FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Shorebird Weekend

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Oct.2-3, 2004
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN

The winds shifted from south to north and changes expectantly came through 
out the weekend. No Peregrines were seen on Friday or Saturday but two were 
present on Sunday. Sunday morning there was another small male tundrius, a 
different bird from last weekend's marauder that allowed close looks as it 
perched 
nearby while the second bird that showed up in the afternoon was an adult 
female 
of the mixed race anatum type. These two took turns sweeping the flats clean 
and finally late in the day the population was down to less than a third of 
the birds enjoyed in the morning.

The Black-bellied Plover, that showed up late Saturday, stayed through Sunday 
and sat for photos. The three Semipalmated Plovers present all weekend were 
delightful immature birds. Killdeer numbers are still fairly high but the birds 
are found in pockets, especially out in the spread fields. The single 
immature Black-necked Stilt still hangs out at TVA Lake. I keep thinking it 
will 
leave with one of the family groups that occasionally arrive and depart.

Two Greater Yellowlegs were very vociferous on Friday and were gone on 
Saturday morning but the winds dropped in 9 late that afternoon but they too 
left by 
Sunday Morning. Lesser Yellowlegs were in slightly lesser numbers than last 
week as were the Stilt Sandpipers and all but one of those present were 
immatures. No Solitary or Spotted Sandpipers were seen
over the weekend. Semipalmated Sandpiper numbers were ahead of Western 
Sandpipers all weekend but their numbers shrink daily. 

Most of Sunday morning was spent trying to get good photos of a peculiar, 
small sandpiper with little luck on good detail shots but you win some and you 
lose some. These little birds sure test you and teach you about the variables 
in 
small peeps.

Least Sandpipers rule the roost with huge flocks scampering everywhere when 
they were not up in the air trying to distance themselves from the Peregrines. 
A single Baird's Sandpiper made a showing on Sunday morning. The Pectoral 
numbers are a little low for this time of the year but all but two birds are 
immatures at this time. Pectorals by far showed the least success in breeding 
out 
put this year. A single molting immature Dunlin was present Sunday morning but 
missing in action Sunday afternoon. No Buff-breasted were seen this weekend 
and I fear this too is a result of the adults streaming though early after 
nesting failure and only a few immatures making the trip south. 

The high winds and threat of bad weather put down 13 Long-billed Dowitchers 
on Saturday afternoon. Most of them slept and therefore were all were gone by 
Sunday Morning, except for one weary bird that posed for photos all morning. 
These are up close and personal shots and I'll post them soon on a web page of 
portraits I'm working on.

The two Wilson's Snipe that were found on Saturday worked the same grassy 
patch on Sunday. Last but not least the immature, female Wilson's Phalarope 
that 
was studied on Saturday was still present Sunday and an another small male was 
also present but I never saw the two together. Both let me get some shots 
comparing their differentiating plumages.

So another weekend in shorebird paradise produced only 16 species, plus a 
head scratcher.........

Also seen were 2 Savannah Sparrows, 2 Coots and I took some nice head shots 
of two Green-winged Teal that sat tight as the Peregrine sped by and were too 
afraid to flush and allowed me to get up close for the photos.


Good Birding!!!

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


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