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

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Nov -4-5, 2006
Mississippi River,
Ensley Bottoms, Shelby Co. TN
Tunica Co. MS
 
There was very little movement on the river early Saturday, with one  
Cooper's and a couple of high flying Harriers and the resident Red-tails. At  
Ensley 
Pits, I had 17 Red-tailed Hawks in view at one time plus, 4 Kestrel and a  
Cooper's. Among the Red-tailed Hawks, besides adult and many immature eastern  
birds, I came across a single immature Krider's, an adult rufous  morph, and a 
couple of light western type. A stop at Robco Lake on the way to  Tunica 
produced one, 2nd year Bald Eagle over the lake.
 
In Tunica Co, Saturday many old friends were found in their regular winter  
haunts; the solid dark Harlan's has taken up its post for the 5th year and  
another dark morph western has filled an area once held for 6 years by another  
dark bird that I called Shy because of its bashful nature.
 
Standing in one place, at the catfish ponds, I had 37 Red-tailed Hawks in  
one sweep of the area, 3 of those perched in the now famous tree, where as many 
 
as 13 R-t Hawks have been seen to perch at one time. Mike Todd and I  took 
photos one day, when 11 were seen in this one small tree that grows within  30 
feet of the road. In this varied mix, were Harlan's, dark and light  morph 
western and eastern types, with adult and immature Krider's.  I had 2 Cooper's 
resting in the trees near Hot Thornton Road and 2 Kestrels  cruising the fields 
but no eagles or Merlin.
 
During the day's run, I counted only 9 Loggerhead Shrike, a number that  will 
increase as the winter birds move in after the summer residents now have  
moved south.
 
On Sunday, I teamed up with Bert Sharpe of Memphis and his brother-in-law,  
Paul from Nashville for a 2 hour hawk show at the Ensley pits. We  located the 
dark rufous morph Red-tailed adult, such a stunning dark bird, with  rufous 
chest, dark belly and rufous tail. It sat out in the open, facing us for  30 
minutes. We also found a heavily marked immature rufous morph and  watched a 
super, adult Krider's soaring with 7 other Red-tailed Hawks over  the fields. 
We 
also had the immature Krider's, sitting on one of the  levees. 
 
At one time we had 21 Red-tails in the air with more scattered on the  
ground. We saw 3 traveling Sharp-shinned hawks and 4 Cooper's plus 4 Kestrels,  
one 
adult male and 3 immature Harrier's, hunting low over the fields along with  
two traveling Harrier's swirling high over head.
 
I can't wait till all the birds hit Tunica!  
Good Birding  !!!

Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135



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