FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Re: Rankin swallows

["michael sledjeski" <mtnsylva@xxxxxxx>]

Dean Edwards e-mailed me about the  swallow observation in my post 
yesterday.  October 9 is unusually late for clilff swallows in TN - he 
suggested that I might have been looking at cave swallows.  The flock was 
flying due east late in the day, high overhead, and looked to be all the 
same species - square-tailed, dusky-throated.  When I took a closer look at 
a couple of individuals with binoculars, I could make out buffy/orange color 
on the throat.  I mistakenly ruled out rough-winged, not knowing that the 
juveniles have coloring on the throat, and, in retrospect, attributing the 
darkness of the wings to the time of day.  I compared cliff and cave 
swallows in my field guide, ruled out cave as being paler-throated than what 
I'd seen, and concluded cliff, which are very common in the area through the 
summer.  Leslie agreed, though she hadn't gotten a look through her 
binoculars.

It's too late for a better look, so I'll have to amend the report to read  
"swallow spp. (100+)".

Thanks, Dean.

Michael Sledjeski



>Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Rankin shorebird>Rankin peninsula (lower Rankin 
>Bottoms & Ten Islands), Cocke county; 10/9/06, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM; by canoe 
>from Leadvale boat launch.  Douglas Lake elevation: 975.2.
>
>Mudflats are diminishing at Rankin Bottoms,  increasing at Ten Islands  
>(downstream to the west).  We saw the usual good numbers of Canada geese, 
>mallards, cormorants, great blues herons, great egrets, and black vultures. 
>  Also:
>
>Red-tailed hawk
>Blue-winged teal (68)
>Greeen-winged teal (22)
>Semipalmated plover (4)
>Killdeer (37)
>Greater yellowlegs (2)
>Least sandpiper (80+)
>Pectoral sandpiper
>DUNLIN (3 - first of season)
>Ring-billed gull (8)
>Swallow spp.(100+)
>
>Michael Sledjeski & Leslie Gibbens
>Cocke county


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