FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Little Gulls & Cackling Goose; 12/3/05

[<birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

12/3/05
Halls & Lauderdale Waterfowl Refuge (Lauderdale Co.)  area to Reelfoot Lake 
area (Lake Co.)
I met Jeff Wilson for another day of birding here in NW TN. Highlights from a 
species point of view were the continuing Little Gulls at Reelfoot, and a 
Cackling Goose at Lauderdale Waterfowl Refuge. But, for us the highlights were 
4 different aberrant birds on the day. 

Before I arrived at Lauderdale, Jeff had seen a partial albino Green-winged 
Teal (80-90% white with asymmetric dark markings on the back), and a female 
Pintail that showed the head and neck pattern of a drake. We couldn't relocate 
the Pintail, but I saw the striking little white Teal. While tooling around the 
Halls area, we also found a striking partial albino Field Sparrow, which had a 
white head and symmetrical white markings on the back, tail, and wings. Last 
but certainly not least :"), was a fully leucistic Least Sandpiper we found in 
Lake Co. The leucistic Least is in a small wet spot that has been holding 
numbers of Least, just north of Tiptonville on the levee road. This was my 1st 
leucistic Least, and only Jeff's 2nd. Getting to study this striking bird, made 
the day for us by itself. We both got some photos, I've posted a few already.

We had intermittent views of the adult Little Gull this afternoon, as it 
coursed over the south end of Reelfoot Lake. The area from the State Park Day 
Use Boat Launch area at Blue Bank, up to Keystone, is still the area to look 
for these birds. Jeff got a glimpse of the 1st-winter as the birds were 
swirling around the roost area, so both birds are still in the area. 

We spent some time looking for the Say's Phoebe again, with no luck. We found 
the feeding flock of Waxwings, Robins, and Bluebirds that it had been 
associating with, near the same area Mark had the birds, but never did run up 
on the Say's. 

Other birds of note at Reelfoot were a late Barn Swallow and Great Egret, and a 
couple of Forster's Terns out on Tiptonville Bar. We saw no sign of the 
Red-necked Grebe that had been keeping us company of late, been nice if it 
would have stayed for the CBC.

At Lauderdale there were app. 300 Greater White-fronted Geese, with 2 Snow and 
1 'Blue' Goose. The Cackling Goose was associating with these birds, and was 
the only 'Canada' type goose in the area.

To see some shots of the leucistic Least Sandpiper, go to: 
http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/53110328 , there are 3 more shots of this 
bird following this one, you can just use the 'next' link to access the next 
image. Jeff also got some shots of this bird.

Good Birding!!

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


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