FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Curlew Sandpiper at Ky Lake - Second State Record!!

[BEAMERWITT@xxxxxxx]

While birding today at Britton Ford Unit of Big Sandy WMA, I encountered a  
mostly juvenile plumaged CURLEW SANDPIPER!  I had driven past the Child's  
Observation Deck down the gravel road that runs east through the recently  
harvested soybean fields and dead ends at the lake (signed "Britton Ford Hiking 
 
Trail).  There is a gate that is locked in winter but now open to auto  travel. 
 
On the lakeshore at road's end, when I arrived, was a bird feeding  with 2 
Killdeer, that I first took to be a Stilt Sandpiper.  I watched it  for a while 
through the scope at about 100 feet, and couldn't be sure of the  ID.  The bill 
looked too curved for Stilt SP, and the legs appeared to be  black instead of 
yellow, and not long enough.   The bird was in a  mostly juvenile plumage, 
with some gray feathers appearing on the  shoulders.  The head was cinnamon 
colored with a faint eyebrow only.   There was a strong buff wash on the breast 
with faint streaking which was fairly  well defined at the inferior margin, 
reminiscent of Pectoral SP.  I wanted  to see the bird in flight, but tried 
first 
to approach more closely.  I  thought that I was concealed by some small 
willows, but as I neared, all 3  shorebirds took to the air, and flew across 
the 
road to the slough immediately  to the south of the road.  I had poor views 
only 
in the air on this  occasion.  I next bushwhacked through the thick secondary 
growth guarding  this lake access, and now had good views of the mud flats in 
this part of  the lake.  All 3 birds were feeding quietly on the opposite side 
of the  water, again at about 100 feet of distance.  I was able to observe 
all  the field marks available in somewhat better light.  When I emerged from  
the weeds for closer views, the birds again took to the air, this time circling 
 right by me, with good views of the mystery bird.  It was obvious that the  
underwings were very white and there was a strong wingstripe.  In addition,  
the rump was noted to be white.  This flight view would seem to rule out  both 
Stilt SP and Dunlin, the 2 confusing species.  I have seen Curlew  Sandpipers 
many times in Asia, but am unfamiliar with this plumage.  The  birds set down 
again on my side of the slough, but soon became airborn once  more, the Curlew 
SP was nice enough to fly a circle right in front of me this  time.  
Unfortunately, when last seen, it was flying south toward the  main lake.  I 
checked 
again about 30 minutes later (2 PM) but no sign of  any of the birds.  I have 
my doubts whether it will hang around, but  if anyone wants to try tomorrow, 
the entire bay and all it's shoreline can be  seen fairly well from the 
observation platform, at least well enough to see if  the bird might be 
present.  The 
mudflat south of the road might be best  approached by waking across the 
soybean field short of roads end and looking  back at the mudflat to the north 
to 
avoid flushing anything that could suddenly  appear at your feet if walking 
through the trees at the end. 
 
At the gull island at Paris Landing were both adult Lesser BB Gulls, and a  
Peregrine Falcon was keeping watch on things from a perch in a small dead snag  
on the island.
 
The field below the maintenance building on the road to Pace Point is still  
loaded with both Marsh and Sedge Wrens.  Swamp Sparrows are now present in  
numbers, no sign of Sharp-tailed.  Also seen there today were 4 Lincoln's  and 
1 
Vesper Sparrow. 
 
No small hooded gulls were seen anywhere on the lake, and other shorebirds  
were in short supply
 
Terry Witt
Murfreesboro Tn   

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