FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Damp Fine Weekend

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Oct. 9-10-04
Mud and Cocklebur Lake,
Robco Lake,
Ensley Bottoms, Mud Island
and Eagle Lake
Shelby Co. TN


It was my kind of weather this weekend and by checking areas multiple times, 
I enjoyed some nice birds and birding. At Mud and Cocklebur Lakes, I had over 
1,000 American White Pelicans piled up like drifting snow. The viewing 
conditions from the levee have gotten worse but there are still a few holes to 
look 
through.

On Robco Lake, I found 9 Ring-billed Gulls, 3 Forster's Terns and 13 Ruddy 
Ducks, along with numerous DC Cormorants.

At Ensley Bottoms the shorebirds were spread out and by watching them come 
and go I was able to find 15 species with single Baird's, LB Dowitcher and 
Wilson's Phalarope. The lone immature Black-necked Stilt is still feeding among 
the 
ducks at TVA Lake and I look for it to be gone each day I visit, but? The 
Snowy Egret that has an injured wing is still present and may not be able to 
migrate. The waterfowl species seen on TVA Lake this weekend totaled 11 species.

The best weather effect find for the weekend was a group of 22 Golden Plovers 
that set down on one of the old sod fields. They appeared on one of my rounds 
Sunday just after noon and were not there at 5 PM when I last checked. This 
is a large number for fall migration and the most interesting thing was that 18 
of them were adult birds.

Viewing the river from Mud Island on 3 visits, I added Black-bellied Plover 
and Greater Yellowlegs bringing the weekend Wind Bird total to 17 species. 
There were 3 Ring-billed Gulls and an immature Herring Gull on the sandbar on 
Saturday and 3 FRANKLIN'S Gulls resting there on Sunday. The Mississippi River 
is 
now 5 foot below zero on the gage and has been falling over a foot a day from 
its last high of 17+ feet just 2 weeks ago. Three species of swallows were 
still present along the river but numbers have dwindled. Chimney Swift numbers 
are down slightly but are seen at any place you stop and look up.

Visiting the fields and woodlands at Ensley, Fuller Park and Eagle Lake, 
produced some new birds for the season and numbers grew in the wintering birds 
that have already appeared. My first 7 species of woodpecker day for the season 
was on Saturday.  Sedge, House and Carolina Wrens were seen with 9 feisty House 
Wrens answering my phishing. While I only saw 2 Sedge Wrens, there were more 
lurking in the grasses but it was just too wet to walk.

A total of 13 species of warblers were stumbled across in the rain with 4 
Nashville in one small area of Giant Ragweed, a plant that held Rose-breasted 
Grosbeaks at ever stop. For the last week Black-throated Greens have been seen 
in 
multiples anywhere I have had a warbler.

Savannah, Song, Swamp and Lincoln's Sparrow numbers have really increased 
over the last few days and helped bring the weekend total species list to 122, 
making for a "Damp Fine Weekend."




Good Birding!!!

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


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