FreeLists / tn-bird / [tn-bird] Ensley Run

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Oct. 8, 2002
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN

Finally, I got back to Ensley late this afternoon. Found a good number of 
nervous Wind Birds in tight scattered flocks and suspected a Peregrine 
lurked. Still a few thousand shorebirds to glean through and of course the 
great majority are Least Sandpipers. I did manage 10 species including: 
Killdeer in low numbers, NO Black-necked Stilts (they were here for 7 months 
and reproduced big time), 1 - Greater Yellowlegs, 84 - Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 - 
Semipalmated Sandpipers molting to basic, which they normally wait to do on 
the wintering grounds (getting late for these fellows), 5 - Western 
Sandpipers almost full basic plumage and 4 were short billed males, oodels of 
Least Sandpipers, few Pectorals with most slightly molted but one fresh 
bright juvenile with not a worn feather, 2 near basic plumaged Dunlin with 
one retaining juvenile tertials (the first since my early bird on 8/18 this 
year, my earliest record is Aug. 14, a few sneak through very early, then the 
rest come in on time), 54 Stilt Sandpiper (good numbers all season), 1-imm. 
Wilson's Phalarope in basic plumage. 

Four male Ringed-neck Ducks had ridden in on the front for the first migrants 
of that species for me this season. Duck numbers were up with Wood, Gadwall, 
Mallards, Blue and Green-winged Teal and Shoveler counted.

As I was driving toward the west, I was passed by a streaking dark Peregrine 
flying at ground level. I knew where it was heading and I swung the truck 
around just in time to see every Wind Birds nightmare disappear over the 
levee. What happened next reminded me of a big guy doing a cannon ball in a 
swimming pool. Birds splashed out in all directions like waves of water over 
the sides. I assumed the Peregrine made a kill, for when I topped the levee 
it was not to be seen. Wisps of Wind Birds raced willy-nilly about like wind 
driven smoke. I now knew the reason for their nervous behavior.

Good Birding!!!

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


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