FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] west TN, 12/04/05

[<birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

12/04/05
Lauderdale area to Reelfoot Lake area
Crockett, Dyer, & Lake Co.

Jeff Wilson and I spent the day yesterday in the northwestern part of the 
State. We met early at Halls, TN, at the old airfield, looking for Lapland 
Longspurs, and hopefully a Snow Bunting. We had at least 100 Laps working 
the area, along with many Horned Larks, but nothing out of the ordinary. 
Several Harriers and Red-tails were also working the area.

Before we met, I had seen the only shorebirds of the day, 2 Greater 
Yellowlegs and 25 Least Sandpipers in some flooded fields in Crockett Co. 
Rusty Blackbirds were also present a couple of locations. Jeff and I checked 
at Lauderdale Waterfowl Refuge, with nothing out of the ordinary. We decided 
to bird our way north, and be back here late this afternoon for the arrival 
of both ducks and a massive blackbird roost, plus the Sun would be behind 
us. A trip to the nearby sewage lagoons revealed a hen Common Golden hanging 
out with the Hooded Mergansers there.

We had Lapland Longspurs several other locations on the day, but no big 
groups. We had a brief startle, when a ghostly pale bird sat up atop a dirt 
clod in a big, open field. We had been thinking Snow Bunting all day, but 
settled for a gorgeous leucistic Horned Lark. We got a few photos, but none 
that do it justice, it was a striking bird.

We had been going through Red-tails all day, with little in the way of 
variety. We finally found a nice dark-morph bird, perched in a tree in a 
yard in Tiptonville. This bird had it's back to us, but the very dark 
plumage on the upperparts, and long wings that reached the tail tip gave it 
away.

On Reelfoot itself, there were a couple of Common Loons and a Horned Grebe, 
to go along with the Scaup and Ruddies. There are some nice congregations of 
gulls in the fields, but nothing out of the ordinary.

We made it back to Lauderdale with about 30 minutes of daylight, to a nice 
bunch of birds. There were good numbers of Greater White-fronted Geese, and 
a single Snow Goose when we arrived. A lone Ross's came in while we were 
there, but we didn't have a Canada Goose all day! Most of the common ducks 
were present, including a nice little group of Redheads. A lone Canvasback 
came in just before dark.

Though nothing rare was seen, it was a gorgeous day to be out. It was my 1st 
trip to the Mississippi River area in several months now. I have posted a 
couple of photos of the leucistic Horned Lark, and one of the dark-morph 
Red-tail on my website. Take the following link, and just hit the "Next" tab 
to get to the next photo:
http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/37158797

Good birding!!

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



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