FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Curlew Sandpiper search etc.

[<birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

10/09/04
Pace Point to Paris Landing
Henry/Benton Co.

I covered most of my usual haunts today, including Britton Ford a couple of 
times in case the Curlew Sand returned, with no luck. Who can complain 
though about a great day to be out!

Britton Ford was dead today, with nothing of consequence. I had high hopes 
for the flats at the mouth of the Big Sandy. I started off at the north side 
of the flats, at Manor Rd. Lots of Killdeer, Pectorals and Least here, and a 
distant Stilt Sandpiper gave me a brief spark until I saw it fly, at which 
time it shot my only Curlew Sand prospect down. Also here were a couple of 
Dunlin (my 1st of the fall), and several Lesser Yellowlegs and Wilson's 
Snipe. There was a big gull concentration as normal, but only Ring-bills 
today, no Franklin's. Working the same spit the gulls were on were 3 
Sanderlings. Oddly, this is the 3rd time over the last month that I've had 3 
Sanderlings in the big Sandy/Paris Landing area. No ducks were here at all 
compared to hundreds last week, I only had Gadwall and Mallard on the day, 
not even any Teal. A single Lesser Scaup is hanging out at Britton Ford.

While hear I heard a couple of warbler chips, and soon found myself in the 
biggest flock of warblers I've had this year. There were easily 50 warblers 
in a small area, of 13 species. Most numerous were Yellow-rumps and 
Black-throated Green, with at least a dozen each. I had 3 Black-throated 
Green's in the same bush! Tennessee's were also numerous, as were 
Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided and Magnolia. Also present were N. Parula, 
Nashville, Yellow-throated, Palm, Bay-breasted, Black-and-white, and Common 
Yellowthroat in the undergrowth. Later in the day I would add Golden-winged 
(my 1st of the year) and Pine for 15 species on the day. A couple of other 
times I had nice flocks of warblers as well.

After leaving here I decided to go to Big Sandy, and walk in levee to cover 
the south side of the flats. This is a fair walk (the gate was down, but as 
there is a decrepit "No motorized vehicles, etc." sign up, I walked) but 
worth it. Warblers kept me company on the way in. When I reached the flats, 
I heard the melancholy call of a Black-bellied Plover, and found the bird 
feeding in a pool that I couldn't see from Manor Rd. Also here was a Semi 
Plover, and a lot more Least and Pec's than I had thought was here. About 
the time I started getting a few birds, all hell broke loose and birds 
scattered everywhere. It looked like the work of a Peregrine, but I didn't 
see the bird. On the way I out I spotted the Peregrine perched on a wooded 
stake on the mudflat. I took a few photos of the bird, and showed it to a 
hunter who was back in the area working on a duck blind. He was pretty 
excited, as he had heard of a Peregrine, but hadn't seen one.

I left Big Sandy and headed to Pace Point. The flats at Lick Creek look 
good, but nothing but Ring-bills and Killdeer. Pace Point was dead, with a 
few Ring-bills loafing well out on the Point. A couple of stops and pishing 
for sparrows etc. revealed several Song Sparrows, and 3 Lincoln's popped up 
into the same bush. I didn't spend any time walking for sparrows.

The flats at Eagle Creek are still productive, as in addition to the 
Killdeer and Least and Pec's that are around, there were also 2 Greater 
Yellowlegs and a Semipalmated Sandpiper, my 12th and final shorebird of the 
day. Forster's Terns are piled up in here big time, but no Common's among 
them.

Paris Landing was my final stop, and from the bridge a quick scan revealed 
that there are now at least 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the area; the 2 
adults, a 2nd-winter, and now a juvenile/1st-winter. I saw the juvenile 
standing with a couple of juvenile Herring's and thought Lesser Black-back 
and then the bird flapped and flew around a little confirming it. Nothing 
else on the island though but Herring's and Ring-billed Gulls (or so I 
thought). I made a quick run into Paris Landing State Park (PLSP) to glance 
at the island from that angle, and one of the 1st birds I saw was the adult 
Laughing Gull sleeping. This makes twice now that I have missed that bird 
from the bridge and picked it up from PLSP.

I have added a temporary gallery to my website with a few photos from today. 
I have posted a shot of a Lincoln's Sparrow, and some of the Peregrine, and 
also some general ID-type shots of the juvenile Lesser Black-back.

These are at: http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/temp

Good birding!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
Carroll Co.
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd




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