FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Almost 9,000 Shorebirds - 20 species in W. TN

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

August 7-8, 2004
Ensley Bottoms, Shelby Co.
Chickasaw NWR, Lauderdale Co.
Various wet places, Dyer-Lake Co.TN


Starting with a 6 hour study at Ensley on Saturday and ending late Sunday on 
the Great River Road in Dyer Co, photographing two Willet made for a full 
weekend of Wind Birds.

Ensley numbers are growing and at the rate the birds are gathering a 10,000 
one day count is going to happen one day. I had over 7,000 there and a couple 
of hundred birds left around 10:30 after a bunch of hawks came through. An 
immature Cooper's always shows up and gives the birds a lot of grief and this 
year 
is no different as one made to low passes. These young Cooper's normally just 
feed on the numerous Mourning Doves that present easy pickings as they feed 
in the surrounding fields. Osprey, Red-shouldered, Broad-wing, Red-tailed Hawks 
plus Kestrel and Mississippi Kites all made appearances in a short span of 30 
minutes, so a lot of Wind Birds bailed.

Only thirteen species were present at Ensley with 3 Upland Sandpipers that I 
flushed from the Pigweed and 3 immature Wilson's Phalarope, the best of the 
bunch. Last week I had my first single immature Least Sandpiper for the season 
and this week a few immature Western and Pectoral Sandpipers were in the bunch 
and my favorite, Semipalmated Sandpiper were treats as usual. These fresh 
plumaged youngsters were few and far between but worth sorting through the 
horde. 
On the Mississippi River at Mud Island there were 4 Caspian Terns and 11 Least.

The afternoon was spent walking the last wet pools at Chickasaw NWR in 
Lauderdale Co. Here, I also had 13 species but added Greater Yellowlegs, 
Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers; the Short-billed just dropped in at 
dusk and the 
Long-billed pair went "keeking" off to the south. Least Terns were feeding 
young and making a lot of noise when they brought back a fish; just making sure 
everyone knew what a good provider they were.

Sunday, on the Mississippi River in Lake Co, I added two more species as 2 
Piping Plovers strode up and down one sand-spit while 3 pale Sanderling ran up 
and down another. At Tiptonville there were 200+ American White Pelicans, 2 
adult and an immature (this years young) Bald Eagle feeding on a huge fish.

Nothing to speak of at White Lake Refuge but the Grasshopper Sparrows again 
put on a show right by my truck. In a graded out site at the Handicap Area of 
Black Bayou, I had another early Wilson's Snipe for species number 19 for the 
weekend with a total of 169 birds of 9 species but a wet area in the middle of 
a field near Chic in Dyer Co, held 383 birds of 7 species and later another 
wet area off the Great River Road provided me with Wind Bird species number 20, 
as the 2 Willet and a Stilt Sandpiper closed out the day.

A total shorebird weekend count of 8909. Next weekend will top 10,000 and 
maybe Ensley will fill to the brim for sorting out a Real Good Species.  


Good Birding!!!

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


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