two locations) and Black-bellied Plover to round 
out the weekend totals to 17.


Good Birding!!!

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


=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------- 
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
    TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
        jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx      (423) 764-3958
=========================================================